WELLNESS AUTHOR
Jarod Carter, DPT, PT, MTC
STRETCH AWAY THE STIFFNESS n Easy stretches to reverse the effects of long flights and road trips.
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s the world tries to move back to normalcy, many people are planning much-needed trips and vacations and, as physical therapists say, “It’s all fun and games till someone’s back goes out.” Just kidding, I’m the only physical therapist I know who says that. Dad/PT jokes aside, the main component of long flights and/or road trips is prolonged sitting, which most commonly leads to pain or other problems. While most people think lumbar spine compression (which is more pronounced in sitting than standing) is the primary cause of this issue, a lesser-known factor involves the hip flexors. Let me explain. In the seated position, our hips are flexed, which puts our hip flexor muscles in a shortened position. Biological tissue tends to adapt over time to the positions and forces that we put through it. So, if we hold a muscle in a shortened position long enough, over time the muscle will become more permanently shortened and “tight.” In other words, prolonged sitting can have both temporary as well as more permanent effects on the length of our hip flexor muscles and the surrounding connective tissues.
JUNE 2021
Why is that an undesirable thing? Well, the hip flexors attach to the spine and pelvic bones in a way that causes compression of the spine when they are tight or spasming. If the hip flexors become especially tight, it can limit our ability to gain a fully upright posture when we stand. When you see an elderly person bent forward as they stand or walk, tight hip flexors have a large role in what you’re seeing. If you have back pain that is worsened or “pinches” when you bend backward, it’s almost certain that your hip flexors are too tight or are currently in a state of spasm or “guarding.” So, the moral of the story is that if you want to reverse one of the most common, negative effects of long flights and road trips, you need to stretch your hip flexors and move your spine into extension. The
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