Hips and knees and hamstrings and spines are all linked. When one is weak the others must pick up the slack. For Southern New Hampshire back pain patients wanting to relieve and prevent back pain, it is even more important to be certain to strengthen everything. Beginning with the hamstrings is a great place as their strength and flexibility is tied to all the rest.
BENEFITS OF HAMSTRING FLEXIBILITY
Bending over to retrieve a shoe off the ground is no easy task. Chiropractors warn about the bending, lifting and twisting motions! Bending needs hamstring, knee, hip, and spine participation. They each need to be independently in terrific shape. They need to work together efficiently. New research stated how hamstring stretching exercises significantly increased the range of motion of active knee extension. Further, hip flexion was significantly enhanced by hamstring stretching while lumbar flexion and lumbar spine/hip flexion ratio decreased during repetitive stoop lifting or daily activities. (1) Having flexible hamstrings and hip flexors safeguard the spine while flexing which is beneficial to Southern New Hampshire back pain sufferers.
HOW BEST TO STRETCH HAMSTRINGS
What is the best way to stretch hamstrings and hip flexors? For healthy young adults, static stretching was shown in a study to be successful in improving hamstring flexibility. (2) Static and proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation (PNF) stretching are both effective at enhancing hip flexion range of motion. (3) To New Hampshire Spine and Sport, doing it in the proper way is important. Stretching is always important. Further, the goals of hamstring stretching are to lengthen the hamstring muscle as well as its lumbar flexion range of motion. Seated and standing hamstring stretching with knee extension are similarly effective for this goal. (4) Hip flexibility after exercise interventions with stretching and/or core endurance both produced increased hip range of motion and lumbar rotation range of motion during hip extension. (5) See how everything is connected? New Hampshire Spine and Sport does!
CONTACT New Hampshire Spine and Sport
Listen to this PODCAST with Dr. Jasmine Hornberger on The Back Doctors Podcast with Dr. Michael Johnson as she presents a patient with spinal stenosis that brings on not only spine pain but hip pain and groin pain as well. She used The Cox® Technic System of Spinal Pain Management protocols to deliver a pain-relieving treatment plan.
Schedule your next Southern New Hampshire chiropractic appointment with New Hampshire Spine and Sport. We will help you find a path to flexible, lengthened hamstrings that supports the knee, hip, and spine so you can retrieve anything off the ground that you need.