LONG day at the office or been rushed off your feet all day?
You might benefit from some simple stretches not only to ease those tight muscles, but allow for a much more comfortable sleep.
There are various reasons why you might be struggling from a sore back.
Sitting forward, especially if hunched over a phone or laptop, will cause strain in the back and spine, as will standing or walking with heavy bags, unsupportive shoes or heels.
Heavy day-to-day lifting, whether at work, the gym or even of children, could also cause back pain.
Carlo Scozzaro, Sports Rehabilitation Therapist at Myoset, says that tight hamstrings could also be to blame.
“When the hamstrings are tight, it can lead to an imbalance in the pelvis, which then causes more stress on the lower back causing pain,” says Carlo.
“Tight hip flexors could cause tight back muscles too.
“Your hip flexors [running down the front of the hips] are a group of muscles which help you move your leg and knee up toward your body.
“When they’re tight, they can cause pain during movement and also put more pressure on your back muscles and spine.”
Carlo adds: “Inflammatory disease such as osteoarthritis can also cause a tight back, so it’s important to stretch to do what you can to help control the pain.”
Here, Carlo has recommended six simple stretches which you can do at home to stretch out your back, lower back, hips, glutes and hamstrings so you can move more comfortably and relieve yourself of pain and niggles.
Feel free to repeat the stretches as you need.
Get into a kneeling position with your knees close together.
Crawl your hands as far out in front of you as possible, stretching out the arms and lowering the torso to the ground.
Keep your torso touching your thighs as you take your arms out to the left, hold for 10 to 20 seconds, then move your arms cross to the right, holding for 10 to 20 seconds again.
Aim to reach your hands as far in front of you as possible to really deepen the stretch.
Start on all fours before bringing your left knee up towards your wrist so the shin is parallel to the ground. Lengthen the right leg behind you with the top of the foot resting on the ground.
Lower your bottom, and then your torso to your leg.
Place your hands on the floor on either side of your legs. Stay here for up to 20 seconds, feeling yourself deepen into the stretch.
To progress the stretch, lower your head down to the ground and lengthen your arms in front of you. Move your arms over to the left, hold for 10 to 20 seconds then move your arms across to the right, again holding for 10 to 20 seconds.
Lie back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor. Lift your left leg into tabletop position with your knee bent and calf parallel to the ground.
Then, take your right ankle and place it across your left knee. Wrap your hands around your left thigh and gently pull your legs towards you, keeping your back, shoulders and head flat on the ground.
The aim is to avoid your right knee caving inwards; if it’s easier, take your right hand and gently push back on your right knee so it’s in line with your left. Hold each side for 10 to 20 seconds.
Start in a seated position, both knees bent with feet on the ground in front of you. Have space between your feet/knees.
Place your hands just behind you, either side of your glutes (bum).
Without moving your body, lower your right knee inwards, down to the floor. Pause, then rotate the movement, raising your right knee back and lowering your left knee down.
You should feel this in your hips. Don’t race through this move; go slowly, lowering the knee as low as you can, swinging between the two hips.
Aim for 10 reps on each side.
Start seated on the floor, knees bent and feet flat on the ground.
Straighten your left leg and place your right foot on the ground next to the outside of your left thigh. Place your left hand on the floor behind you for support.
Then, take your right elbow and place it on the inside of your right knee, gently pushing that right knee back and rotating your torso to the left.
You can also rotate your head and aim to look over your right shoulder. Hold for 10 seconds before switching sides.
Start standing with feet hip-width apart.
Keeping your left arm down by your side, reach the right arm up and over your head, lowering your left arm down your thigh as you do so and feeling the stretch in your side.
Hold for five seconds, then go again on the other side.
If your back pain never subsides, or if it’s getting progressively worse, despite putting practices in place to try and ease the pain, then book an appointment with your GP who will be able to guide you on the next steps.
It’s also wise to see your GP if the pain is disrupting your day-to-day life or if the pain is sharp and radiating into others areas of the body, as this could potentially indicate something more serious.
Back pain is very common. Physiotherapist Sammy Margo, part of the expert hub behind Mind Your Back, previously told The Sun it is usually injury to a muscle or ligament.
She said: “These strains may occur for many reasons such as poor posture, improper lifting [including during exercise] or being too sedentary and not having enough exercise.”
But back pain with chest pain is a good reason to seek urgent medical help.
It could be the sign of a heart issue or heart attack.
The signs of a heart attack are chest pain, and pain that can spread to other parts of the body, including the back, feeling lightheaded or dizzy, shortness of breath, sweating and nausea.
If you have back pain plus any of these symptoms, don’t delay – call 999 or go to A&E.
Sudden loss of bladder or bowel control (unable to hold it in) is another red flag that the NHS says you should call 999 for.
Cauda equina syndrome, when nerves of the spinal cord are compressed, can cause numbness of sensation in the buttocks — as well as genitals — and incontinence.
Meanwhile, in men, lower back pain could potentially be a sign of prostate cancer.
Other symptoms of prostate cancer include blood in the urine, abdominal pain, difficulty urinating and needing to pee more often.
Men should see their GP if they have these symptoms or are worried about their risk factors for prostate cancer: Use this online risk tool.
Meanwhile, kidney stones can cause agonising back pain, and you should phone NHS 111 if the pain is severe or if you have blood in your urine. Otherwise, see your GP.
