If you have recently been involved in a car accident, then there is a good chance that you are suffering from back pain. With more people driving on the road than ever before, car accidents are going to get more common as well. Therefore, you need to make sure that you can take care of yourself after you are involved in a car accident. That way, you can prevent your muscles, ligaments, and tendons from tightening up.
Fortunately, there may be a way for you to avoid prescription medications and surgery if you perform a few simple chiropractic exercises for back pain after a car accident. What are a few examples of exercises you might want to perform? Take a look at the list below, and remember to reach out to an experienced chiropractor if you have been involved in a car accident.
1. THE BIRD DOG EXERCISE
This is an exercise that is designed to stretch out the muscles throughout the entirety of your back. That way, you can prevent your muscles from getting tight.
To perform this exercise:
- Start by getting on your hands and knees. Try to make a bridge or table with your back. Try to keep your wrists right beneath your shoulders, and keep your knees should be directly under your hips.
- Next, you should extend your right arm forward and your left leg back at the same time. It will require some balancing. Try to keep your flat back. Keep your hips lined up with the floor.
- When you do this, squeeze your abs as tight as you can. Hold this for 30 seconds. Then, return your arm and leg to the starting position.
- You should repeat this on the other side.
During this exercise, you are going to isolate muscles that you do not use very much. That way, you can stretch them out, keep the blood flowing, and prevent your muscles from getting tight.
2. THE BACKWARD BACK AND NECK BEND
This is a classic back exercise that you might have performed before athletic events to get loose. It can help you stretch out your back and neck as well.
To perform this exercise:
- Start with your feet hip-width apart. Keep your arms down by your sides.
- Next, reach your hands backward. Clasp your hands together to keep your arms behind your back.
- Gradually, straighten your left arm with your right hand. Pull it away from your side slightly.
- If you want to get the stretch deeper, then lower your right ear in the direction of your shoulder. This will help you intensify the stretch.
- Once you feel the stretch, hold it for about 30 seconds. Then, release the stretch. Repeat this on the other side.
You should be able to feel the stress in other areas of your back. It is not unusual for the sides of your back to get tight following a motor vehicle accident, particularly following a side impact. Therefore, it is important for you to exercise this portion of your back as well.
3. THE SEATED NECK RELEASE
This is an exercise that is designed to relax both sides of your neck. This is particularly helpful if your neck snapped back and forth in a motor vehicle collision.
To perform this exercise:
- Start by sitting on the floor with your legs crossed in front of you. Alternatively, you can sit in a chair with your feet flat on the ground.
- Next, extend your right arm to your right knee. This should be done along the right side of your body.
- Then, take your left hand and place it on top of your head.
- Use your left hand to gradually tilt your head to the left. Apply more pressure slowly.
- If you want to increase the stretch, use your right hand to grab the side of your body or the chair.
- You should hold this stretch for 30 seconds before releasing slowly.
- Repeat the exercise on the other side of your neck.
This exercise is great for neck pain and upper back pain following a motor vehicle accident. It is specifically designed to stretch the muscles, ligaments, and tendons in your neck and upper back while making them stronger. It can help you mitigate many of the symptoms that are caused by whiplash.
4. THE LEG PRESS STRETCH
There are a lot of people who suffer from lower back pain following a motor vehicle accident. Therefore, it is important to find ways to target this area of your back as well. That way, your back will not get tight when you are going through your daily routine.
To perform this exercise:
- Start by laying on the ground on your back. Place a cushion or towel beneath your back to make yourself feel more comfortable.
- Next, raise your legs to a 90-degree angle with your knees. You should try to create a table using your legs. It should be close to a crunch or sit-up position, but with your legs raised at 90 degrees.
- Then, contract your abs and place your hands on the fronts of your quads. This should round out your back.
- Hold this position for about 30 seconds, and then relax.
Your body should not move very much during this exercise; however, you should feel movement in your lower back. This is a great way for you to make sure your lower back remains loose after a motor vehicle accident while also strengthening your paraspinal muscles.
5. THE CAN OPENER
This is another great exercise that should help you keep the entirety of your back loose. To perform this exercise:
- Start by sitting on the ground in a kneeling position. Your feet should be directly behind your glutes.
- Then, lean back slightly and push your chest to the ceiling. Your palms should reach the floor behind your feet. Try to point your fingertips away from you to deepen the stretch
- You can also arch your head and neck backward to stretch your neck along with your back.
- Hold the position for 30 seconds before releasing. Repeat to maximize the benefits.
This is a challenging exercise that will require some flexibility; however, it is also great for stretching the entirety of your back and neck after a motor vehicle accident.
CALL SEMINOLE CHIROPRACTIC AFTER A CAR ACCIDENT ACCIDENT IN FLORIDA
If you have suffer a car accident in Florida, make sure you see a chiropractor as quickly as possible. That way, you can mitigate neck and back pain. At Seminole Chiropractic, we would be happy to help you, so contact us today!