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How To Relax Your Lower Back

What Causes Lower Back Pain

How to Relax Your Lower Back | Back Pain Relief

As with most things in your body, its almost impossible to pinpoint one specific cause of lower back pain. The pandemic and spending too much time sitting has undoubtedly played a huge part , but there are a few other factors to keep in mind. Both Stockley and Joshi cite the following:

  • Muscle imbalances

Most commonly, lower back pain is down to muscular or nerve pain triggered by a particular movement or as a result of extended time spent in a sub-optimal alignment, says Stockley. Like lifting too heavy in the gym and moving too suddenly from one exercise to the next, or sitting in a position that crushes your psoas muscles .

Posture is key for avoiding a build-up of tension, which can cause lower back pain, and comes from sitting all day. Remember to keep your spine straight, pelvis aligned and avoid hunching your upper back and shoulders.

As a pre and postnatal specialist, Stockley adds that lower back pain often comes through pregnancy, Because of the extra weight from the growing bump, which means the spine and pelvis arent aligned and the abdominal wall is weaker and not activated. Well come onto the lower back stretches that can help in a moment, but know that strength training, especially core exercises can also help, as well as posture cues like remembering to tuck your tailbone.

When Do You See A Doctor

Usually, youll see results within two to six weeks of performing regular exercises. You can see a doctor if your pain doesnt get better in a couple of weeks.

Also, see your doctor if, during the workouts, you have extreme discomfort, the pain spreads over your thighs, and you have any numbness, swelling, or serious pain.

Your doctor will determine if an underlying condition causes pain or tightness.

When Should I See A Doctor About My Back Pain

A thrown-out back is most often due to a temporary muscle sprain, but more serious conditions can result in similar pain. Serious injuries can include herniated disks or muscular tears that may require medical intervention for a full recovery. A thrown-out back can also indicate other concerning medical issues, such as arthritis, kidney stones, osteoporosis and even certain forms of cancer.

If you experience any of the following symptoms, seek immediate medical care:

  • Pain or numbness in the legs
  • Bowel or bladder control problems
  • Fever, chills or other signs of illness
  • Intense, enduring pain that limits your ability to perform simple tasks
  • Persistent pain that lasts for longer than a week

Your orthopaedic spine specialist will ask you about symptoms and possibly take X-rays, a CT scan or MRI to assess the extent of the injury and recommend treatment options for back pain.

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How To Crack Your Lower Back

  • While youre sitting down, bring your left leg over your right leg.
  • Put your right elbow on your left knee, then rotate your upper body to the left.
  • Hold this position for 10 seconds.
  • Return to your initial seated position.
  • Repeat this with your right leg over your leg, turning the opposite way.
  • Get down on your hands and knees.
  • Gradually arch your back, pulling your stomach upward and pushing your back out.
  • Gradually push your stomach back downward and pull your back inward, letting your stomach hang towards the ground.
  • Go back to your original position.
  • Do a set of at least 3 of these, doing 2 sessions daily.
  • Lie on your back.
  • Pull your knee up toward your chest, one leg at a time, and stabilize them as close to your chest as possible with your hands.
  • Repeat 2 to 3 times per session, at least twice a day.
  • Lie on your back.
  • Raise your knees up so theyre bent.
  • Keeping your shoulders still, move your hips to one side so that the knee on that side is touching the ground.
  • Hold this position for ten seconds.
  • Slowly return your knees to their previous position.
  • Repeat in the other direction.
  • Do this 2 to 3 times, at least twice a day.
  • Lie on your back.
  • Bring your feet up towards your butt so that your knees are up.
  • Lift your pelvis up so that your body is straight from your shoulders to your knees.
  • Lie on your back.
  • Raise your knees up so that theyre bent. Make sure the bottom of your feet are fully flat on the ground.
  • Flex your stomach muscles so that your abdomen is firm.
  • What Back Conditions Can Stretches Help

    Lower back stretches

    Generally, back pain can be caused by a number of different conditions. The pain may be the result of something as simple as a muscle or ligament strain. Maybe you lifted a heavy object and strained your back or have an injury that occurred while playing a sport. Other conditions, such as scoliosis, arthritis, sciatica and pregnancy, can cause back pain.

    Fortunately, stretching may be able to play a role in alleviating the back pain symptoms associated with these conditions. Before attempting stretching to relieve back pain, speak with your doctor to ensure doing so wont aggravate your pain. Its always better to be safe than sorry.

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    Dealing With Back Pain On A Regular Basis Can Make It Hard For You To Enjoy Your Favorite Activities But There Are Certain Stretching Exercises That You Can Do At Home That Will Provide Your Back With Relief

    You can develop chronic back pain from an injury, a medical condition, or wear and tear that happens over the years. Having this kind of pain can interfere with your everyday life and prevent you from doing some of the things you love. Stretching helps ease tension in your back muscles and keep them flexible, which can provide you with chronic back pain relief. Try the following exercises to manage your back pain, no matter what the cause.

    1. Lower Back RelaxationTo release tension in your lower back muscles, lie down with your face up on a pillow, then bend your knees. While you bend, avoid tensing the upper part of your body. Move one knee back toward your chest while holding your leg for support. Hold this position for about 30 seconds, then do the same with the other knee. Repeat this stretching exercise a few times to relax your lower back muscles.

    2. Sitting StretchThis stretching exercise can help with back pain management when you have sciatica or another back problem that occurs when there is too much pressure on a nerve. Sit on the floor and keep your legs out straight in front of you. Keep your toes pointed up while doing this. Bend one knee, bring it over toward the opposite side of your body, then put your foot on the floor. Hold this position for about 30 seconds, then switch to the other knee and repeat a few times.

    Ways To Relieve Back Pain Naturally

    There are a wide variety of natural remedies to soothe your back, which can help reduce the intake of medications or provide an added benefit to your existing medical treatment.

    Take a look at these natural pain-relieving strategies and find out what works best for you:

    Read on to learn more about effective pain-relieving strategies for chronic back pain from natural methods.

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    Precautions And When To Avoid Doing It

    Whenever you try to crack your back, do it slowly, purposefully, and within a safe range of motion. Jerking your back, trying to stretch it too far or both can cause injury, such as muscle strains, joint sprains, or bone dislocation.

    Do not crack your back and see your doctor as soon as possible if you experience any of the following:

    • Youve recently injured your back and you feel like its out of alignment or cant fully move it.
    • You cant move your back within its full range of motion or cant move it at all without sharp pain.
    • You feel persistent pain in your back before, during, or after cracking that doesnt go away with pain medication.

    And cracking your back should feel good. A 2011 study suggests that even just the sound of cracking can make you feel a little better.

    If you feel temporary pain when you attempt to crack your back or lasting pain afterward, you might have an underlying condition that needs medical treatment. If this is the case, see your doctor or a chiropractor before you attempt any of these exercises.

    Kneeling Side Stretch With Circles

    How to Relax Your Back
  • Kneel on the floor with your legs together, back straight, and core tight, then extend your left leg out to the side. Keep it perpendicular to your body
  • Rest your right arm on the floor next to your right leg, and gently bend your torso and left arm overhead, to the right side. Keep your hips facing forward and gently circle forwards and back overhead
  • Repeat on the opposite side
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    Lower Back Stretches To Reduce Pain And Build Strength

    Lower back pain is a fairly common health concern, as so many things can cause it.

    In some cases, it might be a symptom of an underlying condition, like kidney stones or acute pancreatitis. Other times, its simply a side effect of a sedentary lifestyle or repetitive motions.

    While stretching isnt a remedy for all lower back pain, in many instances, it can provide relief. If youve been living with some mild discomfort or stiffness, these seven stretches may help reduce the pain and strengthen the muscles in your lower back.

    Inhale Slowly And Deeply For A Count Of 5 Seconds Pause 1 Second And Exhale 3

    Visualization will help by imagining a tight knot being unraveled as you inhale. Picture the muscles extending as you inhale to stretch your rib cage fully.

    As the muscles are contracting intensely, they are also over contracting, making it counter-productive.

    Since you have already stopped moving, you are now trying to shut off the muscles need also to do this. Breathing deeply is key to relaxing a muscle which is becoming progressively shorter and more painful.

    As you try to relax, avoid any movements that allow the muscle to shorten

    Because of the intensity, duration and source of the injury, it is natural to react and to contract your body further. Even unwillingly.

    To avoid this, focus on slowly inhaling while at the same time minimizing your movements. When in contraction, the reduced circulation and the build up of lactic acid makes you feel much worse.

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    Back Aches And Injuries Are Common Among Older Adults But Some Simple Stretches Can Help

    by Stacey Colino, AARP, March 17, 2022

    Stevica Mrdja / EyeEm

    Whether its chronic, acute or episodic, low back pain is a common problem among adults, causing more disability around the world than any other condition.

    At least one-fourth of U.S. adults report having low back pain in the last three months, national survey data shows. And research suggests that as many as 80 percent of adults will experience low back pain at some point in their lives, meaning if you havent had it yet and you dont have it now, theres a good chance that you will in the future especially since back pain becomes more frequent with advancing age.

    Common causes of lower back pain include overuse injuries , muscle or ligament strains or sprains, trauma , degenerative discs, spinal stenosis, osteoarthritis, and osteoporosis, experts say. Another prime culprit: sedentary behavior. A 2019 study in the journal Applied Ergonomics found an association between static sitting behavior and chronic low back pain among people who worked at a call center.

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    Supine Figure 4 Stretch

    Achy low back? Relax, De

    This classic yoga pose helps open up the hips as much as it is good for massaging your low back. This pose stretches the outer glutes, as well as your piriformis, both of which can contribute to a tight lower back, says Hillary Wright, adjunct professor of biology, anatomy, and physiology at Manhattan College. Its an effective stretch to relieve pain and increase hip mobility, Hashish says.

    How to do a supine figure 4 stretch: Lie on your back on a yoga mat with both knees bent and feet planted on the floor. Lift your right leg, flex your right foot and cross your right ankle over your left thigh. If this is enough stay here, or draw your left knee in and hold behind your left thigh to increase the intensity. Hold for 10 to 15 breaths and then switch to the other side.

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    Exercises To Strengthen Your Back

    1. Bottom-to-heel stretch

    Kneel on all fours while trying to keep your back and neck straight but don’t lock your elbows. Slowly move your bottom backwards to meet your heels. Hold the stretch for a deep breath and return to the starting position. Repeat 10 times.

    2. Cat and dog stretch

    Kneel on all fours and arch your back upwards while dropping your chin to your chest. Then drop your stomach and lift your head up tilting your pelvis as you do so. Repeat 10 times.

    3. Childs pose

    Sit back on your heels with your arms stretched forwards, head and palms down. Work your hands as far away from you as you can, using your fingers to pull your hands along. Now take a deep breath in and out.

    Then do this to each side. Turn to your right and place your hands flat on the ground. Reach again, breathe again. Then turn to your left and do the same.

    4. Lying knee hug

    Lie on your back. Lift your shoulder blades off the ground. Clasp your hands on your right knee and pull it towards your chest. Now swap legs. Repeat 10 times.

    5. Bird dog

    Kneel on all fours with your hands under your shoulders and your knees under your hips. Stretch your left leg and right arm so they are as horizontal as you can get them, in line with your back. Hold it for three to five seconds. Then swap, stretching your right leg and left arm. If you can, tense your bottom muscles while stretching.

    6. Plank and feet

    7. Kneeling psoas stretch

    8. Back extension

    9. Pelvic tilts

    10. Piriformis stretch

    11. The bridge

    How To Get Relief From A Back Muscle Spasm

    Muscle spasms, often the result of injury, can make for a very tense back. Spasms can occur in any of the bodyâs muscles, including, of course, the trunk, hips and/or corethose areas where good muscle control and flexibility really matter to the health of your spine.

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    Six Stretches To Help Alleviate Low Back Pain And Tightness

    Letâs admit it, having low back pain is no fun, especially when you wake up in the morning with it knowing that you have a full day at work ahead of you. That is why we believe that every morning you should spend a few minutes stretching out the most important and most engaged muscles in the low back.

    Sitting at your desk all day can lead to lower back pain, neck pain, shoulder tightness, and other ergonomic issues. Performing daily stretches can help you loosen your muscles and improve your flexibility, making your body more resilient and better able to handle a full day at your desk.

    Use this stretch to align pelvis and stretch lower back and rear end muscles. Lie flat on your back with toes pointed to the sky. Slowly bend your right knee and pull your leg up to you chest. Wrap your arms around your thigh, knee or shin, and gently pull the knee towards your chest. Hold for 20 seconds and slowly extend the leg to starting position. Repeat three times each leg.

    • Lying Knee Twist
    • Use this movement to stretch the paraspinal muscles and strengthen the abdominal muscles. Lie on your back with your legs extended straight out. Bend the right knee up and cross it over the left side of your body. Hold in a position that allows you to feel a gentle stretch through the back and buttocks muscles for 20 seconds. Tighten your core muscles and rotate back to center. Repeat three times on each side.

    Lower Back Stretches For Mild Scoliosis

    3 Easy Stretches For Your Tight Lower Back (WORKS FAST!)

    Spine deformities such as mild scoliosis may benefit from stretching. Severe scoliosis cases require surgery. People with scoliosis tend to bend in one direction and have difficulty moving in the opposite direction.

    Stretching can help release tension in the muscles surrounding the spine, in the area affected by the scoliosis. Furthermore, it also increases blood flow and lubrication to the spine joints, which keeps the body flexible. It is important to know the direction of your scoliosis. Your doctor can help you with this, based on your X-ray and exam.

    Stretching in the opposite direction of your spinal curve does not help. Stretching is best in the direction your spine bends, in order to allow the overly elongated muscles to pull back and shorten. This helps provide balance to your posture.

    Chest stretch

  • Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and arms in front of your chest.
  • Pull your arms backwards and press your shoulder blades together, stretching the chest.
  • Right-Angle Wall Stretch

  • Stand in front of a wall.
  • Place your hands on a wall at shoulder level, shoulder-width apart.
  • Walk your feet back until theyre directly under your hips.
  • Push your palms into the wall, lengthening your spine.
  • Keep your lower back tucked in and arms straight.
  • Back Stretch

  • Stand with your arms extended in front of your chest.
  • Lace your fingers and push them away from your chest until you feel a stretch in your upper back.
  • Hold, release, rest and repeat.
  • Childs Pose

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