How to Decompress Your Spine

By: Niki Johnson, MS, ACSM Exercise Physiologist

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Do you have constant stiffness or mild pain in your back or hips? Does sitting for an extended period of time for work or in your favorite recliner at home cause you to feel discomfort in your upper or lower back?

If you answered yes to any of these questions, learning how to decompress your spine may help!

Next, you may be thinking, ‘So, how do I decompress my spine?’ This article will teach you how to take the weight of supporting your body off of your joints and instead place the work on your muscles.

We’ll show you how to isometrically contract, or tense up, your muscles in certain positions without moving. No special equipment is needed.

Begin by sitting in a chair at home or at work.

  1. In a seated position, move yourself to the front edge of the chair and get your hips underneath you. (This is not how we want to sit all the time, but it is good to give our spine a break from being compressed when we sit in a more relaxed position.)
  2. Sit up very tall. Imagine a string is pulling the crown of your head toward the ceiling. Then, lift your chest up. The goal is to create a lot of space between your hips and the top of your head.
  3. Now, keeping your upper body tall, set your legs and feet fairly close together, but not touching.  Keep your feet flat on the floor with your heels directly under your knees. 
  4. Next, place the back of your hands on the inside of your knees. You want to apply some outward pressure with your hands and some inward pressure with your knees. 
  5. Lastly, take a few deep breaths making sure to fill the back of your ribs/your upper back area with air. This will bring a natural shape or rounding of the upper spine.
  6. Hold this position—pressing the knees inward, driving the hands outward, and breathing deep in the back of the rib cage—for 30 seconds, then relax.
  7. Return to your normal sitting position and try again later in the day when your spine needs another break.

This may feel awkward and challenge you; however, you are going to feel leg muscles working, abdominal muscles contracting, back and neck muscles stretching, and your spine will thank you for it.

If you need assistance developing an exercise program to further strengthen your muscles, click here to learn more about Sheltering Arms’ Adaptive Exercise Program, or call (804) 764-5275.

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