Back pain and hip pain are becoming increasingly common in the modern world. According to a 2013 World Health Organization survey, 60 to 70-percent of people will experience lower back pain at some point. That means more than half the population is hindered by pain.
However, surgery and medications may not be your only options, especially if your symptoms are recent or mild. Here are five stretches you can do to ease lower back or hip pain. .
Lower back pain stretches
Knee to chest: Lie on your back with legs extended. Slowly bring one knee up to your chest. You may use your arms to hold your knee. Hold the knee to your chest for about 30 seconds, then release and repeat with the other leg.
Prayer stretch: Tuck your legs underneath you and sit back on your heels. Then bend at the waist over your thighs, arms stretched in front of you. Fold over as far as possible with your chest against your legs. Hold this position for 30 to 60 seconds.
Press-up: Lie on your stomach and prop yourself up on your elbows, palms flat. As you inhale, straighten your elbows. This will extend your back. Hold for 10 seconds, then lower back onto your elbows as you exhale.
Hip pain stretches
Side bend: Kneel on the floor and extend your left leg out to the side (perpendicular to your body). Bring your right arm above your head as you stretch your torso to the left. Hold for 30 seconds, release, and repeat on the other side.
Butterfly stretch: Sit on the ground and bring your feet together so the soles touch. Then use your elbows to gently press your knees closer to the ground. Hold this for 10 to 20 seconds.
Other natural pain relief options
If stretching doesn’t work, you can explore a noninvasive, all-natural form of pain relief: regenerative medicine. It introduces healthy cells into the body to not only relieve pain but also heal damaged tissue. Through regenerative medicine, your body’s ability to heal can be reinvigorated. Our doctors practice two forms of regenerative medicine:
Regenerative cellular therapy uses Wharton’s jelly-derived mesenchymal cells to heal damaged tissue. These mesenchymal cells are derived from the Wharton’s jelly found in donated umbilical cords. Each umbilical cord used is received from a healthy and consenting mother, which makes this process ethical and safe. The resulting mesenchymal cells contain various growth factors and other healing properties, which make them optimal for natural pain relief.
Another form of regenerative medicine is the use of platelet-rich plasma (PRP). Plasma is the fluid that blood cells travel through, while platelets contain growth factors and healing cells. PRP treatments involve extracting a small amount of blood from the patient and spinning that blood in a centrifuge. The fast rotations cause the platelet-rich plasma to separate out, allowing your doctor to extract it and inject it directly into the problem-area. PRP injections are another way of taking advantage of naturally-occurring cells to heal the body and reverse tissue damage.
Would you like to find out if you qualify for regenerative medicine? Contact our office for a free consultation. Call (843) 285-6883
References
World Health Organization. (2013). Priority medicine for Europe and the world 2013 [PDF file]. Retrieved from https://www.who.int/medicines/areas/priority_medicines/Ch6_24LBP.pdf
