If you are one of the many people suffering from lower back pain then here are the most common stretches that I give to patients at The Physiotherapy Place with the same problem. Along with good posture, these stretches will help to ease the pressure on the lower back to give you relief from pain.
Lower Back Exercise 1
Lying on your back with your knees bent and feet together on the floor (or bed if that’s easier for you), keep your shoulders and upper back flat on the floor and gently drop your knees to one side as far as they will go naturally and then go over to the other side. You should feel the stretch through the lower back and hips but be careful not to stretch into pain. Keep moving from side to side for 2 minutes.
Exercise 2
Lying on your back, hug your knees up to your tummy and hold them there with your hands. Don’t worry about keeping your back flat on the floor, just let it go wherever it wants to go. You should feel a gentle stretch in your lower back. An alternative if this is painful is to do it with one knee at a time. Repeat 3 times for 30 seconds at a time.
Exercise 3
If recovery from your lower back pain still isn't progressing as you hoped it would then it could be because there is undue stress being placed on the back from an adjacent part of the body.
This can commonly happen from having tight gluteal muscles in the buttock. I find that these muscles are tight and tender in the majority of people that have lower back pain so I usually always treat these at the same time as treating the lower back itself.
A good way to stretch the gluteal muscles is to lie on your back holding the knee and ankle of one leg in your hands. Now pull the knee up into your tummy towards your opposite shoulder until you feel a stretch in the buttock. Hold for 30 seconds then repeat with the other leg.
How Often Should I Stretch My Back?
Ideally these stretches should be performed at least each morning and evening whilst your symptoms persist. If there is no change in your lower back pain after 2 weeks of stretching then there is likely an underlying issue that needs to be addressed so an assessment and treatment from a physio should be sought. Once your back pain has resolved, these same stretches performed once per day will be beneficial to maintain a healthy spine and prevent recurrence of your symptoms.
If you want to find out more about how we can help you here at The Physiotherapy Place, arrange a time that one of our physio's can give you a call here or book an appointment here.
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There are lots of people out there who assume they just have a 'bad back' that they have to live with. Some who seek help from their GP will be prescribed rest and painkillers, but most of the time this will not solve the problem.
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