COMMON MISCONCEPTIONS

Stretching:
Stretching is one of the most common misconceptions for relieving pain. Many people think if a muscle is tight then they should stretch it. If that muscle is constantly being exercised or you need to increase your flexibility, i.e. you're a dancer, then stretching can be helpful. This, however, is not always the case. Sometimes muscles are tight because they are weak and they do not have the strength or endurance to control the joint they are connected to, so, they hang on for dear life and spasm. Other times, the opposing muscle is overly strengthened, and because of the imbalance the weaker muscle spasms. In either of these cases, stretching would actually make the situation worse, increasing the instability of the joint and therefore increasing the possibility of injuries and pain.

Sometimes muscles tighten up or spasm to protect the body. If you stretch a muscle that is trying to protect then it may feel good for a second, however, a few hours later the pain comes back and usually more intensely. A good example of this is with lower back injuries, such as herniations. In these cases the lower back can stiffen to keep you from rounding your lower back, preventing you from increasing the damage to your spine. If you stretch the lower back by bending forward, or pulling your knees to your chest while lying on the floor, this can allow the disc in your spine to herniate further, causing more pain and damage. You may not feel the effect of your stretching immediately but you probably will an hour or so later when the disc in your spine starts to swell, further pinching the nerves of your spine.

The best thing to do is strengthen the muscles surrounding the joint. If your lower back is tight, strengthen your lower back muscles, abdominal muscles, obliques (side torso muscles) as well as your inner and outer thigh muscles, glutes, and hip flexors. This is the complete core and will do far more to reduce or even alleviate your lower back pain for good, instead of the temporary relief of a stretch.

Neck and Back 'Cracking':
Many times when we have neck or back pain we twist our neck to 'crack' it or we have someone step on our back to 'pop' it. This can give temporary relief but can also cause more damage and destabilize you're spine. Cracking or popping your neck will release endorphins that make you feel better but it doesn't truly fix the problem. Many times the spine gets "stuck", because the muscles surrounding it are tight do to inactivity and/or strenuously held improper postural positions (bad posture). When you crack your neck or back you cannot only irritate the nerves coming out of the spine but you can create an instability in the vertebra of the spine. This instability will cause the muscle to tighten even more causing the pain and stiffness you feel to perpetuate and even worsen. Leave the adjustments to the professional chiropractors and realize that the key may be to strengthen the muscles of the spine to relieve the tension you're feeling.