'Back Magic' back stretcher

[Erin's mum]

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Bodi-Tek-Bodi-Tek-Back-Magic/dp/B001V5INF2

This is a pretty simple bit of kit but bl##dy hell it does what it says on the tin  

My mum bought one on advice from her yoga/reiki teacher and I have just started using it today. 5 mins morning/night is what is suggested. Afterwards I feel a bit of a cripple for a couple of minutes but am already feeling much looser which is defo a good sign- particularly as required for an improved sitting trot atm!

Early days with it but enjoying the 'laziness' of the exercise   and thought it might interest others too!

[Claire]

link doesn't work...

[christuris]

Is this it?

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Bodi-Tek-Bodi-Tek-Back-Magic/dp/B001V5INF2/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=sports&qid=1279581789&sr=8-1

This one in the US looks more comfortable...!

http://www.warehousedeals.com/Arched-Back-Lumbar-Stretcher-Extender-Model/M/B000VM0JTO.htm?traffic_src=froogle&utm_medium=organic&utm_source=froogle

Christina
Indian Hills, Colorado
www.AlphabetRanch.com

ETA:  I changed the second link so that it would work this time.

[TashaKat]

We used to use a wooden one in yoga, it was amazing how much stretch it gave 

[TashaKat]

This is similar to the one that we used:

http://www.betterlifehealthcare.com/view_product.php?prodID=5149

[Erin's mum]

Yuuup thats the one Christuris Sorry about the link have changed it now but can't seem to get onto the US version one

Anyway shall see whether it gives the desired result over a longer time span 

[lisaNW]

Think you'd have to be careful about what your natural posture is before you start using one of these - I can see it would help you very much as you naturally sat with a "C" shaped spine (on a horse at any rate!), not at all hollow backed, so stretching to allow you to flex your lower back inwards more would make a lot of sense. It would be absolutely the wrong thing for someone like me, whose back is naturally very hollow and tends to look like that anyway - mine needs flattening out/stretching the other way! Maybe I could lie over it on my stomach ;-)

[Heather]

I dont actually think it would make your back more hollow, Lisa, just supple it, although I wouldnt say you are at all stiff in your lower back anyway- all we needed to do was sort out your wiggle!!  . I have just ordered one to try for my lower back problems! Thanks Emily, or at least will thank you if it works!! 

Heather

[lisaNW]

It's interesting that you should say that though Heather in that it evidently makes less difference to riding because I can flex sufficiently in the inward direction, although I do have to be careful that I'm not already starting with a slightly tilted pelvis (rather than an upright one),  but in general I already have too much movement in that direction - in an ideal person the neutral pelvis would be more or less the mid point of flexion either inwards or outwards. I see an orthopaedic and sports massage therapist regularly and he agrees, for me, I'm already partly flexed inwards (hollow) before I begin, if that makes sense . It's not a good way to carry yourself as it puts a lot of strain on your lower back and I often have a very sore lower back as a result. If I garden or anything like that it actually leads to quite a lot of pain afterwards - in fact even just standing for long periods of time is uncomfortable and you'll notice me bending forwards to try to release it. I can also see the difference from before I had stomach problems last year and couldn't use my core strength much so lost a lot of it - hollowness increased significantly as  did a lack of tone in the saddle.

But I was speaking generally, not riding-specific. Basically, if you're already stretched towards an extreme, you don't want to be more stretched that way, you want to strengthen supportive muscles rather than achieve further stretch. It is the same for my hips - I have a lot of movement in one direction, and not enough the other way - so when I'm treated, it's very much about balancing that out, not stretching in both directions. As I said, this thing looks great for someone who isn't hollow backed, which Emily isn't.

[Erin's mum]

Aye I see what you mean lisa about it not being ideal for those who over-hollow  but as you say I most definitely am not that way inclined! I have no idea if it will actually make a difference long term but its lying around the house anyway so thought I should give it a go anyway. Hopefully that coupled with the 2 arena mirrors I have coming ( ) will do some good. Hope it helps you Heather- it seems to have very good testimonials on Amazon etc.  but lots of warnings about feeling like a cripple from it at first as I did haha 

[Heather]

Yep I see what you mean Lisa- Tori is a bit that way too! Did the Feldenkrais exercises help you, out of interest, because there was a lot of movement in both directions needed for those- hence my sore bum from contacting the parquet floor when pushing my back the other way!!

[Bradders]

I toyed with getting one, but given that my back complains when I try to lie flat in bad, I suspect I would cripple myself!

[christuris]

There's an exercise that I discovered a while back that really, really helps!

You lie in bed on your stomach and put one pillow under your chest, and the other one under your thigh, close to your knees, and this gives the stretch needed.  I seem to remember reading that you need to do it for 45 minutes, but I've never needed to, or it was too uncomfortable for more than a few minutes the first time.  I usually do it without the thigh pillow and it works equally well.  You can also do this on the floor without pillows, just lying face down on the floor, and then using the elbows to raise yourself up one step at a time

When I really need to do it, it can be quite uncomfortable, so as I said, I just do it for a few minutes, or do the floor one.  Usually the second time around I can manage it well, but I can't tell you how much it helps my back.

Christina
Indian Hills, Colorado
www.AlphabetRanch.com

ETA:  I changed the link on the second one so that it comes up properly now.