Articlr

Before tackling this question, to avoid confusion it'd be prudent to clearly define what hyperextension actually is. Hyperextension of the spine can be performed in a number of ways and at different levels of the spine. The term is generally associated with the lumbar [or lower] spine however it also commonly occurs at the cervical [or upper] spinal level.

So what is hyperextension? Imagine a person in a standing side-on position. Draw a straight line beginning from just behind the ear and descending vertically to the outside of the foot. If both hips were to be thrust directly forward of that line the lumbar spine would be in hyperextension. Similarly, if the chin was to move even further forward of that line and cause the head to tilt backwards then the cervical [upper] spine would be in hyperextension.

With a description of hyperextension fixed in our minds how about we turn our attention to the various ways we perhaps unwittingly do this before drawing any conclusions on whether this is beneficial or in fact is of harm to us in our efforts to rid or reduce our back and/or neck pain. The often suggested activity of lying flat on the stomach with one hand on either side of the chest then raising the upper part of the body by straightening the arms but leaving everything from the hips and below stationary is a form of hyperextension.

As is the also commonly performed movement of thrusting both hips forward while in a standing position in a pseudo stretch-like movement. During swimming hyperextension often occurs particularly if the swimming is being done relatively slowly. This is due to the body's centre of gravity around the hip region sinking deeper into the water.

Now that we've established what hyperextension is, let's address the question of whether this habit is likely to be beneficial or harmful if it is done on a regular and/or repetitive basis. At each vertebral level of the spine we find what are called spinous processes. They are the bony protrusions you can see and feel close to the skin down the middle of the back. Anterior, or toward the front of these spinous processes is the spinal cord from which the various nerve roots emerge from the central nervous system. If you have ever experienced the excruciating pain of sciatica you will be only too aware of the extent of pain nerve compression can generate, and as we consider that degree of pain we begin to grasp the potential for harm that hyperextension has been known to cause.

With the spine placed in hyperextension these spinous processes, along with the tendons of the muscles attaching to them are forced closer together resulting in increased potential for the nerves roots that emerge from the spinal cord to also be compressed. An additional consequence of hyperextension is the potential for irritation and inflammation to the tendons as they are repeatedly and forcefully thrust together. Another consideration is the increased compression upon the posterior or rear aspects of the intervertebral discs, and with the frequency of degeneration or displacement of intervertebral discs being vastly higher in the forward direction than in any other, the degree of increased compression upon the posterior [rear] aspects of the discs must result in increased potential for forward displacement or degeneration.

OK, from that description are we to conclude that the activity of hyperextension is something we're not supposed to be doing? No, I am certainly not concluding that in any way. Hyperextension is clearly one of the movements the spine is capable of performing under normal circumstances however for those who are suffering chronic back and/or neck pain we are not talking about normal circumstances. For most sufferers the 'normal' spinal movements have at least temporarily become 'abnormally' difficult, and so to now introduce a movement that possesses a higher than necessary potential to traumatise further an already traumatised spine, we fail to demonstrate a whole lot of wisdom. Having later restored the spine to normal function, we might then, if done wisely and with an appropriate preparation and the essential de-compression afterward, hyperextend to the heart's content. Always bear in mind though, and as I make mention of in the book, 'hyperextension can be bad news for a bad back.'

The overwhelming and irrevocable deduction that not only I but thousands of others have ultimately arrived at over the years is that contrary to what many 'professionals' would mindlessly have you believe, there is no upside to including hyperextension as part of your initial rehabilitation program. Thankfully, though there are numerous suitable and particularly effective alternatives, and having then attained your own personal recovery and should you choose to you can later include hyperextension movements without running the risk of a recurrence of your former pain provided you respect the 3 essential primary principles of recovery; 1) symmetry restoration, 2) elasticity restoration of the soft tissue creating movement of the spine, and 3) restoration and maintenance of specific spinal support strength. When you do that, hyperextension represents not a single worry in the world, however if you ignore these principles, you could easily find yourself in a world that feels like it has come to a premature and painful end ?