HEALTH & WELLBEING
Can regular slump stretching improve
recovery from lower back pain?
with Andreas Klein
Many people suffer‘ nonradicular low back pain’( NRLBP), lower back pain but without the pain, numbness or tingling that may be felt in the gluts, thighs, calves or feet, which are symptoms‘ referred to areas’ served by a pinched nerve. In these NRLBP patients, physical therapists often prescribe spinal mobilisation and stabilisation exercise protocol to help reduce back pain.
Nerve restrictions and overall nerve length can limit how far someone can stretch. When nerves such as the sciatic nerve, are: 1. shortened or 2. can’ t slide smoothly through surrounding tissues, due to entrapment by scar tissue adhesions, or compression by surrounding muscle, everyday movements can put excess mechanical stress on nerves, compromising nerve function and causing back pain.
Thus, NRLBP may, in part, be due to restricted nerve movement, and neural mobilisation exercises( NME), like slump stretches, may be of benefit. NME“ are combinations of joint movements that promote either:
1. nerve tensioning( by displacing nerve endings in opposite directions) or
2. nerve sliding within its bed( by displacing nerve endings in the same direction)”, to stretch nerves and reduce restrictions, possibly lowering nerve-stress and thus back pain.
In a 2012 study by Nagrale et al., researchers randomised 60 patients to receive two sessions per week for three weeks of either a normal spinal mobilization and stabilisation exercise protocol: 1. 5 min stationary bike warmup 2. 2 or 3 x 40sec front-back oscillations to mobilisations‘ stuck’ vertebrae 3. 10 wall squats 4. 10 bridges 5. 10 pelvic tilts 6. 10 quadruped arm and leg lifts or normal protocol plus 5 x 30sec slump stretches.
Slump-stretching, involved patients sitting with knees straight, feet flat against a wall, then flexing their trunk, neck / head toward their feet, with over pressure on head / neck from a therapist to increase stretch until onset of stretch symptoms, then holding for 30seconds.
Authors found that the addition of slump stretching led to greater improvements in: 1. Overall disability 2. Pain scores 3. Levels of fear and avoidance Specific stretching is almost always helpful to aid patient recovery from lower back pain.
Suffering lower back pain? Give Andreas a call at the clinic on 0418 166 268.
SUFFERING constant BACK PAIN? Want to ENJOY LIFE again?
Work & play like you used to after just a few sessions!
Eliminate trigger foods to beat fatigue and feel lighter this summer
Andreas Klein Nutritionist & Remedial Therapist
BSc, Adv Dip Nut Med, DRM
FREE OFFER!
If you’ re sick of being in constant back pain CALL NOW for your FREE 30min Assessment Session!
Valued at $ 55
I’ ve personally developed this technique after 16 years experience:
“ After years of severe back pain I’ m now enjoying golf, fully pain free and even started brick-laying again!” John Hasler, Glenmore Park
“ I’ d given up really- I’ d tried so many things. In just a couple of sessions the pain and muscle spasms had gone. I’ d recommend your work to anyone.” Craig Gibson, Richmond
Remedial Muscle Elongation Therapy targets the cause of chronic back pain and inflammation to really eliminate them. This technique works well for shoulders and knees too!
Call Andreas 0418 166 269
With summer on the way, many of us are feeling drained as we juggle work, family and never-ending to-dos. But if you’ re struggling with fatigue or brain fog, the cause may not be your schedule- it could be your diet.
A new analysis from FoodFit, Australia’ s leading food-compatibility testing service, shows that removing trigger foods can deliver noticeable improvements in just three to four weeks.
The company receives more than 5000 symptom reports annually from natural health practitioners. In its latest review of 2,856 reports, the most common symptoms linked to food incompatibilities were bloating, tiredness and rashes or itchy skin.
FoodFit’ s aggregated client data shows rapid improvements once incompatible foods are eliminated. Participants recorded a 72 per cent reduction in bloating by week three, an 80 per cent drop in brain fog within four weeks, and a 60 per cent reduction in fatigue in the first week, jumping to 80 per cent by week four. Sinus issues, hayfever and headaches also fell by around 60 per cent. Digestive concerns such as diarrhoea and constipation improved by up to 80 per cent over the same period.
FoodFit founder and CEO Dennis
Hodges says the results highlight how quickly the body can reset.“ Many people accept bloating, fatigue or fogginess as normal or simply a part of getting older,” he says.“ Our data shows that identifying and removing a handful of incompatible foods can dramatically improve how you feel within weeks.”
In FoodFit’ s analysis, four in five participants( 85 %) reacted to everyday supermarket staples. The most common offenders with more than 93 per cent incompatibility were:
• full-cream milk,
• white, wholemeal and multigrain bread, and
• skim milk.
Also frequently flagged were:
• A2 milk,
• pasta,
• cow’ s milk cheese,
• onions,
• garlic,
• cashews,
• tomatoes,
• corn products,
• strawberries and
• pineapple.
FoodFit uses a simple at-home test to assess compatibility with more than 500 foods, followed by a guided elimination plan to reduce inflammation and restore energy.
More info, visit www. foodfit. com. au
24 ISSUE 176 // DECEMBER 2025 MERRY CHRISTMAS & HAPPY HOLIDAYS! theindependentmagazine. com. au THE HAWKESBURY INDEPENDENT