My Morning Stretch vs A Chiropractic Visit
My ‘newish’ habit of stretching in the morning started a bit out of necessity at the start of the Covid pandemic, when, due to lock downs, access to a chiropractor was not an option. Having quite recently recovered from ‘frozen shoulder’ in both of my shoulders (once one was healed, the other decided to freeze up), my bi-weekly routine had included a visit to the chiropractor. Because of the shoulder injuries, my posture had deteriorated as I struggled to hold my shoulders in the most comfortable position possible. The result was an eventual misalignment in my spine and as my normal physical activities ramped back up, I was susceptible to more injury. This left my chiropractor as my new best friend, keeping my straight while I strengthened.
Adapting to my new isolated lifestyle and following the recommended social distancing, I thought it was a good time to figure out if I could somehow manage my own chiropractic care…without visiting a chiropractor. (BUT LET ME BE CLEAR: THIS IS NOT MEDICAL OR CHIROPRACTIC ADVICE…PLEASE SEE YOUR DOCTOR OR CHIROPRACTOR FOR PROPER MEDICAL ADVICE. THIS IS ONLY MY EXPERIENCE DURING THESE UNUSUAL TIMES - A TEMPORARY WORK AROUND). And the best part about this journey is that it has left me with a morning stretching routine, which on many mornings facilitated the freeing release of many of my joints.
In order to figure out what to do, I began by goggling something like ‘Self chiropractic adjustments’ and got some ideas about what to do with a couple of items ending up in my morning stretch routine. But better still, I have a very clear memory of my chiropractors approach and in many instances, with very little super gentle movement and teeny tiny stretching, my chiropractor would often have my joints moving with no added pressure or force…just a simple stretch.
So, my new morning routine after I get up is brush teeth, followed by a double espresso and a read of the morning newspapers, make bed, my stretching routine and then out the door for some sort of outdoor physical activity.
My routine includes:
5 X Child’s Pose arms at sides and knees together, then slowly reach arms out front…then slide forward through into Cobra Pose.
10 Hip Bridges
Hold for 30 sec on each leg - Raised Crossover Knee Pull-In
Hold for 30 sec on each leg - Wide Leg Head to Knee Stretch
Hold for 30 sec on each side - Seated Spinal Twist
Upper Back Foam Roll - I often get a lot of release with this one
Single Leg Cross Over (I have no idea why when I searched the internet for examples, they were all Army examples…hmmm) I do this one on the 6’ long padded bench at the end of my bed, which allows me to drop my knee over the edge of the bench. This stretch is very similar to the position my chiropractor puts me in at the end of every visit and when I do it at the end of my little routine here, I have the same results as my chiropractor gets…lots of gentle movement in my lower spine.
I think the order I follow here is a nice way to loosen the different areas up while heading towards the the last 3 ‘stetches’ that get some real movement happening in my spine. Knock on wood, all I know is that, so far, I have been very active without any of the discomfort that would normally have me visiting my chiropractor.