QuestionHello Kathryn, recently I've noticed a weird pain in my back that only happens in the early morning. See, I always stretch out as soon as I wake up, but now, whenever I curl my spine forward in the morning it feels like my vertebrae are pulling apart(I don't know how else to describe it). Once again, this only happens when I stretch in the morning. I am still in high school so it is not an age-related back issue, and I didn't do anything violent to my back at all before or after the pain started. Got any ideas on what the issue might be?
AnswerHi Jonathan,
My best long-distance guess is that your muscles are 'cold' (not warmed up yet from moving) and that is why you feel this sensation.
I don't know whether you mean curling forward or backward, but when you flex your spine in any direction you actually are separating your vertebrae on the outside of the movement. This is not necessarily a bad thing; it's good to keep the spine flexible but be sure to move it in ALL directions not only one.
Also, you may wish to do subtle movements to warm the muscles before doing full stretches, especially in the morning when you wake.
I hope this helps. Thank you for asking!
Kathryn
