7 Lower Back Stretches to Reduce Pain and Improve Mobility

Many people deal with lower back pain, which can have various causes. Doing specific stretches made for this pain can help ease discomfort and make your muscles more flexible.

Lower back pain might signal something else going on, like kidney stones or acute pancreatitis. But it can also come from sitting too much, repeating the same movements, or straining your muscles.

While stretching might not fix all types of lower back pain, it often helps to relieve it. Adding these exercises to your routine can really help.

In this article, we’ll look at stretching exercises that work well for relieving pain and improving how well you can move.

1. Child’s Pose

Child’s Pose is a gentle yoga move that stretches muscles in your back, butt, and shoulders. It’s great for easing spine, neck, and shoulder discomfort while boosting lower back flexibility.

How to do it:

  1. Get on your hands and knees, aligning your hands with shoulders and knees with hips.
  2. Shift your weight back, sitting your hips on your heels.
  3. Bend at your hips, reaching forward with your arms or resting them alongside your body.
  4. Let your belly rest on your thighs and take deep breaths, relaxing any tight areas.
  5. Hold for up to 1 minute, repeating during your stretches.

For more comfort, use a rolled-up towel under or on top of your thighs. Also, widen your knees or rest your forehead on a cushion if needed.

2. Knee-to-Chest Stretch

This stretch relaxes hips, thighs, and butt muscles, making you feel more relaxed overall. It’s super helpful for easing lower back discomfort and boosting flexibility.

How to do it:

  1. Lie on your back with both knees bent and feet flat on the floor.
  2. Keep your left knee bent or stretch it out along the floor.
  3. Bring your right knee toward your chest, holding behind your thigh or at the top of your shin.
  4. Keep your hips down, and lengthen your spine towards your tailbone.
  5. Breathe deeply, relaxing any tension, and hold for 30 seconds to 1 minute.
  6. Switch legs and repeat.

For comfort, put a cushion under your head. If it’s tough to reach your leg, use a towel to help pull it closer. For a deeper stretch, tuck your chin in and lift your head toward your knee.

3. Seated Spinal Twist

The Seated Spinal Twist is a classic stretch that targets the hips, glutes, and back. It helps improve spinal mobility while stretching the abdominals, shoulders, and neck. This twist also provides a gentle massage to the internal organs.

Here’s how to do it:

  1. Sit on the floor with both legs extended in front of you.
  2. Bend your left knee and place your foot on the outside of your right thigh.
  3. Rest your right arm on the outside of your left thigh.
  4. Place your left hand behind you for support.
  5. Starting from the base of your spine, twist to the left side.
  6. Hold this position for up to 1 minute, then repeat on the other side.

For added comfort, keep both legs straight. If you want an extra stretch, include neck rotations by inhaling to look forward and exhaling to turn your gaze backward. Aim for 5 to 10 rotations on each side.

4. The Piriformis Stretch

The Piriformis Stretch focuses on the piriformis muscle, located deep in the buttocks. Stretching this muscle can provide relief from pain and tightness in the buttocks and lower back.

To perform the Piriformis Stretch:

  1. Lie on your back with both knees bent and your feet flat on the floor.
  2. Place your right ankle at the base of your left thigh.
  3. With your hands behind your left thigh, gently pull your leg toward your chest until you feel a stretch in the buttocks.
  4. Hold this position for 30 seconds to 1 minute.
  5. Repeat the stretch on the opposite side.

To make the stretch more comfortable, keep your bottom foot planted on the floor. You can also rest your head on a cushion for added support.

5. Cat-Cow Stretch

The Cat-Cow Stretch is a movement that wakes up your spine and stretches your shoulders, neck, and chest.

How to do it:

  1. Get on all fours, hands under shoulders and knees under hips.
  2. Breathe in, lift your head, and let your belly drop down.
  3. Breathe out, tuck your chin and arch your back up.
  4. Keep going, matching each movement with your breath for 1 to 2 minutes.

This stretch gently warms up your spine and makes it more flexible. If your wrists or knees bother you, adjust by moving your hands slightly forward or using a cushion for support.

6. Sphinx Stretch

The Sphinx Stretch is a calming bend that helps both active and relaxed posture. It gives a gentle stretch to your spine, butt, and chest muscles.

How to do it:

  1. Lie on your tummy with elbows under shoulders and palms down.
  2. Feet slightly apart, big toes touching.
  3. Lift your head and chest while engaging your lower back, butt, and thighs.
  4. Breathe deeply, keeping your lower back and abs strong.
  5. Press your pelvis down and look straight or close your eyes.
  6. Hold for 30 seconds to 1 minute.

This stretch gently eases tension in your spine, making it more flexible. It’s great for comforting lower back discomfort or stiffness.

7. Pelvic Tilt

The Pelvic Tilt is an exercise that targets the abdominal muscles, providing relief from lower back pain and tightness. It also benefits the glutes and hamstrings.

How to do it:

  1. Lie on your back with both knees bent and feet flat on the floor.
  2. Engage your abdominal muscles as you flatten your lower back against the floor.
  3. Breathe normally and hold this position for up to 10 seconds.
  4. Release and take a few deep breaths to relax.
  5. Aim to do 1 to 3 sets of 3 to 5 repetitions.

The Pelvic Tilt can be performed in conjunction with other stretches or as a standalone exercise. It strengthens the core muscles, providing stability and support to the lower back.

The Bottom Line

Stretching exercises can help ease lower back pain and make it easier to move around. But be careful! If stretching makes your pain worse, talk to a doctor to find out why.

Sometimes, more than stretching is needed to treat lower back pain. You might need medication, physical therapy, injections, or even surgery, depending on how bad it is and what’s causing it.

Need professional help to relieve chronic pain? Book a virtual physical therapy session Sophia Anderson, PT, DPT.

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Virtual Physical Therapy With Sophia Anderson, PT, DPT

I'm Sophia Anderson, PT, DPT, a physical therapist specializing in helping people with neck, back, and knee pain. Instead of resorting to invasive treatments or surgeries, I use natural and non-invasive remedies to help my clients alleviate their agonizing pain and regain the joy of living a pain-free life. If you're interested in learning about my approach, click the button below to schedule a call with me.