Lower back discomfort affects every aspect of your life, from sleeping to exercising to walking.
Are you currently going through a phase where the lower back pain is extremely uneasy for you? Do you just want some relief?
Well, keep on reading this article to know some easy stretching exercises to ease your lower back pain.
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Stretching Exercises: What to Do About Lower Back Pain?
When you’re coping with the aches and, in many cases, crippling discomfort of lower-back pain, all you want to do is lie in bed. However, studies show that completing a combination of strength and aerobic workouts, as well as stretching, 2-3 times per week can help prevent and relieve lower-back pain.
That’s where our list of lower back pain stretches comes in!
While stretching may not always help with back pain, stiff hips and legs are common in people with lower back pain, so strengthening and releasing these muscles can help you find relief.
Gentle stretching is convenient to do when you’re in pain, and it frequently delivers the most immediate relief.
However, there are a few things to remember in order to get the maximum benefit from your stretching.
Here is some basic information about back pain treatment as shared by Dr. Zeeshan Saeed.
First, A Few Quick Steps!
- If you have an existing injury or other health concerns, stretch your lower back carefully, and if you’re in discomfort, visit your doctor before starting a new type of activity.
- Hold each stretch for at least 10 seconds, but ideally 30 seconds or more. The longer you hold these stretches, the more pain relief you’ll get.
- Rather than rushing through the motions, Costello suggests listening to relaxing music and using the stretching time to unwind and refresh.
- Don’t forget to take a deep breath! It may sound ridiculous, but concentrating on your breathing might help you cope with any unpleasant feelings.
1-Child’s Pose
This popular yoga pose gently stretches the low back muscles, which are most likely constricted if you’re in discomfort.
Start with your hands and knees, in a tabletop position, with your hands directly under your shoulders and knees directly under your hips.
Place your palms flat on the floor and extend your arms out in front of you. As your arms extend further and reach for the wall in front of you, slowly sit your hips back toward your heels, dropping your head and chest downward.
If this stretch is too much for you, prop yourself up with a pillow beneath your tummy to reduce the stretch in your low-back muscles. Hold this position for at least 20 to 30 seconds.
2-Cat/Cow Stretch
This dynamic technique, which builds on Child’s Pose, stimulates the low-back muscles in two directions to assist extend constricted muscles and ease discomfort.
Begin on your hands and knees, tabletop position, with your hands directly under your shoulders and knees directly under your hips.
In this position, your spine should be parallel to the ground.
Then, similar to how a cat stretches by rounding its back, curve your back and stretch your mid-back between your shoulder blades.
Hold for five seconds, then relax and let your tummy fall downward while you gently arch your low back. Rep these moves for at least 30 seconds.
3-Supine Twist
This stretch not only stretches your lower back, but it also stretches your glutes. Glutes can clench when you have low back discomfort, leading to even more agony.
Begin by lying down on your back, knees bent and feet flat on the floor.
In a “T” position, extend your arms out to the side. As you rotate both knees to one side, keep your shoulders on the ground. Return your knees to the center and repeat on the other side after 20 to 30 seconds.
When twisting to each side, lay a pillow or stack of blankets beneath your knees if the stretch is too much for you.
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4-Knee-to-Chest Stretch
This stretch, like the others on this list, stretches tight lower back muscles.
Begin by lying down on your back, knees bent and feet flat on the floor. Bring your hands behind your knees or just below your kneecaps to relax.
Slowly lift both knees to your chest, pulling them softly with your hands. Hold for 20 to 30 seconds, then return to starting position by moving your hips side to side and up and down to assist massage your lower back.
5-The Pelvic Tilt
When you have lower back discomfort, you may feel as though your entire pelvic region is immobile. This stretch might help you gradually reintroduce movement to this area.
Begin by lying on your back with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor on a yoga mat.
Relax your low back and maintain a neutral position. It means you should feel a slight curve in your low back if you place the top of your hand under your back.
Activate your core muscles, then slightly tilt your pelvis upward to flatten your low back against the floor. Repeat 12–15 times more.
6-Supine Figure 4 Twist
This basic yoga stance is beneficial for both opening up the hips and massaging the low back. This pose extends your piriformis and outer glutes, which can both contribute to a tense lower back.
Lie down on your back on a yoga mat, knees bent and feet firmly planted on the floor.
Cross your right ankle over your left thigh by lifting your right leg, flexing your right foot, and crossing your right ankle over your left thigh.
Stay here if this is sufficient, or draw your left knee in and grasp behind your left thigh to increase the difficulty. Switch to the other side after holding for 10 to 15 breaths.
7-Hand-to-Big Toe Stretch
A tight lower back can be caused by tight hamstrings and adductors, often known as your inner thighs. By loosening up these muscles, this pose stretches things out.
Raise your right leg towards your face while lying on your back. Depending on how tight your hamstrings are, interlace your hands behind your thigh or calf.
Maintain an active opposite leg and a grounded opposite hip. Keep your head and shoulders on the ground. Hold for a total of ten breaths. Allow your right leg to fall out to the right while maintaining your opposing hip grounded.
Only go as far as you can with your right leg out to the side without the opposite hip lifting up.
8-Cow Face Pose
This position extends your outer glutes, because tight outer glutes cause lower back pain.
Bring your left heel to your right glute from a seated position, with your left knee pointing straight in front of you.
Bring your right leg over your left, stacking your knees so they’re both pointing straight forward. It’s fine if they don’t stack on top of each other.
Your toes should point behind you and your feet should be on either side of you. Sit up straight to keep your spine long, or add a tiny forward bend to increase the effort.
9-Bridge Pose
Softening around your sacrum relieves stress in your lower back. On the other hand, lengthening through your sit bones increases activation of the bottom half of your gluteus maximus. It supports your low back and relieves discomfort and tension.
Bend your knees and place both feet on the yoga mat while lying on your back. Make sure your feet are hip-width apart and your glutes are close together.
To elevate your hips, press into your feet. Soften around your sacrum and stretch your sit bones toward your knees from here. Hold the position for 30 seconds.
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10-Forearm Plank
This plank version engages your core, which helps to relieve pressure on your lower back by strengthening the muscles that surround it.
Drop your forearms directly behind your shoulders from the peak of a push-up position.
Depending on how your shoulders feel, you can interlace your hands or bring your forearms parallel to one another.
Kick with your heels and your core engaged. Hold for at least 30 seconds, and gradually increase to one minute.
11-Pigeon Pose
Tight hip flexors lead to lower back pain. Extended half pigeon posture is one of the finest techniques to loosen up the hips.
In a tiny study of adults with persistent back pain, those who practiced yoga for eight weeks, including pigeon pose, saw a 9 percent reduction in pain.
Inhale as you bring your right leg up towards the sky from downward-facing dog or three-legged downward-facing dog.
Bend your right knee and place it against your right wrist on your next exhale. Lower your right shin till it’s parallel to the top of your mat (it may be at an angle depending on your hip flexibility, which is perfectly OK!)
Return your left leg to the end of your mat and gently move it back. You can either stay here or lower your head onto the tops of your hands by bending your arms at the top of your mat.
Stay in this position for 7 to 10 breaths.
Bottom Line!
From walking and jogging to simply getting out of bed in the morning, you are using your lower back for a variety of activities. Stretching on a regular basis is an excellent approach to increase and maintain flexibility, reduce tension, and aid in the development of strength.
You can consult a well-known orthopedic surgeon to know more about taking care of your spine and bones health to relieve discomfort. Make an appointment online via healthwire.pk or call at (042) 32500989.
