Gentle(st) stretching routine

i have one of those shiatsu massagers. different brand but it looks very similar. i find it marvellous, although you do have to be sitting up/reclined with cuchions under the rest of your back... i think it would arch your neck too high if supine when using it.

But its great because you can adjust your position to get the pressure in just the right place.

A note of caution on the magic back stretcher - i really hurt my back using it, on even the lowest angle. Once on it i could barely breathe as it pushed up on my ribs, & then i am so weak i couldnt get myself up off it so i rolled awkwardly & hurt myself, took wks to recover, so maybe not something to try while alone.

The other reason i suggested getting someone out to help you initially is because its easy to look at videos/images and assume you have your body in the same position, when actually you're not. I actually gave myself hipflexor tendonitis from doing a stretch that i copied from a book & which felt lovely - until it didnt! and when i showed the physio what i'd been doing she said 'oh, no, you have your back arched too much' & i'd unconsciously compensated for my lack of strength & flexibility in one area by using different muscles and injured myself.

I was doing very gentle stuff & thought i was following the intsructions/pictures, but without being able to see your body you cant really tell what position its in & can easily do these 'easy/simple' stretches in the wrong way & hurt yourself. At least thats what happened forme. Thats why i got someone to help me after that, just the first time to make sure i wasnt doing anything in the wrong way/make sure i was in the right position.

So please just go very carefully @rvallee
 
I agree with the advice to be very cautious about a back stretcher. I think if it were me I would start very gently by putting a small thin cushion under my back and seeing how that feels. I know - I've tried it in the past and it gave me awful backache. And before doing anything much more than that I'd get advice from a physio.
 
Mij said:
There are several different models since I bought mine 13 years ago. This is the one I use which is smoother on top and doesn't have huge nodules sticking out:


The stretcher has 3 levels but I only set mine at the lowest level, there is no need to push yourself. I start with my knees bent and slowly lay them flat on the floor. I start with my arms placed at my side, then I spread my arms out away from my side, and when I feel more comfortable, I place my arms over my head. This really gets the blood flowing. Start slow and build to 5 minutes a day if you can.

Here is a video on how you should use the stretcher properly:

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Nice. I notice a wide range of prices and options but I'll give one a try. I'm a bit unsure about some using the term "back cracker" though, but I'll take it slow and easy and it does say just a few minutes per day.

Thanks!
 
JemPD said:
A note of caution on the magic back stretcher - i really hurt my back using it, on even the lowest angle. Once on it i could barely breathe as it pushed up on my ribs, & then i am so weak i couldnt get myself up off it so i rolled awkwardly & hurt myself, took wks to recover, so maybe not something to try while alone.
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Trish said:
I agree with the advice to be very cautious about a back stretcher. I think if it were me I would start very gently by putting a small thin cushion under my back and seeing how that feels. I know - I've tried it in the past and it gave me awful backache. And before doing anything much more than that I'd get advice from a physio.
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Yeah I definitely get a feel that this is to be used with great caution, with the potential to injure. I'll try to find the gentlest one I can, and avoid those that look a bit on the chiropractic "crack that back" vibe. And probably a bit later, after I've seen a difference with basic exercises.
JemPD said:
i have one of those shiatsu massagers. different brand but it looks very similar. i find it marvellous, although you do have to be sitting up/reclined with cuchions under the rest of your back... i think it would arch your neck too high if supine when using it.
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Really looking forward to this one. I was always hesitant because some of the good ones are bit expensive but I'm at the point where the money is worth it. Have you tried other types? I'm not sure about the full mats, but they seem very easy to use.
 
Trish said:
I agree with the advice to be very cautious about a back stretcher.
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And me! :eek: I can't think of any reason anyone—especially a relatively inactive person—would need to extend their back in the way that stretcher does. It's not a natural position, and attempting things like this when you're stiff or haven't got good muscle strength is likely asking for trouble. In a "corpse position" stretch I wouldn't use any more elevation than my own hands under the small of my back.

A much safer way to stretch your back is to curve it the opposite way. Imagine sitting on an upright chair with your knees together, and starting with a fairly straight back, gently and gradually leaning forward over your thighs as if you're aiming to put your face on your knees. Allow your back to begin to curve as you go over, and don't force yourself to go any lower than is natural.

The other one is the curved stretch, moving your feet further apart, holding your knees with your hands, and gradually arching out the back as if you're trying to get your belly button to touch your spine.

To begin with it may not feel as if you're doing very much, but after a few repeats you learn how to release the muscles and let gravity help you.

I wouldn't use any kind of implement or aid to do stretches unless I'd been taught the technique and had someone observe my positioning. PWME have quite enough to contend with, without adding strain injuries!
 
I try to do a tummy and back stretch every night.

I use cushions and improvise if my arms are weak, like lying back on cushions or a rolled up pillow when seated on my bed with my legs over the edge to stretch my tummy, else if I feel up to it I will carefully do the "cobra" pose on a carefully positioned foam mat so I dont squash or strain anything vital.

Back stretch is as easy as sitting down and touching your toes with your legs out straight and together, then working up to touching your knees with your forehead eventually. Much easier in bed but more effective on the backs of legs if you sit on a flat floor.

When I was about 8 my mum told me that scientists said it only stretches the muscles properly if you hold a stretch for at least 30 secs, so naturally I listen to my mum.

The degree of gentleness is in your own hands and the gentle way is not to force it at all and simply repeat daily to make progress and respond appropriately if it feels uncomfortable or painful in any way. The cobra pose especially I find can make my head swim a bit some days, so I am particularly careful with that, but so can touching my toes and I adapt to the circumstances of the day and take them extra slowly if necessary and sometimes will defer them if my head is pounding from a migraine or similar.
 
rvallee said:
Well, I clearly was not gentle enough. Or the initial straining and leg pain already set the course, but now I have POTS and am mostly bedbound and severely lowered my already terrible quality of life. WTF is this bullshit?
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Sorry to hear that, we are all so fragile, I hope you can get back to your comfort zone soon.

I wonder why that happened? Did your stretching really cause that, or is there a bug going round or something?

I have had orthostatic intolerance since onset 1986, if I stand up quickly I can faint, only did that once mind you, as I also concussed myself. Since then I lean over forwards when rising and slowly change the angle between heart and head so my autonomic system can adjust slowly. Though last month I had a long spell of a couple of weeks when it was worse than usual... I wonder?
 
Thanks for the words of encouragement. It's been weird, but mostly disappointing in that I've experienced a slow but gradual reduction in neurological symptoms over the past year and thought I was slowly on the way up. Especially the noise sensitivity has been a blessing. It used to be so bad. If there's one pattern I have noticed from Long Covid, it's that neurological symptoms are likely the main sign of how bad things are.

I'm about 99% certain I didn't catch anything. Besides my parents, I have zero exposition to the outside world and neither of them has been ill.

I really think it's because I strained my legs too much, basically squeezing too hard to keep myself held during the stretching since I had difficulty using my core muscles. Maybe it was a bit too hard on my heart. Hard to say. Ironically, now it's the other way around, I think in part by working on reducing my GERD symptoms (which is hella hard, figuring out what triggers it).

Like an idiot I kept on stretching my legs after that, so much pain and stretching is really effective when I find the right places to pull on. It felt damn good to undo all this knotting in my calves, but now I really feel like a fool for doing this to myself despite all the knowledge I have about the risks. The margin for error is absurd.

I was hopeful it'd improve once my legs hurt less but I'm not that lucky. Or at least not that fast. It did give me a bit of appreciation for the state I was in, which is... yeah... wow. It wasn't much, but I absolutely hate being dependent on my parents for almost everything. Even compared to being dependent for most things. Haven't gone upstairs in 2 weeks. It's very isolating, shows how the online community is so important to keep connected with reality.

At least I can say I did find some good stretches that require no exertion and help a lot. So at least I've got that going for me. I have a few I'll try to share once I have the energy for it, but I especially like this one: https://www.tanyaandrewsphysiotherapy.co.uk/stretches. I just pick and choose those that don't require exertion. Lots of good ones in there.
 
I don't know if it's relevant here, but in my ballet class (sorry) we are now told not to do any stretching until the body is warmed up. It used to be that you'd see ballet dancers on the floor stretching before they started doing any movement, but I don't think that's the case any longer.
 
Wits_End said:
I don't know if it's relevant here, but in my ballet class (sorry) we are now told not to do any stretching until the body is warmed up. It used to be that you'd see ballet dancers on the floor stretching before they started doing any movement, but I don't think that's the case any longer.
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Yeah I have seen that there seem to be changes in opinions over this, unfortunately warming up is not an option for me. Although it may have played some role, I definitely overdid it in a way that is, at least to a point, my fault. It's so hard to do so little, and to resist doing more even when you know how bad the consequences may be.
 
No, but I was thinking more along the lines of when you wake up in the morning, or something, assuming that you've been fairly warm overnight.
 
One of the things I've been doing to improve my blood pressure is using a stress ball (usually when I'm lying/sitting on the sofa).
I'm also using it to try and increase the strength in my left hand.
I think this is something that anyone can do without too much energy expenditure and you can do as little or as much as you are able. They are cheap to buy and have many benefits.
eg
Stress balls were originally intended to be used for remedying stress and tension but with their increasing popularity as a stress relief tool, it seems that squeezing it may have other health benefits. Studies show that when you squeeze a stress ball, your nerves and muscles stimulate and contract which makes them stronger. The strength improves the overall nervous system, which reduces essential hormones and can control your stress levels.

Some of the benefits:

  • Relieve arthritis pains
  • Enhance emotional stability
  • Reduce anxiety and stress
  • Lower blood pressure
  • Improve concentration and creativity
  • Strengthen muscles
  • Increased positive energy
  • Improve sleep
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