{"id":1084,"date":"2021-02-14T15:51:16","date_gmt":"2021-02-14T15:51:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/drkarenhudes.ca\/?p=1084"},"modified":"2021-02-14T15:51:17","modified_gmt":"2021-02-14T15:51:17","slug":"stretching-your-hips-for-low-back-pain","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/drkarenhudes.ca\/index.php\/2021\/02\/14\/stretching-your-hips-for-low-back-pain\/","title":{"rendered":"Stretching your Hips for Low Back Pain"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Here is a great post written by Dr. Rebecca about lower back pain and how and why stretching your hips for low back pain is important!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Last time we discussed how sitting can cause tight hips and your low back pain, also known as lower crossed syndrome. You can find that article here<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Stretching your hips is a great way to address hip tightness and low back pain. In these videos we are targeting two of the major muscles that can cause tight hips: rectus femoris and psoas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here are some common questions when it comes to stretching:<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

1. Should stretching be painful? No!<\/strong> Focus on going to the point of tension when you just start to feel the stretch. Holding the stretch with this amount of tension will teach the muscle to relax. When you overstretch to the point of pain, the muscle doesn\u2019t relax, defeating the purpose of what we\u2019re trying to do.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

2. How long should I hold the stretch? A general rule of thumb is holding the stretch for 30 seconds! <\/strong>It\u2019s not uncommon to feel the tension decrease as you hold a stretch, usually around the 15-20 second mark. At this point you can move a little deeper into the stretch, again just to the point of tension.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

3. How often should I stretch?<\/strong> As often as you like! Stretching is a good self-treatment when you\u2019re having pain but it works even better as a preventative measure. If you commonly experience episodes of low back pain, regularly stretching your hips could help prevent the low back pain from developing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A few reminders about stretching<\/h2>\n\n\n\n