Tense Back? Here’s a Quick Way to Relax Tight Back Muscles | BPL24
So you have tight back muscles.
Maybe that tense, constricted feeling radiates to other areas; perhaps the chest or the abdomen.
In the beginning, it would come and go but, over time, it became worse; more frequent and more intense.
Your doctor can’t pinpoint the problem. The advice you are given is generic and just not that helpful.
More Episodes
of the
Back Pain Liberation
Podcast
When you do your own research, it’s not much better.
You read things like ‘be careful how you pick up heavy objects’, ‘exercise more’ and ‘watch your weight’.
These all sound like good ideas but, even when you’re doing this stuff, it doesn’t really help matters.
You’re still struggling with painful, tight back muscles.
I had this exact, same problem. Until I figured out how to get in control of the situation. How to deal with my back pain and tension effectively.
This is an update of a post which was first published November 2016. It is now also available in audio format on the Back Pain Liberation Podcast – episode number 24.
Hi, I’m Iain Barker creator of Back Pain Liberation.
I got back pain young and it got worse over time. Like many others in this situation, I saw plenty of doctors and therapists – all to no avail.
In the end self-help worked best – it often does for bad backs. Now I train regularly, focus on what works, and don’t get back pain.
My goal is to share what I learned. To help you find a more effective way when treatment doesn’t hit the spot.
CAN STRESS CAUSE BACK PAIN?
You know about the ‘fight or flight’ response to a threatening situation.
The sympathetic nervous system kicks in, along with a whole battery of physiological changes.
- Adrenaline flows
- Pulse and breathing quicken
- Muscles tense in preparation for immediate action
Once the stressful event is over fight or flight eases off and, after a while, we return to normal.
The parasympathetic nervous system takes back the reins, allowing us to ‘rest and digest’.
- We feel calmer
- Heart rate drops
- Muscles relax
These two different systems complement each other.
They helped our prehistoric ancestors to survive; when the stressful event was, maybe, an occasional encounter with a dangerous animal or members of a rival tribe.
These days the stress in our lives isn’t, usually, an immediate physical threat.
Maybe you’re stuck in traffic and late for work. Or perhaps it’s public speaking, it could be at a wedding for example.
But that primal fight or flight response is hard-wired to activate whenever we experience stress.
Whether or not the stressful situation means actual physical danger fight or flight is triggered just the same.
Chronic Stress and Muscle Tension
Nowadays we deal with stressful events all the time.
For some of us, chronic stress can result in the sympathetics firing way too much.
The effect of all the stressful events we face each day is cumulative.
As a result, we spend too much time at physiological red alert.
We don’t return to the parasympathetic state often enough, or for long enough.
Our reactions to this chronic stress can lead to health problems. And one of these problems is due to the tensed muscle response.
Short term, fight or flight offers a survival advantage in the face of danger.
If it goes on for too long though, excess muscular tension leads to pain and stiffness.
Particularly, this is a common cause of tense back muscles.
Back pain at a young age
In good shape but suffering back pain? You’re not the only one. Learn how others beat the problem in these success stories.
How to Relax Tight Back Muscles
Dr. Herbert Benson, is a pioneer of mind-body medicine and founding president of the Mind/Body Medical Institute of Harvard Medical School.
In the early 70s, Dr. Benson studied how the practice of meditation reduced the harmful effects of chronic stress, and observed what he called the Relaxation Response.
He brought his findings to public attention in his best-selling book of the same name.
It’s possible, quite easy in fact, to induce the relaxation response yourself
By following a simple process, you can return from red alert to a normal resting state.
The key to complete relaxation is deep, focused breathing.
In some cultures, people have been doing exactly this for a very long time.
Some examples of training styles with a focus on the breath are;
- Yoga
- Tai Chi
- Qigong
It’s not a coincidence that these methods are known for promoting relaxation and helping back problems.
The Relaxation Response in 8 Steps
So, now it’s time for you to induce your very own parasympathetic state.
To experience the relaxation response yourself.
Before you start, go somewhere quiet where you won’t be disturbed for a while.
- Lie down as comfortably as you can
- Close the eyes
- Breathe deeply and slowly all the way down to the abdomen
- Let the abdomen completely relax, feel it expand as you breathe in, contract as you breathe out
- Make each out-breath slightly longer than the in-breath
- As much as you can, try to relax and let go of any tension in the body
- Empty the mind – feel don’t think
- Focus your attention on the breathing
Here are some tips to get the most from this technique:
- Continue for 10 to 20 mins, ideally without an alarm. If you want to use a gentle meditation timer, however, this is fine.
- People like to have a nice flat stomach – it looks good. Unfortunately the habit of holding the stomach in can lead to tension in the abdominal muscles. You’ll notice a big difference from completely relaxing the abdominals. It’s best if you can be somewhere you can relax and not worry about keeping up appearances.
- You’ll get better results if you train regularly – once or twice a day is good.
- It works better after movement. If you feel pain and tension when you wake up in the morning, try getting up and about first. You can work on relaxation later.
- It’s less effective immediately after eating – wait at least an hour.
- If your mind wanders, gently bringing your attention back to your breathing.
- Take it to the next level with a body scan:
Thanks for listening to the Back Pain Liberation Podcast (or if you just read the post that’s great too!)
Of
If your pain eases off with a simple relaxation technique, it gives you a pretty good indication of what the problem really is.
In my experience
How did you relax your tense back? Was it by following the 8 steps to the
Maybe something completely different?
Take the chance to help out other people with the same problem.
Explain what worked for you in the comments.
All the best
-Iain
More Episodes
of the
Back Pain Liberation
Podcast
images: freedigitalphotos wikimedia unsplash
Tense Back? Here’s a Quick Way to Relax Tight Back Muscles | BPL24
More Episodes
of the
Back Pain Liberation
Podcast
So you have tight back muscles.
Maybe that tense, constricted feeling radiates to other areas; perhaps the chest or the abdomen.
In the beginning, it would come and go but, over time, it became worse; more frequent and more intense.
Your doctor can’t pinpoint the problem. The advice you are given is generic and just not that helpful.
When you do your own research, it’s not much better.
You read things like ‘be careful how you pick up heavy objects’, ‘exercise more’ and ‘watch your weight’.
These all sound like good ideas but, even when you’re doing this stuff, it doesn’t really help matters.
You’re still struggling with painful, tight back muscles.
I had this exact, same problem. Until I figured out how to get in control of the situation. How to deal with my back pain and tension effectively.
This is an update of a post which was first
Hi, I’m Iain Barker creator of Back Pain Liberation.
I got back pain young and it got worse over time. Like many others in this situation, I saw plenty of doctors and therapists – all to no avail.
In the end self-help worked best – it often does for bad backs. Now I train regularly, focus on what works, and don’t get back pain.
My goal is to share what I learned. To help you find a more effective way when treatment doesn’t hit the spot.
CAN STRESS CAUSE BACK PAIN?
You know about the ‘fight or flight’response to a threatening situation.
The sympathetic nervous system kicks in, along with a whole battery of physiological changes.
- Adrenaline flows
- Pulse and breathing quicken
- Muscles tense in preparation for immediate action
Once the stressful event is over fight or flight eases off and, after a while, we return to normal.
The parasympathetic nervous system takes back the reins, allowing us to ‘rest and digest’.
- We feel calmer
- Heart rate drops
- Muscles relax
These two different systems complement each other.
They helped our prehistoric ancestors to survive; when the stressful event was, maybe, an occasional encounter with a dangerous animal or members of a rival tribe.
These days the stress in our lives isn’t, usually, an immediate physical threat.
Maybe you’re stuck in traffic and late for work. Or perhaps it’s public speaking, it could be at a wedding for example.
But that primal fight or flight response is hard-wired to activate whenever we experience stress.
Whether or not the stressful situation means actual physical danger fight or flight is triggered just the same.
Chronic Stress and Muscle Tension
Nowadays we deal with stressful events all the time.
For some of us, chronic stress can result in the sympathetics firing way too much.
The effect of all the stressful events we face each day is cumulative.
As a result, we spend too much time at physiological red alert.
We don’t return to the parasympathetic state often enough, or for long enough.
Our reactions to this chronic stress can lead to health problems. And one of these problems is due to the tensed muscle response.
Short term, fight or flight offers a survival advantage in the face of danger.
If it goes on for too long though, excess muscular tension leads to pain and stiffness.
Particularly, this is a common cause of tense back muscles.
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How to Relax Tight Back Muscles
Dr. Herbert
In the early 70s, Dr. Benson studied how the practice of meditation reduced the harmful effects of chronic
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He brought his findings to public attention in his best-selling book of the same name.
It’s possible, quite easy in fact, to induce the relaxation response yourself
By following a simple process, you can return from red alert to a normal resting state.
The key to complete relaxation is deep, focused breathing.
In some cultures, people have been doing exactly this for a very long time.
Some examples of training styles with a focus on the breath are;
- Yoga
- Tai Chi
- Qigong
It’s not a coincidence that these methods are known for promoting relaxation and helping back problems.
Back pain at a young age
In good shape but suffering back pain? You’re not the only one. Learn how others beat the problem in these success stories.
The Relaxation Response in 8 Steps
So, now it’s time for you to induce your very own parasympathetic state.
To experience the relaxation response yourself.
Before you start, go somewhere quiet where you won’t be disturbed for a while.
- Lie down as comfortably as you can
- Close the eyes
- Breathe deeply and slowly all the way down to the abdomen
- Let the abdomen completely relax, feel it expand as you breathe in, contract as you breathe out
- Make each out-breath slightly longer than the in-breath
- As much as you can, try to relax and let go of any tension in the body
- Empty the mind – feel don’t think
- Focus your attention on the breathing
Here are some tips to get the most from this technique:
- Continue for 10 to 20 mins, ideally without an alarm. If you want to use a gentle meditation timer, however, this is fine.
- People like to have a nice flat stomach – it looks good. Unfortunately the habit of holding the stomach in can lead to tension in the abdominal muscles. You’ll notice a big difference from completely relaxing the abdominals. It’s best if you can be somewhere you can relax and not worry about keeping up appearances.
- You’ll get better results if you train regularly – once or twice a day is good.
- It works better after movement. If you feel pain and tension when you wake up in the morning, try getting up and about first. You can work on relaxation later.
- It’s less effective immediately after eating – wait at least an hour.
- If your mind wanders, gently bringing your attention back to your breathing.
- Take it to the next level with a body scan:
Thanks for listening to the Back Pain Liberation Podcast (or if you just read the post that’s great too!)
Of
If your pain eases off with a simple relaxation technique, it gives you a pretty good indication of what the problem really is.
In my experience
How did you relax your tense back? Was it by following the 8 steps to the
Maybe something completely different?
Take the chance to help out other people with the same problem.
Explain what worked for you in the comments.
All the best
-Iain
images: freedigitalphotos wikimedia unsplash
I get tight back and neck muscles all the time and it’s worse when I’m stressed from work. The deep breathng and not thinking about everthing that has to get done for a while…it helps. Great post thnx.
That’s great Holly! Happy to help.