Stretch the back muscles with specific exercises
If muscles are not stretched sufficiently due to lack of movement, the muscles shorten and “stick together”. This can not only lead to tension and pain, but after a certain period of time it can also considerably restrict mobility. This problem can be counteracted by stretching.
By stretching, the muscles regain their possible length of movement. Cramped muscles are better supplied with blood and can recover. Therefore stretching is elementary to free the back muscles from tension or pain and to keep them flexible.
It should not only be done before and after an effort, but also in between. During the execution it is important that the stretching is done slowly. If this is not done, the muscles contract due to the jerky pull instead of becoming long and soft.
Each stretch should be held for at least 15-20 seconds. The following exercises are good for stretching the back muscles. You lie flat on your stomach.
The elbows are bent and the hands are placed at the level of the armpits. The forearms rest on the mat.Now it is necessary to lift the upper body and the head upwards, vertebra by vertebra, until the chest is raised. The arms remain passive and should not help.
One should only come up as far as it is comfortable. A second stretching exercise goes as follows: Sit on the front edge of a chair. The feet are positioned hip-wide.
The knees are bent about 90 degrees. Now the upper body should be rolled slowly forward until it rests on the thighs. The head follows the movement and hangs down loosely.
The arms hang down at the sides. Stay in maximum extension for at least 5 breaths. Then roll up vertebra by vertebra.
How can the back muscles be loosened?
In 80% of the cases in which patients complain of back pain, no exact cause for the complaints can be found. Often tension or so-called “stuck fasciae” are to blame. In medicine, fascia is the connective tissue that consists primarily of collagen, water, sugar and proteins.
Fascia envelops the organs, muscles, bones, ligaments and tendons and gives them a shape and support. They stretch throughout the entire body and provide stability, elasticity and smooth movements. Lack of movement or incorrect loading can make these fasciae stiff and immobile.
In colloquial language, it is said that the fasciae stick together. They then become firm and have poor blood circulation and thus are undersupplied with nutrients. As a result of the lack of energy and hardening, pain occurs at these points.
In mild stages, fasciae can loosen and disappear on their own through movement. However, if the hardening of the back muscles has progressed, these must be loosened by targeted massages. The massage for loosening the muscles and fasciae differs from classical oil or relaxation massages, which are used for relaxation.
The manual therapist or masseur feels for tense muscle strands and so-called myogeloses (muscle knots) and loosens these trigger points by applying targeted pulling and pressure stimuli. The manual rubbing, stroking, kneading and walking stimulates the blood circulation and can release the tension. Even if the massages relieve or even eliminate the complaints, the causes remain untreated. Active training of the back muscles is essential.
