Exercises - The BackStrap

Neck and Upper Back

Place the Red or Powder BlueTherapy Ball over the areas marked with a Dot to decrease pain and stiffness in the neck and upper back. Simply Lie down on it, Lean up against it, or Sit on it. Hold each position for 1-5 minutes or until you feel the area softens and become less tender. When you've finished releasing out these areas (3 dots only and one session of release) then complete the following exercises:

• Upper Back/ Rib Routine
• Shoulder Routine
• Chest Routine

These exercises will ensure complete release of the soft tissue and mobilization of the rib cage.

Shoulder, Arm and Wrist

Place the Red, Powder Blue or Orange Therapy Ball over the areas marked with a Dot to decrease pain and stiffness in the Shoulder, arm and wrist. Simply Lie down on it, Lean up against it, or Sit on it. Hold each position for 1-5 minutes or until you feel the area soften and become less tender. When you've finished releasing out these areas (3 dots only and one session of release) then complete the following exercises:

• Upper back/ Rib routine
• Shoulder routine
• Chest routine

These exercises will insure complete release of the soft tissue and mobilization of the rib cage.

Pectoralis & Chest Release

Purpose:

1. To relieve pain and stiffness in the neck and shoulders associated with poor posture or overuse of the arms.
2. To help improve flexibility of the chest wall, shoulders and torso.

Overview:

Poor posture can result in a forward head, elevated and rounded forward shoulders, an overly rounded upper back, and a loss or flattening in the normal curve in the small of your lower back.

Who should do this exercise:

1. People who work at a desk and sit most of the day.
2. Golfers- to improve rotation of the torso to gain leverage of your swing and hit the ball farther.

Abdominal Pain & Tightness

Persons that have had abdominal surgeries like gall bladder removal, C-sections, intestinal biopsies and exploratory arthroscopic surgeries may experience post surgical abdominal pain months to years following the surgery due to scar tissue formation internally and externally and from the incision. It is important to release this tissue by specifically stretching it to prevent referred pain into the lower back, chest and thighs.

It is very common to have referred pain into the abdominal region that have be caused by low back injuries. So when you are trying to decide what areas to treat on yourself to help your low back pain don't forget the abdominal region. There is a muscle called the iliopsoas muscle that attached in the front of the lumbar spine vertebrae at its origin on the front of the hip at its insertion. This muscle tends to go into spasm when low back dysfunction is present i.e. posture dysfunctions, herniated disks and lumbar sprains and strains. When this muscle is in spasm it can cause tightness that results in a "bear belly" sort of posture. So it is very important to release this muscle when deciphering your needs.

Self-Release Positions For the Abdominals and Diaphragm

Abdominal Release

Place the Therapy Ball over the target area:

image

Simply lie down on it, lean up against it, or sit on it. Hold each position for 2-5 minutes or until you feel the area soften and become less tender.

image

Diaphragm Release

Place one or two Therapy Balls into the BackStrap™ and place them just below the edge of the ribs. This will localize placement for a diaphragm release.

Example: Left/Top

First lie flat with your arms along your sides and then come up onto your elbows to change the angle of the pressure.

Example: Left/Top

Continue to adjust the strap by moving it down (just above the navel, on top of the navel and below the navel) and repeat in both positions.

image

It is normal to feel sensations like "pings and pangs" as you release the abdominal area.

image

Releasing the diaphragm with help make breathing easier

The Low Back Routine

Purpose: These exercises are intended to improve the flexibility of the lumbar spine, pelvis and hips in addition to strengthening the abdominal core muscles.

Overview: Low back pain can be caused by sprains of the lumbar vertebral ligaments and strains of the surrounding muscles from lifting, pulling, pushing combined with rotation usually. This can result in a cascade of problems like herniated discs (bulging disc) and degenerative disc disease and degenerative joint disease (the discs lose fluid and the joint surfaces begin to calcify or develop bone spurs). All these conditions can cause sciatica, which is pain down the buttock and/ or leg. This sciatica could be from referred muscular pain or nerve pain. Also if you've already had back surgery and you still have back pain, and then although the problem has been corrected you may still have muscular pain from the resulting stiffness or the other levels that were not surgically corrected.

An Answer: By releasing out the soft tissue of the lower back and pelvis and correcting sacroiliac joint dysfunctions you can greatly improve your quality of life by reducing pain and you can do it any place and any time.

Instruction: Complete the following exercises with The BackStrap™ 3 times a week and begin to feel better.

1. The Big Wheel
2. The Frog
3. The ½ Frog
4. The Dead Bug

Buttock Pain

Lots of people hold tension in the muscle in the buttock region that can cause pain. Piriformis syndrome my also be a cause of buttock pain. The piriformis muscle attaches to the front of the sacrum (the triangle shaped bone in the center of the low back) and inserts on the top of the femur or the hip bone. This muscle easily gets irritated both by problems in the hip and low back area. Also, the sciatic nerve either passes over this muscle under this muscle or even trough the muscle depending on your anatomy. So, if you have any irritation to the sciatic nerve, hip, sacrum or low back this can cause spasm and pain in the piriformis muscle. So don't forget to release the piriformis.

See the Low Back section for exercises for the buttock.

Hamstrings & Back of Knee Pain

It is important to release the hamstrings if you ever had an old hamstring pull or inner thigh pull/ groin strain when playing sports. The "back of the leg and behind the knee" pain are common complaints when patients have symptoms of sciatica. Releasing out the hamstrings will help relieve low back pain when muscle spasm and tightness are caused from sciatica.

Self-Release Positions For the Hip and Thigh

Place the Therapy Ball over the areas as shown. Simply lie down on it, lean up against it, or sit on it. Hold each position for 2-5 minutes or until you feel the area soften and become less tender.

If lying on one Orange ball is too much pressure try using one or two powder blue balls instead.

Fasten together and loop The BackStrap™ under your heel and press down.

Standing Calf Stretch

Purpose: To comfortably and precisely stretch the gastrocnemius and soleus muscles of the calf. It is important to keep your calves flexible when you have foot problems like plantar fasciitis. Good calf flexibility also improves your balance and gait because full range of motion in your ankle joint allows you to walk more freely and with a longer stride.

Using The Orange Therapy held securely in The BackStrap™ stand with the top of your foot over the Orange ball and the heel on the ground.

Tip: Try the Blue Therapy ball if the orange ball feels too intense. As you gain flexibility you will be able to advance to the Orange Therapy ball.

Next, stand with your knee as straight as possible keeping your heel on the floor. This localizes the stretch to the gastrocnemius muscle of the calf. Hold for 30 seconds

Next, bend the knee keeping your heel on the floor. This localizes the stretch lower down the calf to the soleus muscle. Hold for 30 seconds.

Repeat knee straight to bent 3 times holding for 30 seconds each.

Shin Pain & Shin Splints

Coming soon…

Self-Release Positions For the Lower Leg and Foot

The kneeling position is an excellent choice for releasing the calf, Achilles tendon and top of the foot. Just try placing one size Therapy Ball behind the knee, sit back and see how this feels. Then just move The BackStrap™ down the leg to the back of the heel and next to the shin area.

This position may be too intense for some people. As an alternative, place the Therapy Ball under the lower leg:

The BackStrap™ was specially designed so that the small pocket and ball would fit in the center of the strap. This design makes it easy to hold both ends of the strap and massage your foot with the Precision Ball while adjusting its position under the foot.

Headaches

Muscle tension headaches are commonly caused by poor posture with the head in a forward position and elevated shoulders. This caused undo tightness in the muscle at the base of the head and tops of the shoulders. When muscles are tight in the base of the head this may compress the greater occipital nerve, which refers pain to behind the eye. So if you experience pain in the eyes or in your forehead try releasing out the muscles on the base of your head as shown.

The Yoga Strap

Purpose: To make it easier to stretch a body part without straining your joints and hold the position for longer amount of time without fatiguing.

Loop The BackStrap™ around both feet. Pull your heels down together to increase the flexibility of the adductor (inner thigh) muscles.

Loop The BackStrap™ around the foot and pull and hold to increase hamstring flexibility.

Loop The BackStrap™ around the foot to stretch the thigh (quadriceps) in standing.

Position your self on your stomach. Place a BackStrap ball under the quadriceps all along the central muscle belly. Loop The BackStrap around your foot and pull the heel towards the buttock. Tip: Perform this exercise on a table and drop the opposite leg (leg no being stretched) on the floor for better low back support to prevent excess low back extension.

Pull your arm behind the back to increase internal rotation of the shoulder after surgery or Frozen Shoulder Syndrome.

Pull your arm down and behind the head to increase external rotation.