Exercise Ball Stretching and Strengthening

As part of most treatment plans following an auto or work accident, a doctor will recommend active care to address your regions of pain and weakness.  When the timing is appropriate, your Chiropractor will recommend a regimen of stretching and strengthening exercises to help speed up the recovery process.  When a patient is an active participant in the healing process, they tend to heal faster.

An exercise ball can be a valuable tool to use when recovering from a number of injuries.  It can provide a means of stretching the back, it can be an unstable seat to promote core strength, and it can help with balance training.  An unstable seat forces the core muscles to adjust to small movements in order to keep the body stationary and your body becomes more aware of its position in space.

Using the ball can be a valuable tool when promoting extension in the thoracic (upper back) region and the lumbar (lower back) region.  Begin in a seated position on the ball and slowly walk your feet forward until the ball is fixed on the desired region on your back.  Relax your body and allow the ball to push your body into gentle extension.

Before using the exercise ball to help stretch and strengthen, it is important to consult your Chiropractic physician about proper use.  In some types of auto injuries such as sprains/strains, an exercise ball stretch may aggravate your condition.  Caution should be exercised when applying this form of active care.