Motion to Reduce Lower Back Pain
Video by Dr. Justin Thompson
This engaging movement not only warms up your core and hips but also promotes better mobility and flexibility in your lower back and it’s one we share with our patients in East Dallas. By mimicking the cycling motion, it encourages the spine to move through its full range, helping to alleviate tightness and discomfort. In this blog post, we’ll explore how integrating this stretch into your routine can enhance your overall movement patterns and mitigate pain, allowing you to stay active and comfortable in your daily life. Dynamic stretching offers several advantages over static stretching, particularly when it comes to preparing the body for activity. Unlike static stretches, which involve holding a position to lengthen muscles, dynamic stretches incorporate movement to increase blood flow, elevate heart rates, and activate muscle groups. Incorporating dynamic stretches into your routine can help promote better neuromuscular coordination, ensuring that your body is ready to respond efficiently during physical activities. Attached below is a study that highlights the benefits of dynamic stretching.
Thirty cadets at the United States Military Academy completed the study (14 women and 16 men, ages 18–24 years). On 3 consecutive days, subjects performed 1 of the 2 warm up routines (DWU or SWU) or performed no warm up (NWU). The 3 warm up protocols lasted 10 minutes each and were counterbalanced to avoid carryover effects. After 1–2 minutes of recovery, subjects performed 3 tests of power or agility. The order of the performance tests (T-shuttle run, underhand medicine ball throw for distance, and 5-step jump) also was counterbalanced. Repeated measures analysis of variance revealed better performance scores after the DWU for all 3 performance tests (p 0.01), relative to the SWU and NWU. There were no significant differences between the SWU and NWU for the medicine ball throw and the T-shuttle run, but the SWU was associated with better scores on the 5-step jump (p 0.01). Because the results of this study indicate a relative performance enhancement with the DWU, the utility of warm up routines that use static stretching as a stand-alone activity should be reassessed.
Research Referenced
MCMILLIAN, DANNY J.1; MOORE, JOSEF H.2; HATLER, BRIAN S.3; TAYLOR, DEAN C.3. DYNAMIC VS.STATIC-STRETCHING WARM UP: THE EFFECT ON POWER AND AGILITY PERFORMANCE. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research 20(3):p 492-499, August 2006.
Our Message
When you are looking for a Chiropractor near you that you can trust, choose one who will not only get rid of your back pain, neck pain, or headaches but who will also guide you to living a healthier lifestyle to keep you out of pain. Our East Dallas Doctors, located in Lakewood at the corner of Mockingbird Ln. and Abrams Rd., are here to teach you that taking care of your mental health and getting the proper nutrients are just as important as the chiropractic adjustment to stay healthy.
