Love your Side stretch for lower back pain

Experiencing lower back pain can sometimes be attributed to obvious reasons, but sometimes can be a mystery. Ever get up too quickly from the sofa and your back suddenly ‘goes?’ Or you do the smallest movement like reach into a cupboard and you are suddenly in pain? The thoracic spine might be to blame. The thoracic cage is situated in the mid back between T1 to T12. It is the part of our skeletal system that moves the least, given its job of protecting the heart and lungs.  However the muscles between each rib, need a certain amount of flexibility if we are to keep our lower back free of injury and pain. If we become restricted in the thoracic spine then we often take our shoulders and hips out of alignment placing pressure on our lower back, increasing our chances of lower back pain in ways we cannot easily decipher.

How do we keep this area of our bodies healthy? You might find a lot of stretching such as Cat stretch in Pilates or lunges can bring relief from injury or challenges in posture. While these should be a part of any exercise routine remember they work the saggittal and transverse planes of our body only. We need to stretch the frontal plane too for a healthy spine. Frontal plane exercises involve side stretching, or abduction, moving the limbs ‘away’ from the body and improve mobility in the thoracic spine. Combine any side stretch with deep breathing and your lower back will thank you. So remember fontal plane stretching should be a part of any workout, for people with lower back issues in pursuit of spinal mobility. Open up those ribs and take a breath to get your lower back singing.