7 Stretches to Relieve Back Pain

Shooting pain in the lower back. Trouble standing or sitting. Difficulty lifting household objects. Sound familiar?

If those are symptoms you’re familiar with, then you’re one of the 80% of Americans who have experienced back pain at some point in their lives, and you understand the burden it can place on everyday activities.

Back pain (especially in the lower back) is all too common and can make simple tasks unnecessarily difficult. Back pain is:

• One of the most common reasons for missed work
• The single leading cause of disability
• The second most common reason for visits to the doctors office

With all that having been said, there is good news. If you’re experiencing back pain, you are not alone. And here’s the better news: There are ways to naturally reduce this pain and help prevent future occurrences.

Many people experiencing back pain have the belief that they should stay in bed and rest, when in fact one of the best solutions is to naturally address the pain. Although a certain amount of caution is necessary when pain is present, stretching can be one of the easiest ways to alleviate back pain. Here’s why…

Spine-Health.com explains it this way:

“The spinal column and its contiguous muscles, ligaments, and tendons are all designed to move, and limitations in this motion can make back pain worse […] Almost everyone can benefit from stretching the soft tissues – the muscles, ligaments and tendons – in the back, legs, buttock, and around the spine.”

Basically, the human spinal column is made up of vertebrae that are separated by discs, surrounded by nerves, and connected to surrounding muscles, ligaments, and tendons. It serves to structure and balance the upper body, and is designed to move fluidly.

When a component of the spine is traumatized (such as a “slipped” disc), pressure, inflammation, and instability can cause symptoms of pain. Gently stretching the areas connected to the spinal column can help to alleviate this pain by increasing mobility and fluidity in the spinal region.

Stretches to Relieve Back Pain

*A couple of things to keep in mind before attempting these stretches:

Check with a certified non-surgical spine specialist before beginning any exercise routine. Certain exercises can actually worsen your condition.

If you have a slipped disk in the lower back or sciatica, please avoid all deep forward bends as these can make your condition worse. If you’re unsure about your current conditions, click here to see a certified non-surgical spine specialist.

With that understanding, here are a few stretching techniques to help you start addressing your back pain today:

1. Modified cobra

• Lie face down with your body fully extended
• Bend your elbows and put your hands flat on the ground even with your chest
• Gently press down on the floor to raise your head and upper body, keeping your pelvis flat on the floor
• With your arms fully extended, hold this position for approximately 10 seconds
• Repeat 4 or 5 times slowly

2. Child’s pose

• Position yourself on the floor on hands and knees with your knees just wider than hip distance apart.
• Turn your toes in to touch and push your hips backwards bending your knees.
• Once you reach a comfortable seated position, extend your arms forward fully and allow your head to fall forward into a relaxation position.
• Repeat 4 or 5 times slowly

 

3. Knee to chest, 1 or both

• Lay flat on your back with both legs straight
• Lift one leg and bring it toward your chest until you feel tension
• Hold for 10-20 seconds
• Release and repeat on the opposite side

 

4. Supine hip flexor

• Lay flat on your back on a bed or other elevated structure
• Hang one leg off without flexing
• Hold for 10-20 seconds and repeat with the opposite leg

 

5. Hamstring stretch

• Lay flat on your back and interlock fingers of both hands under the hamstring of one leg
• Keeping the leg as straight as possible, slowly lift the leg until tension is felt (you should not feel discomfort, only tension)
• Hold for 10-20 seconds and repeat with the opposite leg

 

6. Lumbar rotation with flexed knees

• Lay flat on back with both knees together and legs bent at a 90-degree angle (feet flat on the floor)
• Slowly rotate both knees in the same direction towards to ground without lifting your back or feet off the ground
• Once you’ve reached a point of tension, hold the stretch for 10-20 seconds
• Slowly return to the middle starting position and repeat on the opposite side

 

7. Glute/Piriformis stretch

• Lie on the back with both feet flat on the floor and both knees bent
• Rest the ankle of the right leg over the knee of the left leg
• Pull the left thigh toward the chest and hold the stretch
• Repeat for each side

 You can also try it standing (L-stand – basically the same as the Piriformis stretch, but standing with one leg on a table turned and at a 90-degree angle) (2)

(Hold each stretch until tension is felt, no further. Do not bounce or push until pain is felt.)

Back pain is nothing to take lightly. Although the pain may be bearable and stretching may help, the underlying cause of your back pain needs to be addressed in order to avoid further pain and complications in the future.

A trained non-surgical spine specialist can help you alleviate the symptoms and treat the underlying condition causing the back pain.

Don’t let lower back pain keep you down. Click here to speak with a certified chiropractor today and get back to living pain-free.