If you are suffering from back pain, the flexion rotation exercise can be done. It’s used to treat back pain on one side. This exercise can provide significant relief if you are experiencing pain in one side of your back, your buttocks or one leg.
Robin McKenzie, a physical therapy spine expert, called the flexion rotation exercise “the million-dollar exercise.” Why? Perhaps because it’s beneficial to many people, it is worth keeping in your therapy toolkit. Perhaps he believed that if enough chiropractors did this, they would be able to make a million dollars.
Before you start any exercise program, make sure to consult your doctor. Sometimes, X-rays and simple diagnostic tests are required before you can treat your own condition.
1 Start the Flexion Rotation Exercise
Monitor your symptoms while performing the flexion rotation exercise. Monitor your symptoms while performing the flexion rotation exercise. If your leg or thigh pain moves toward your spine (called centralization), then this is a good sign.2 Stop the exercise immediately if your pain moves away.
You should lie on your side to begin the flexion rotation exercise. Usually, it is best to lie on your painful side. If you feel right-sided pain in your back or thighs, then lie on the right side. Slowly bend your top knee and keep your bottom leg straight. Next, place your top foot behind the bottom of your lower leg.
Step 2
Once you have lowered your knee, cross your ankles and place your foot under your lower leg, grab your knee with one hand. For example, if you lie on your right side, your right hand will grab the left knee.
Your top arm should be in the air. Touch your top shoulder blade. The top arm of your hand should touch your neck just below the neck. You can place your hand on either side of your head if you have shoulder pain or lack flexibility. Do your best.
Step 3
Slowly rotate your upper body forward, once your top hand touches your top shoulder blade. This is best done by touching your top shoulder blade to a flat surface. Your top arm should be in line with your shoulder blade, and your top leg should stay bent behind your lower knee. For one to two seconds, rotate the position.
Rotate as far as you can until your low back feels relaxed. Continue to slowly move into the rotation stretch 10 times. Each time you hold each stretch, it should reduce or eliminate your leg, low back, or buttock pain.