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Got back pain? These manga-inspired stretches might help!

Preston Phro Jan 5, 2015
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It’s a new year, so time to get to work on your resolutions! Whether it’s hitting the gym, studying a language, or taking more time to sit down and play video games, here’s to accomplishing all your goals. Of course, when you’re in pursuit of a big goal, you may find yourself working overly hard and feeling exhausted when you hit the hay–which may result in sleeping in the wrong position. Who hasn’t woken up with a sore neck or back and wished they could call in sick and spend the day with a few dozen massage therapists?

If you’re feeling a bit of pain, we may have just the cure–and it’s inspired by none other than the manga GodHand Teru. That means it has to be effective, right?

GodHand Teru recently featured a scene in which the characters discussed how to fix a sore back after sleeping wrong, and it soon became a big hit on the Internet. While some may debate the usefulness of the advice it offered, it’s hard to ignore it when a professional chiropractor, named Shunsuke Matsuda, steps in and provides a YouTube video explaining the advice and demonstrating just how to do it!

【ゴッドハンド輝】寝違えた時は、首でなくて脇の下の神経を開放で治る！ http://t.co/dzEYm7IEWf @attripさんから
⇒ 試してみたい！
が、こういうときに限って、なかなか寝違えが起きない。 pic.twitter.com/K7ut44lM3h

— Mr.カトー (@Mrkat0) December 29, 2014

So, if you tend to fall asleep in the wrong position and wake up every morning at the crack of dawn with nothing but twinges of pain in your back, this might just be the thing for you! Of course, if you have a real, serious problem, please don’t simply rely on stretching–get yourself to a doctor. That said, a little stretching can go a long way to helping sort your troubles out, so you may want to give this a try first.

As Shunsuke explains in his video, all of these are particularly effective for when you fall asleep on your arm–and they’re easy to do too! For the first one, you’re simply raising an arm backwards, using your left arm to relieve the pain in your left side and visa versa. Shunsuke says to raise and hold the arm for about 20 seconds, letting the wrist go limp, and then repeating again for another 20 seconds.

For the next stretch, you’ll place the same arm on your back, at roughly the same height as where you would wear your belt. Then, you’ll just rotate your elbow back, pulling yours shoulder, so that you can feel you back contracting, holding the position for 20 seconds and then repeating again.

And for our final stretch, you’ll raise your arm up 90 degrees, extending your hand so that your elbow forms a 120-degree angle. Then, move your arm backwards, as demonstrated below, so that your back is contracting–Shunsuke says that it’s less about extension and more about contraction. And, as with the other two, the stretch is to be performed twice, each time holding the position for 20 seconds.

With all three finished, you’ll want to do the other side, using the same techniques. Finally, the chiropractor says that if you don’t feel better after stretching, you may have some other problem and it’s best to consult a doctor.

You can watch the full video below.

If you live in Tokyo and you’re looking for someone to crack your back, Shunsuke is the head chiropractor at his clinic Katakori Seitaiin, located near Yoyogiuehara Station.

Sources: Attrip, Katakori Seitaiin, YouTube
Images: YouTube