Simple Stretching Tips for Muscle Pain Relief

If you have back pain, neck pain, pain in your arms, or headaches, there is a really great chance that you need to open, relax or stretch the muscles in the front of your body.

The muscles in the front of our bodies shorten and become “tight” because those are the muscles we use in shortened positions most of the time.

You sit with your legs bent and in front of you.  You work with your and hands in front of your body.  And, if your posture is not the best, you also have your head in front of your body most of the day.

How do short front muscles cause headaches, back pain, pain in your neck or arms?

Simply like this.  When any of your muscles are tight, they pull on other muscles and cause them to be stretched.  Muscles which get over-stretched complain–they give you pain.

Stretching will help you get your muscles and body back in balance.

Here are some simple stretching tips.

Use gravity.  Let gravity help you.  It can be your friend.  You know how the force of gravity is always pulling you forward and down?  If you lay down on your back, and let your arms drop gently backward, that same force will pull them farther back and help stretch your chest and front-of-arm muscles.

It is so much easier to do a stretch while gravity “assists” you, when you are laying down, rather than when you are upright.

You can stretch your chest and arm muscles at the edge of your bed.  Be on your back and let your arms “fly” like a butterfly, in gentle wide swoops.  You can also stop at various points and just let your arm be pulled by gravity as you feel the your chest and arm muscles lengthen.  You may even notice stretching in your abdomen!

There are experts who suggest holding a stretch for a long time.  And, there is at least one expert (who is very good) who says never stretch longer than 2 seconds.  We’re not talking about a bounce, but a 2-second stretch.

The 2-second rule is to keep the muscle from saying, “Hey, I’m being overstretched!  Gonna tighten up so I don’t get injured!”  But, I still have to admit that if a stretch feels good and appropriate (no pain) I do hold my own stretches longer.

I would suggest going with your body wisdom.

If the stretch you are doing feels beneficial to you, if it feels useful and is doing what you want it to do, go ahead and hold it for the time that feels best to you.

“Because You Deserve to Feel Better!”