A physical therapist's favorite stretches for back pain

Back pain has become one of the most common referrals to outpatient physical therapy. At some point in our lives, we are likely to encounter back pain. According to an article written by the World Health Organization, back pain is the leading cause of disability. Standing too long, sitting to long, sleeping in a strange position, weak core, history of back injuries, and many other things can cause back pain.

Stretching is fantastic for easing back pain, while strengthening is great for preventing it (see my article on core and hip strengthening for back pain!).

Here are some of my favorite stretches for back pain:

Seated lumbar flexion and quadratus stretch

This might be my all-time favorite back stretch. It’s easy, can be done in multiple different positions, and feels great. You can do this while sitting on a chair or on the floor (you’ll need a rolling chair or a large exercise ball for the sitting position).

To perform this stretch on the floor, sit on your heels with your knees bent. Simply lean forward, reaching your hands as far ahead of you as possible and put your head down to the floor. Hold for 15-30 seconds.

Next, reach your hands in a forward diagonal, allowing your chest and torso to also reach to the side. You'll feel the stretch in the opposite side of your lower back. Do this to the opposite side too, holding each position for 15-30 seconds.

If you have a rolling chair or a large exercise ball, you can do this while sitting. Start by sitting on a firm chair with your feet on the floor. Put the ball or chair in front of you (you can have your knees slightly apart if it's more comfortable) and put your hands on it. Roll the ball/chair forward as far as you can, bringing your chest towards your knees. Then roll it in a forward diagonal to each side, letting your chest lean to the side in the same direction to feel the stretch in the opposite side low back. Hold each position for 15-30 seconds.

Hamstring Stretch

I’ve seen so many people come in with back pain with hamstrings so tight, I don’t even know how they manage to take a full step. When the hamstrings are overly tight, they pull on your posterior hips, which then pulls on your back. Hamstrings can be stretched in sitting or standing. The key is keeping your knee straight!

Piriformis Stretch

If your hamstrings are right, your hips probably are too! The piriformis is the muscle that goes across your glutes and when it gets tight, it can restrict movement in your hips and even press on the sciatic nerve, sending nerve pain down your leg/legs. The piriformis stretch will help open up those hips and ease tension on your back. This can also be done in sitting or laying down and is an easy one to do when you are sitting at your desk at work and just need a quick stretch!

To stretch your piriformis while laying down, lay down on your back and pull your knee to your chest, towards your opposite shoulder. To so this in sitting, cross one ankle over your knee and lean your chest forward. You'll feel a pull in your bottom.

Hip Flexor Stretch

Similar with the hamstrings pulling on your back from behind, your hip flexors (front hip muscles) can pull on your hips from the front causing an anterior pelvic tilt. Sitting at a desk for long hours can make the hip flexors tight. Again, there are many ways to stretch the hip flexors. One is in kneeling with one knee on the floor and one foot on the floor, then lean your body forward to feel a stretch in front of your hip. If this hurts your knee too much, you can put a pillow or cushion under your knee.

Cat Cows

This exercise always feels a little weird when you're doing it, but it can help to stretch out your back and get a little of thoracic mobility in there too. A word of caution: sometimes doing the cow part (where you lower your back and stick your butt up) can cause someone with a hypermobile spine to have some pain. Its important to listen to your body while doing any stretch/exercise to avoid pushing to the point of pain.

Start on your hands and knees. Let your back arch upward like you are a cat hissing, then let your back sink downward towards the floor. Move through this slowly, monitoring your body for pain.

Stretching is extremely underutilized in daily life and fitness programs, but is essential to help our bodies move as they should. It is also essential to decreasing pain, as our joints cannot move as they should if our muscles are tight.

If your back is bothering you, try out these stretches! Always monitor your body as you are doing any exericse or stretch. Remember, stretching is uncomfortable but should never cause pain. Be sure you are never pushing a stretch to the point of pain. All stretches should be held for 15-30 seconds and performed 3-5 times daily to create real muscle change.

To complement your stretching, check out my post about core and back strengthening! I hope these help you move better!

Remember, motion matters, and there can be no motion without stretching. So stretch those muscles!