Physical Therapists Say These Stretches Are Key To Fighting Back Pain
If you’re struggling with an achy back and could therefore benefit from some lower back stretches, you’re not alone: Lower back pain impacted an estimated 619 million people around the world—which is up significantly since 1990 across all ages and genders—per a 2021 analysis in The Lancet.
“A lot of us are mostly sedentary throughout the day, so very often our lower back and our hip flexor muscles can get tight just from that prolonged sitting position,” says Winnie Yu, DPT, CSCS, a sports and orthopedic physical therapist at Bespoke Treatments in New York City.
Here’s how it works: The muscles in the front of your pelvic area, like your hip flexors, tighten and shorten, which then pulls the pelvis forward and your lower back out of alignment, explains Patrick Donovan, DPT, owner of Heather Lane Physical Therapy in Denver. That’s why your back muscles may get achier and even weaker if you don't do something about it.
Meet the experts: Winnie Yu, DPT, CSCS, is a sports and orthopedic physical therapist at Bespoke Treatments in New York City. Patrick Donovan, DPT, is the owner of Heather Lane Physical Therapy in Denver.
In addition to sitting causing lower back pain, not recovering properly from exercise can lead to lower back and hip problems, making it important for athletes to add these kinds of stretches to their routines too, adds Yu. Luckily, it doesn’t take much to improve your lower back and hip mobility—just about 10 minutes with no equipment—and get the relief you need.
Benefits Of Lower Back Stretches
First and foremost, when you’re stretching your lower back, you’re working your body to its full range of motion, which should alleviate a lot of the tightness you’re feeling. “Realistically, how often are you extending your back all the way?” says Yu. “When you don't use that end range of motion, sometimes our body forgets about it, and a lot of times we can get sensations of stiffness simply because we don't use it.”
Staying stretched will also lower the risk of injuries down the line, says Yu. Beyond general achiness, lower back pain can be related to or turn into a lumbar strain or sprain, disc herniations, stenosis, protrusions, bulging discs, or sciatica.
How To Stretch Your Lower Back
If you’re ready to find relief, there are a few things you should know first. “Always stretch within your available range of motion,” says Yu. This means if you haven’t stretched in a while, you don’t need to push yourself to have Simone Biles-level mobility. “Move within a pain-free range to start, and then as you get more comfortable, you can tease into the range a little bit more,” says Yu.
In terms of how often you should be doing these stretches, if you don’t exercise or stretch frequently, everyday might be too much. The average person should sprinkle in these lower back stretches two to three times a week to build up mobility—and the good news is you should notice the benefits fast, says Yu.
Meanwhile, if you’re more active, you can do these stretches as often as five to six times a week. Since they’re mobility exercises, you can do them pretty frequently without injuring yourself as long as you’re doing them with proper form, says Yu. They’ll make a great addition to your workout in either the warm-up or cool-down. (BTW, many of the stretches can be made either dynamic *or* static, so if you’re going to do them as a warm-up, opt for a dynamic version, and hold them statically if you’re cooling down.)
While these stretches are great for a lot of people, if you're experiencing extreme back pain or pain that radiates down your leg, talk to a doctor or physical therapist before trying out the stretches below, says Donovan. They can check to make sure there's nothing more serious going on that requires specific attention and treatment.
Instructions: Choose 2 to 4 lower back stretches from the list below. Perform each one for the duration or number of reps indicated, repeating on the opposite side when applicable. Once you've completed one round of your chosen stretches, repeat the cycle twice more for a total of three rounds.
Time: 10 minutes | Equipment: None | Good for: Lower back (and hips)
Best Lower Back Stretches
How To Stretch Your Lower Back Properly
Be gentle, especially in the morning. Right after you wake, the muscles aren't warmed up yet, so go slow with control. "Some people make the mistake of thinking, 'Oh, if I bounce into it or I go really quickly into it, I might warm up faster'—that's not necessarily true," Yu says. Instead, a slow and controlled approach is usually better. You can "gradually bring more blood flow into the areas that are uncomfortable," she adds.
Time your breathing. This can help with relaxation by turning on your parasympathetic nervous system. If you're doing thread the needle for example, try exhaling on the rotation. Then, inhale when you reach up toward the ceiling. "You're more likely going to have better control of the tempo and also slow down the heart rate," Yu says.
Activate your core. This helps protect the lower back and is especially important for positions with less support, like the low lunge twist. "Think about drawing the two columns of abs together toward that center line to find a little bit more stability," Yu adds. By using your core, you can also improve muscular control.
Additional reporting by Alexa Tucker and Lauren Del Turco.
You Might Also Like
