What Do I Need To Stretch For My Lower Back Exercise Program? Part III

You have now read about the hip flexors and the hamstrings, are you ready to learn about the next group of muscles that helps you when you have lower back muscle tightness and aches? Here, we will now discuss the ‘chest’ muscles for this five part article series, “What Do I Need To Stretch For My Lower Back Exercise Program?”. In this article, I will focus on the pectoralis major and pectoralis minor chest muscles. When the ‘chest’ muscles are stretched, it helps with upper back extension mobility, which is also an important part of a good lower back exercise program. I will continue in a Q & A format. Let’s get started.

Q: Where are the ‘chest’ muscles?
A: The pectoralis major is a large fan-shaped muscle that has two parts. It originates from both the clavicle (collar bone) and the sternum (chest bone). It inserts into the front of the shoulder (anterior humerus). The pectoralis minor originates from the front of the rib cage on ribs 3-5 and inserts into the corocoid process of the scapula (found just below the mid collar bone).

Q: Why should the ‘chest’ muscles be stretched?
A: When you chest muscles are tight, your posture becomes ’rounded’. With ’rounded shoulders’, it also causes more compression on your lower back. When the ‘chest’ muscles are stretched which allows your shoulders to be in a neutral position, your upper back (thoracic) can move into extension. It is important to have extension in your upper back so your lower back can have its normal curve (lordosis). When your spine is in neutral, walking, standing, and sitting can be performed safely without compression to the spine.

Q: How should the ‘chest’ muscles be stretched?
A: They should be stretched with your rib cage ‘funneled down’. This means that when you exhale, your ribs come towards each other. Also, your chin should be slightly and gently tucked. The goal of the neck position is to elongate the spine effortlessly.

Q: What are some examples of ‘chest’ muscle stretches?
A: There are many variations and positions. I will discuss some starting with the positions that are easiest to perform correctly.
1. Elbow Press: Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor to protect your back (hooklying position). Clasp your hands behind your head and press your elbows towards the floor. Keep your ribs ‘funneled’ down and breathe. You can make this more challenging by rolling a towel and placing it at your ‘bra’ line. Be sure to ‘funnel’ your ribs and tilt your pelvis towards your nose (12:00) to protect your back and stretch your chest muscles.

Elbow Press

2. Standing ‘pec’ stretch: Stand in a door jam with your elbow supported by the door jam and place your elbow at a 90 degree angle to the floor. Have your outside leg in front. Tuck your chin gently and ‘funnel’ your ribs. Gently shift your weight forward to move into the stretch. You can change the angle of your elbow on the door jam to stretch more parts of your ‘pec’ muscle (as shown in picture).

Wall 'Pec' Stretch

3. ‘Sand Angel’: In Florida, we cannot do ’snow angels’. If you have a foam roll or a large pool ‘noodle’ you can perform this exercise. DO NOT stay on foam roll for more than one minute the first couple of times. Your spine must build a tolerance. Make sure your lower back is touching the foam roll by tilting your pelvis to ‘12:00′. Have your elbows bent and begin moving your arms slowly up towrds your ears trying to maintain contact with the floor. You may need to place pillows on both sides of the foam roll at first to support your arms until you gain more flexibility. You do not want to overstretch or irritate a nerve. When you find a ‘tight’ spot, stop in that position and breathe into the tightness for about 10 seconds prior to moving into another position.

4. ‘Cat-Camel’ Upper back extension mobility: Get onto your hands and knees (quadraped or ‘tabletop’). Make sure your shoulders are over your wrist and your hips are over your knees. Lift your head gently up while allowing your tailbone to come up towrds the ceiling and allowing your navel to ’sag’ towards the floor. DO NOT bend your elbows and make sure that weight remains on your knees. You can alternate this position by dropping your tailbone down between your thighs and dropping your head to look at your navel allowing your mid-back to come up towards the ceiling. You can perform this alternating movement ten times slowly.

'Camel'

'Cat'

Q: How often and how many times should I stretch my ‘chest’ muscles?
A: If you do not experience sharp nerve pain or tingling, which I will talk about below, you can hold the position for 30-60 seconds (unless already noted) 1-2 times in the a.m. then 1-2 times in the p.m. to help build length in your muscles. Be sure not to ‘bounce’ in the stretch.

Q: What should I be careful of when stretching my ‘chest’ muscles?
A: You should not force a deep stretch cause you can irritate your nerves in your arms (medial, radial, ulnar nerves). You should be especially cautious when performing the exercises that have your arms straight. If you feel a sharp pain or tingling, then you are probably irritating the arm nerves. It is best to use an oscillating technique as discussed in the previous article for hamstrings regarding the sciatic nerve. You must be very cautious cause nerves DO NOT like to be stretched. In this case,do not go into a deep stretch. Often, it is best to under the supervision of a physician or physical therapist when having nerve pain.

Q: What are some helpful hints and tips about the ‘chest’ muscles?
A: If you are doing these stretches and everyday you have the same amount of tightness, it may be due to the angles you are stretching. Make sure you address all angles since the pectoralis muscle is a large muscle. Also, it is important to perform scapular stabilization exercises to help maintain your new range of motion. I will go into detail in future articles, but one example is the ’superman’. Lie on your tummy with a pillow under your stomach. Also, place your forehead on a towel to have your neck elongated. Reach your fingertips towards your feet. Then while you continue to reach towards your feet, lift your palms up towards the ceiling. Work to hold this for up to 1-2 minutes over time. Furthermore, be aware of nerve signs I mentioned. If you experience these symptoms, you may have more of a nerve issue rather than a muscle tightness. If you have sharp pain or tingling or think you may have a muscle tear, it would be wise to be under the supervision of a doctor or physical therapist. Often, nerve issues and muscle tears need special care for healing.

I hope this helps you have a better understanding of your ‘chest’ muscles. It is important to understand why you are stretching a particular muscle group. When you understand more about your body, it helps to do your exercises safe and correct. In the next article, I will address the buttocks muscles. The buttocks muscles also play an important role on the pelvis along with the hip flexors, hamstrings, and ‘chest’ muscles. This will be discussed in great detail in Part IV of ” What Do I Need To Stretch For My Lower Back Exercise Program?”

Jodi Jainchill PT, CFMT