How Stretching Can Help With Lower Back Pain
Stretching can help by easing the pain and tightness in the lower back.
When all the muscles imbalances mentioned above occur, they either put too much strain or pull onto your lower back.
The right stretches can also help reduce any tension that leads to pain in the muscles that are around and support the spine.
This is why you dont have to necessary stretch the lower back to help relieve lower back pain.
If youve ever wondered why you may see stretches to relieve lower back pain that are focused on other parts of the body, this is the reason!
This post is split up into stretches that target the lower back specifically, as well as the other parts of the body that contribute to lower back pain.
Lying Knee To Chest Twist Stretch
This stretch helps target the muscles around the sides of the lower back as well as the hip and glute area which adds extra benefits.
- Lie on your back with your arms out to the side.
- Draw both knees towards your chest and hold them at a 90-degree angle.
- Using your outstretched hands to support your torso, drop both your legs to one side as you keeping them pressed up against one another.
- When your legs reach the bottom hold before moving your legs to the other side.
Stretching For Back Pain Relief
Regularly stretching the muscles, tendons, and ligaments that support the spine is an important element of all back exercise programs. Stretches designed to alleviate neck and back pain are likely to be prescribed by a doctor, physical therapist, or spine specialist.
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Benefits of stretching include:
- Reducing tension in muscles supporting the spine tension in these muscles can worsen pain from any number of back pain conditions
- Improving range of motion and overall mobility
- Reducing risk of disability caused by back pain
Pain that lasts longer than 3 months may require weeks or months of regular stretching to successfully reduce pain. Stretches may be included as part of a physical therapy program, and/or recommended to be done at home on a daily basis.
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How To Work These Stretches And Exercises Into Your Routine:
The next time youre in the gym try adding these to your warm-up. You could even go a step further and begin adding them into a daily routine, multiple times a day if you can. The more frequently you address the problem, the quicker you will be to making it subside. If you have any questions, please ask Fitness Floor staff or a Personal Trainer. They can aid in applying these ideas to your workout and help you to gain the benefits of attending to the health of your hips and low back.
Rubin Dl. Epidemiology and Risk Factors for Spine Pain. Neurol Clin. 2007 May 25:353-71.
Supine Figure 4 Stretch
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 Hilary Wright, Y7 instructor and director of continuing education.
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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Folded Pose To Supine Twist
What It Does: Folded Pose is a gentle way to stretch the spine and release any tension, while Supine Twist gently stretches the glutes and lower back while lengthening the spine.
How to Do It: Come back to center. Draw your right knee to your chest, interlacing all ten fingertips at the shin. Hug your right knee around your belly and hip and into your right shoulder while keeping the hips grounded. Hold for five breaths on each side. On an exhale, cross your right knee over your body to your left, stacking your right hip over your left hip. Extend your right hand to the right, palm facing up. Keep your right shoulder heavy and your gaze to the ceiling or to your right palm. Stay here for ten slow, deep breaths. Repeat on the left side.
Stretches To Ease Lower Back Pain
My back is killing me. These five words are said by co-workers, family, friends, almost every person we regularly come in contact with will say them sooner or later. In fact, a study performed at the University of North Carolina found that more than an overwhelming 80 percent of people will experience an episode of back pain at some point in their life. As people age, often the spine will experience degenerative changes. As these changes occur, there is less space between the vertebrae, which can increase back pain. When the spine is flexed, pressure is off-loaded. Because of this, a flexion based program is often used to help relieve symptoms of lower back pain. Here are four stretches for lower back pain that almost everyone can do.
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Video: 4 Easy Stretches For Neck And Shoulder Pain
See how to correctly perform the 4 neck stretches listed above.Watch Now
Stretches that are not recommended include neck circles or quickly stretching the neck forward and backward or side to side. These stretches may cause muscles strain or place additional stress on the cervical spine.
See Neck Stretches
Stretches To Relieve Lower Back Pain
Lower back pain can be persistent and difficult to fix. These yoga poses can help.
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Lower-back pain plagues just about everyone at some point. A widely cited Canadian survey from the late 1990s found that nearly 85 percent of adults will experience some kind of lower-back pain in their life. Whether youre recovering from an injury or just deskbound and stiff, gentle stretching and strengthening can help alleviate pain. Even a little yoga can go a long way, says Alyx Walkinshaw, a yoga instructor behind the book and appYoga for Seniors and Adults.
I really identify with the beginning yoga practitioner and with making the practice accessible to everyone. No matter how busy you get, yoga can help bring you back into balance, Walkinshaw says. Here, she walks us through a sequence of nine poses that will help mitigate and prevent persistent lower-back pain.
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If You Are Reading This You Probably Currently Have Have Dealt With In The Past Or Know Of Someone Close To You Who Has Experienced Chronic Low Back Pain
In fact, it is estimated that up to 80% of the population will experience low back pain at some point in their lifetime . If you have low back pain you may have even gone as far to get checked out by a doctor, only to find that you have no structural damage and are left with the advice to strengthen your core and stretch more. Despite doing this you may have had no relief from your symptoms or by chance they have become even worse.
Remember To Take Savasana
Lie down on the ground and allow your legs to become heavy. Relax your feet and toes. Allow your lower back, mid back, upper back, shoulders, back of your neck, and head to rest heavy on the ground. Extend your arms away from the midline of your body and soften your hands and fingers. Close your eyes and relax the muscles in your face. Stay here for at least three minutes, letting all your hard work settle in. If this is uncomfortable, taking savasana with your knees bent and feet flat is another option and a great way to support your lower back and allow your pelvis to release into the floor.
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Causes Of Lower Back Pain
Locating the primary cause of lower back pain can be a complex procedure and it changes on a case by case basis.
There are so many causes of lower back pain that all of them cannot be covered in one post, however here are a few examples:
- Straining or spraining the lower back muscles
- Herniated disc
- Pregnancy
- Poor posture and lifestyle habits
This post will focus on dealing with the last point lower back pain caused by poor posture.
Childs Pose & Childs Pose With Side Stretches
Childâs pose is one of the most popular yoga poses. Itâs not only calming for the mind but also a gentle way to stretch your back muscles.
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Easy Stretches For Lower Back Pain Video
4 Easy Stretches for Lower Back Pain.
Back Flexion Stretch
Kneeling Lunge Stretch
Knee to Chest Stretch
Piriformis Stretch
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Best Lower Back Stretch #: Hip Flexor Stretch
When you sit all day, this positions the body so your hips are in a flexed position. This wreaks havoc on your hip flexors, which in turn causes numerous other problems up and down your body the most noticeable for many people being their low back.
In most cases, your lower back is better served by building stability, so stretching just your back wont help. Instead, focus on stretching your hip flexors. Like, every day. Twice. The fact is that most peoples hip flexors end up incredibly tight from sitting all day. In most cases, this causes your pelvis to tilt forward, which in turn will tighten the muscles of your low back, causing a bigger arch, and give the appearance of tightness. Release the muscles that are causing the tightness to eliminate pain and dysfunction.
Stephen Bergeron, CSCS, CPT
Roll Down/roll Up With A Forward Fold
What It Does: This movement is a great way to warm up your entire spine, lower back, hamstrings, calves, and ankles. Start your practice here to open the areas of the body youll be working in this sequence.
How to Do It: Start standing with your feet hip-width apart, arms at your side. Keep your shoulders relaxed, and maintain a forward gaze and neutral chin. Bring a soft bend into your knees to protect your lower back. Take a deep breath in. Exhale, bringing your chin to your chest, and start to roll down toward your toes, letting the weight of your head guide you. Keep your knees soft the entire time. Once you reach a comfortable depth, feel free to bend your knees as much as you need until you can tent your fingertips in front of your feet. Let your head be heavy, and allow your shoulders to stay relaxed. Exhale through your mouth. Stay here for a few deep breaths. This forward fold will open and strengthen the lower back, upper back, hamstrings, and quadriceps. Inhale and slowly unravel your spine back up to standing. While you unravel, allow your toes to stay light, ground down through the four corners of your feet, let your head stay heavy, feel your shoulders move back over your hips, and return your gaze forward, standing up nice and tall. Repeat this four more times.
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Tips For Managing Back Pain
Some simple steps can help relieve pain and reduce or prevent reoccurrence:
- Stay mobile. Movement can help relieve stiffness. Try to keep active and do some gentle stretching and exercise throughout the day.
- Medication. Over-the-counter pain medication, such as ibuprofen or acetaminophen, can help temporarily relieve pain and reduce inflammation.
- Complementary therapies. Some people find that massage, acupuncture, or transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulations helps with longer-term back pain.
- Posture. Practice good posture while sitting. Try not to slouch, take regular breaks, and ensure that chairs and workstations are suitable and set up correctly. Some people find that standing desks help.
- Yoga and Pilates. Many people find that activities such as yoga and Pilates can help improve posture and relieve back pain.
Core Stability Pelvic Tilt
Lack of core control and stability is a key player in lower back pain. When the abdominal muscles are not performing, the muscles of the lumbar spine have to work harder to stabilize the body in balance. An excellent way to improve core stability is to lie flat with the knees bent up. Tighten abdominal muscles and press the small of the back into the floor. Hold this contraction for 10 seconds and repeat 10-20 times. You can either have your arms resting by your sides or behind your head, depending on whats more comfortable. With this stretch, it is important remember:
- Keep your feet flat on the floor
- Keep your shoulders pressed to the floor, but relaxed
- Do not hold your breath as you perform this exercise
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While lower back pain is extremely common, it is not something you have to live with every day. Improving hip flexibility and core stability as well as lengthening the back muscles by stretching can help reduce the symptoms of lower back pain. However, if your back pain is chronic, the above stretches may help but additional treatment may be warranted.
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Add Strengthening Exercises To Your Routine
Assuming that you have an anterior pelvic tilt and that your lower back pain is caused by poor posture and muscle imbalances, the best way to fix lower back pain for good is to add corrective exercises to your routine.
Stretching is great for relieving pain but it does not address the root cause of lower back pain.
As mentioned there are certain muscle imbalances that result in muscles either becoming too tight or too weak.
The lower back stretches in this article addresses the tightness issue.
However, it is advisable to also focus on strengthening your core, hamstrings and glutes.
Fixing Your Low Back Pain
If you are experiencing extreme pain, seek medical attention immediately. Even if the pain is not severe, its important to get a proper diagnosis. This way you get get the proper treatment and prevent the risk of re-injury. Book an appointment with your doctor or physical therapist.
In the meantime, there are ways you can ease your low back pain. First off, make sure to avoid heavy lifting until the pain has subsided. Doing so could aggravate the issue and lead to a more chronic problem.
Use heat relief to soothe your pain. Apply heat for 15 minutes at a time. And make sure to place a cloth in between your skin and the heat device. You can try our thermal back brace to bring relief and support to your back.
You can also try the following stretches and strengthening exercise. They can help ease your pain and release tightness in the muscles. If any exercise causes pain, stop or ease off. Adjust and try again. If the pain continues, forego the exercise until your pain levels have improved.
Cat & Cow Stretch
The cat and cow stretch originates from yoga. It helps in maintaining and improving range of motion in your low back. At the same time, it stretches out any tight spots, releasing tension.
How To:
Childs Pose
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Simple Stretches To Relieve Lower Back Pain
Lower back pain can be a debilitating and painful condition.
Fortunately, staying physically active may be the most effective and cost-efficient way to soothe or prevent it.
Here are 8 simple stretches to relieve lower back pain.
3 ).
Although its origin varies, changes in the lumbar, or lower back, structure due to musculoskeletal damage are considered to be the main cause .
Your musculoskeletal system is made up of bones, muscles, tendons, ligaments, and other connective tissues that provide form, support, stability, and movement to your body.
Other muscles that play an important role in maintaining the normal curvature of your spinal column are reported to be associated with lower back pain. These include the hip flexor and hamstring muscles .
Minor lower back pain normally gets better on its own within a few days or weeks. It can be considered chronic when it persists for more than three months .
In either case, staying physically active and regularly stretching can help reduce lower back pain or prevent it from returning .
The remainder of this article provides eight stretches for lower back pain, all of which you can do in the comfort of your own home with minimal or no equipment.
Summary Lower back pain is an incredibly common condition that can be relieved or prevented with regular exercise and stretching.
The knee-to-chest stretch can help lengthen your lower back, relieving tension and pain.
To perform the knee-to-chest stretch:
