Stretching for Back Pain

Responding to one Healthy Jew's question.

Lev HaTorah does some Healthy Jew yoga stretches on a hike in the Negev desert.

Dear Rabbi Naiman,

I'm experiencing really bad back pain - probably a combination of being overweight, not exercising, not eating healthy enough, lifting children while working in childcare, and standing for long hours cooking for Shabbos. 

Recently someone suggested stretching exercises to strengthen my back muscles, and it seems to be helping. Perhaps you’d like to encourage people to do simple, daily exercises to prevent future middle-age pains. I have neglected my health for decades and now I'm beginning to pay the price. 

Keep up your vital and holy work,

Rachel S., Detroit

Dear Rachel,

I’m sorry to hear about your back pain, and happy that you’re finding a solution with stretching. In future posts and Healthy Jew workshops I hope to elaborate more about this important topic.

Today I’ll begin with some important tips you and other Healthy Jews might find useful.

First of all, make sure to discuss with your doctor if standard stretching exercises are safe and appropriate for you. She might suggest to consult with a qualified physical therapist.

But most people will greatly benefit from the simple stretches that have been used for thousands of years to find peace of mind and body, including relief from back pain.

To begin practicing stretching, here’s a helpful post from Mayo Clinic. If you find these stretches helpful, I highly recommend buying Jon Kabat Zin’s recordings from his evidence-based Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction program (Series 1), which contain two 45-minute guided mindfulness stretching sessions.

What’s mindfulness have to do with stretching for back pain? Because stretching isn’t only about moving well, but also - perhaps primarily - being well, the third part of healthy Jewish living (as I introduced here). The stress and tension we’re working to free are in our mind as much as our body.

Therefore, while stretching, pay close attention to every feeling in your body, being careful not to push beyond your limits. That would just cause more injuries - not the healing you desire and deserve. Enter and exit each stretch slowly, aware of the purposeful effort and release. Stretch your mind and body together.

If you build a consistent stretching practice, you’ll hopefully notice over time how your limits - of mind and body - will expand, giving you more room to maneuver your back without pain.

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