I’m a Massage Therapist – This Is the One Stretch That Can Instantly Cure Your Back Pain
Back pain may seem like an unavoidable consequence of getting old. But a massage therapist claims that one simple stretch can alleviate the ache that affects millions of us.
James Moore, from Kentucky in the US, demonstrated the ‘thread the needle’ stretch on a TikTok video viewed by nearly 13 million people.
It is said to open the shoulders, stretch the spine and ease tightness in the lower neck and between the should blades. Lying flat on his front, Mr Moore raises his left leg, so it is at a 90-degree angle with his right and the knee is bent.
He then uses his right hand to slightly elevate his chest and tucks his left arm under his torso. As the massage therapist lowers himself down, a ripple of satisfying cracks erupts from his lower back.
In the video’s description, Mr Moore, who has 3 million followers, wrote: ‘POV: you start doing this stretch every day and now your back pain is gone and you’re more pleasant to be around’. The sound made from cracking a joint in your knuckles, back and neck is caused by gases that occur naturally in the synovial fluid — the lubricant between joints — rapidly escaping.
These gases only gradually return to the fluid, which is why it takes some time before you can crack a joint again. Endorphins — also known as ‘feel good’ hormones — are also thought to be released by when a joint is cracked, leaving you with a sense of satisfaction.
Back cracking advocates say it can ease pain and tightness. However, research shows this may be a psychological placebo effect. Back pain, while an annoyance for most, can be so bad that it can be a source of disability.
Data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) show the number of sick due to back and neck pain has jumped by 31 per cent to more than 262,000 since 2019. It said the increase in home working since the pandemic may be to blame.
About 8 million Brits suffer from chronic back pain that is moderate to severely disabling, according to The British Pain Society. Mr Moore’s five-second clip was hailed as a ‘stretch that actually works’ by viewers.
Some TikTok users said the simple stretch had similarly popped their back, alleviating their pain.
