Banish back pain with this easy 10-second stretch

Back pain affects one in six Australians at some point in their lives and can put a real dampener on one’s mood.

It can affect your sleep, your day-time mobility, the ability to do the things you love, and even play on your mind sending you high tailing it for an X-ray.

Much has been said and done about how to alleviate back pain. In the old days it was bed rest and oftentimes surgery, but these days staying active and improving your mobility are seen as the best remedy. 

Tik Tokker and massage therapist, James Moore, has the perfect quick fix to banish pack pain.

On his Tik Tok account, the wellness wizard shared a quick 10-second video which he guarantees will bring fast relief. And the only thing you need is a door frame.

His post was captioned, “Reduce your back pain with this stretch.”

Moore’s simple stretch involves holding onto a doorframe and positioning your ankle over the opposite knee. Then bend your supporting leg until you’ve descended into a squat, using the door frame for stability.

Moore suggests holding that position for 10 seconds and then changing legs.

“It stretches your glutes which helps reduce low back pain and increase mobility,” he told viewers.

@moorewellness Reduce your back pain with this stretch #backpain #painrelief #selfcare #howtostretch ♬ BANANA SHAKE (SPED UP) – HUS

It didn’t take much for users to be convinced by the value of the stretch, many taking to the comments section to thank Moore for his suggestion while others spoke of the “big difference” the stretch had on their back pain.

“Awesome stretch,” one user said.

“Letting people know this actually really helps I’ve been doing it regularly for a year and it makes a big difference.”

“Love it thank you for sharing it really works I appreciate it,” commented another.

There are many ways to alleviate back pain so before you reach for painkillers or anti-inflammatories consider getting active.

Last year the treatment of lower back pain took a major step forward following the release of the Low Back Pain Clinical Care Standard which outlined a much-needed shift in the approach to how the common health condition is addressed.

The new standard, published by the Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care, advocates for an active approach, promoting physical activity and self-management, to support people with the condition.

Clinical Director at the Commission and clinical lead for the new standard, Associate Professor Liz Marles explained how active self-managed strategies that educate people about their pain and how to remain physically active are the “most effective to restore health”.

“Contrary to past schools of thought, for most cases of low back pain, we know that passive approaches such as bed rest and medication can lead to worsening disability,” she said.

Marles also said if pain medicines are prescribed, they should be used to enable physical activities to help people recover, rather than eliminate pain.

There are many dos and dont’s when it comes to alleviating back pain. The trick is to stay active and be consistent when you find something that works.