General7 Stretches To Treat & Prevent Lower Back Pain

Back pain is an unfortunately common plague to humanity, but it can be quite easy to mitigate. Barring any underlying health concerns or injuries, curing and preventing the occasional sore or stiff back only takes a bit of consistent stretching. Here are some stretches that serve as a form of lower back pain treatment and prevention that are known to help find some much-needed relief:

1. Child’s Pose

The Child’s Pose stretch is a great place to begin your stretching endeavors as it is highly effective and uncomplicated. As a bonus, this pose also stretches muscles in the thigh, buttocks, and extensors within the spine, effectively relieving pain from the spine to the neck.

• Begin with your hands and knees on the ground, like a table.
• Ease back to rest your hips on your heels, then gently work for your hands forward until your stomach comes to rest on your upper thighs.
• Your hands can remain in front of you or be placed at your sides with the palms up.
• Relax and breathe deeply, holding the pose for as long as is comfortable.

2. Supine Twist

This pose gently stretches the spine and gluteus maximus muscles, relieving pain and tension within the lower back.

• Lie flat on the ground with your arms spread, like the letter ‘T’.
• Bring your knees to your chest to create a parallel line to the floor.
• Twist and lower your legs to either side, keeping them bent and with your hands and shoulders flat on the ground.
• Hold for up to thirty seconds on each side, breathing deeply.

3. Piriformis Stretch

The piriformis stretch is another great pose for lower back pain as it targets the muscles within the buttocks.

• Begin on your back with your knees bent and held slightly aloft.
• Cross one leg over the other, placing your ankle just above the other leg’s knee.
• Reach your hands around your uncrossed leg and gently pull it towards your chest. Stop pulling once you feel slight, comfortable tension.
• Hold for up to a minute before repeating on the other side.

4. Pelvic Tilt

This stretch is gentle but still effective in relieving pain around and within the pelvic area. Pelvic tilts are excellent to try if your pain affects your range of motion.

• Start on the floor, lying on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor.
• In this position, your lower spine will likely have a slight curve. Relax the muscles of your back and hips as much as you can.
• Engage your abdominal muscles and tilt your pelvis slightly upward to press your lower back to the ground, flattening the curve.
• Repeat as much as you need.

5. Happy Baby

A great pose for all-around relaxation is the happy baby stretch, which opens up the hips to relieve tension and pressure throughout the spine. Despite the goofy name, this pose will offer some serious, simple relief.

• Begin on your back, lying with your knees lifted by your chest.
• Extend your calves upward, imagining that you’re squatting on the ceiling.
• From this position, reach up to grab the outer sides of your feet. Adjust the bend in your legs until you feel a stretch.
• Remain still or gently shift side to side to adjust the tension of the stretch.

6. Bridge Pose

Performing this stretch helps relieve tension and pain in the lower back by flexing muscles in the lower area of the buttocks, removing pressure from the lower back.

• Lie flat on your back with your knees bent.
• With your feet flat on the ground, and about hip-width apart, push down into your feet to bring your hips off the ground.
• Keep a slight curve in your lower spine, imagining a line running from your knees straight down to your chest.
• Breathe and hold, releasing the bridge after thirty seconds.

7. Sphinx Stretch

The Sphinx stretch is a soothing way to bend, strengthen, and stretch your entire back.

• Begin by laying on your stomach, bending your arms to place your elbows underneath your shoulders.
• With your feet slightly apart, lift your head and chest to put a gentle bend in your lower back.
• Push up against your hands until you feel the tension in your back.
• Hold and breathe, concentrating your weight into your pelvic area with your core engaged.
• Look straight ahead while in the pose and hold for up to a minute.

This post has been sponsored by DropShotLob Inc