Have you ever wondered where your lower back pain comes from and exactly what you can do to help it? In a previous blog post, we mentioned 7 remedies for lower back pain relief. One of those remedies is stretching.
Stretching is not just for dancers or yogis who want to be flexible. Stretching can benefit everyone. If you don’t know exactly what is going to help relieve your lower back pain, start with a stretch. This can relieve pressure and strain on the muscles and soft tissues in your lower back.
Your muscles, ligaments and tendons are all designed to help your body move. Lower back pain can often be caused by muscle strain or the soft tissues in the lower back can get tight due to overuse. The fascia in your body can become brittle and crumble. This can cause lack of spinal mobility and severe lower back pain if not managed.
It is important to stretch our bodies to keep them mobile and healthy. Doing lower back pain stretches at home will help with myofascial release, tension, and mobility.
Here are a few lower back pain stretches that you can do in your living room. These will help relieve pain, increase mobility and decrease the chances of more serious injury in your lower back.
Remember, it is important to know how to stretch correctly. Here are a few tips to keep in mind before you begin:
- Move into the stretch slowly. If you rush you may tear muscles.
- Stretching should not cause pain. Don’t force your body into stretches that hurt.
- Hold the stretches at least 20-30 seconds. This will allow the muscles and joints to become loose.
- For best relief, repeat the stretches 5 times daily.
Hamstring Stretch
Tightness in the hamstring muscles can limit mobility in the pelvis. This will increase stress across the lower back and cause lower back pain. Stretching the hamstrings will lengthen the muscles and reduce stress in the lower back. Try this simple hamstring stretch for relief:
- Stand with feet together
- Simply bend at the waist with arms hanging down toward the toes
- Keep legs straight and try to touch your toes, but do not strain muscles
- Hold the stretch for 30 seconds
You will begin to feel a stretch through your hamstrings, up to your glutes, and then through your lower back. If you keep your arms lengthened to the floor you will feel more of a stretch in your lower back.
Knee to Chest stretch
A good lower back stretch will ultimately relieve back pain and help with mobility. This stretch will align the pelvis and stretch the lower back and gluteal muscles.
- Lie flat on your back with legs straight on the floor
- Slowly bring one knee into your chest
- Place both hands behind the knee and gently pull toward your chest
- Pull toward your chest until you feel a stretch
- Hold for 20 seconds and slowly extend the leg to the resting position
Lying Leg Twist
This stretch will target the paraspinal muscles and stretch each side of the lower back.
- Begin lying on your back flat on the floor
- Bend the left knee up toward your chest and then cross it over to the right side of your body
- TO MODIFY – cross the left leg over the right and slowly bring your leg up toward your armpit, until you feel a stretch.
- Keep your head up toward the ceiling
- Hold for 30 seconds and then switch to the other side
Chirp Wheel Lower Back Pain Stretch
The Chirp Wheel gives a deep stretch through the lower back and hips. It will target the tight muscles right along the spine and align the spine into its natural s-curve. This stretch requires a Chirp Wheel.
- Sit on the floor in a relaxed position with knees bent and feet firmly on the ground. Place the wheel against your lower back.
- While holding onto the wheel, gently lie back on the wheel. Make sure the wheel is still placed on the lower part of your back
- Roll back and forth, targeting the muscles along the spine in the lower back
- Drop arms to the side and head back to get a deeper stretch in the lower back
Hip Stretch
The hips support the lower back. Sitting for long periods or activities like jogging and running can lead to tight hip flexors. This will cause muscle imbalance that can contribute to lower back pain. Stretching out the tight hip flexors will release that tension and help relieve lower back pain.
- Begin in a lunge with your right foot forward. Bend your left knee and place it on the floor.
- Lean forward putting your right knee over the right toes.
- Feel a deep stretch in your left hip flexor.
- Hold for 30 seconds then switch sides.
Dr. Mark Kovacs, a certified strength and conditioning specialist, adds that the best way to alleviate back pain is to do “any stretch that can externally rotate the hip to provide some relief.”
The Chirp Wheel can also be used to give a good hip and hamstring stretch. You can relieve your lower back pain with the wheel in multiple ways. Try the Chirp Wheel today and many of our other lower back pain relief products!
