Best Lower Back Stretches For Pain

There are several gentle stretches patients can do to reduce their pain or discomfort. Many of these stretches can be done before they get out of bed in the morning to make it easier to get their body moving. Whether their pain is simply from muscular overuse or something more worrisome, such as structural spinal damage, individuals can move their pillow and enjoy pain-relieving stretches even before they leave the warmth of their bed.

As we know, if lower back pain and stiffness becomes severe, it can reduce an individual's ability to exercise effectively, work with focus, and sleep deeply. Since individuals spend so much time sitting, lower back pain has reached epidemic proportions. Individuals can stay comfortably upright and mobile no matter how much sitting they do on a daily basis by keeping their core strong and taking care of their lower back and hips.

Child's Pose

Child's pose is a gentle, slow stretch that will ease tightness in an individual's hip flexors, buttocks, and lower back. It is easy to get into the first position for this stretch and individuals can extend the stretch as deeply as they can tolerate.

Individuals start this stretch on their hands and knees with their knees slightly wider than their hips and their toes touching behind them. They then stretch back and lower their buttocks toward their heels while lowering their chest to their knees. By keeping their hands in the same area, individuals can also stretch their upper back. Patients who struggle with disc damage should consider adding a pillow to their calves to support their lower back rather than lowering fully to the mat. They can also add a pillow between their knees to make the stretch easier.

Hip Flexor Stretch

Tight hip flexors can lead to daytime walking pain and make it hard to sleep. Long-term bouts of tight hip flexors can lead to chronic lower back pain and may limit an individual's ability to move quickly if needed. Luckily, there are several positions from which individuals can enjoy a good hip flexor stretch. Individuals should start with their quadriceps, as tight hip flexors can put excess strain on the muscles at the front of the thigh. They then stand on their left leg and lift their right heel to their right buttock. Individuals can deepen this stretch by placing their left hand forward and pulling their right foot forward. If individuals need to hold onto something to help them balance, they should feel free to do so.

Individuals can also stretch their hip flexors by lunging. This means placing their right foot in front of their left and bending their right leg until they feel a stretch in your left hip. Patients can also start in a kneeling position, bend their right knee at a ninety-degree angle and lean into their right foot to stretch their left hip.