How to Stretch for Back Pain 2: Cat Cow Stretch
Picture a cow in a pasture or a sleeping cat—could their lives be any more relaxed? Since stress aggravates back pain, take a cue from these animals and practice this relaxing yoga-inspired stretch.
Up next in How to Relieve Back Pain (10 videos)
Aching back? Whether it's lower back pain or another area that hurts, get back pain relief with the tips in this Howcast video series.
You Will Need
- Comfortable clothes
- A floor
Steps
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Step 1
Get on hands & knees
Get down on your hands and knees. Your hands should be pointing forward and aligned underneath your shoulders, and your knees should be aligned underneath your hips.
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Step 2
Inhale & arch back
Inhale, and slowly arch your back over a count of 5, dropping your belly towards the floor and raising your head, chest, and tailbone up.
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Don’t overuse your lower back muscles; let gravity do most of the work.
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Step 3
Hold stretch
Hold the stretch for 3 seconds.
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Step 4
Exhale & round back
Exhale, and slowly round your back over a count of 5, dropping your head and tailbone down and pulling your belly inwards
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Step 5
Hold stretch
Hold the stretch for 3 seconds.
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To vary the stretch, rotate your midsection in a clockwise circle as you arch up and then down. Repeat 5-8 times and then rotate counter-clockwise for the same number of times.
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Step 6
Repeat stretch
Repeat the stretch 3-5 times in each direction.
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Americans spend an estimated $24 billion a year on back pain treatments.
