5 Back Stretches To Help With Lower Back Pain
Did you know that back pain is the leading cause of disability worldwide? This means it hinders the daily lives of many people, as even slight pain could develop into major problems.
Either way, you need to address lower back pain early on. Luckily for you, we compiled a list of back stretches you can follow. We included a comprehensive list of stretches that target both the back itself and the limbs attached to it, so read on!
Table of Contents
1. Cobra Pose
It strengthens your spine, hips, chest, and core. It also helps activate your abdominal muscles and opens your chest, improving posture and air circulation.
For those with lower back pain, this can help to ease the associated stiffness, pain, and tightness. Additionally, along with other back-strengthening exercises, this pose increases the overall strength of your spine and its supporting muscles, helping to prevent future injury.
2. Pelvic Tilts
This exercise helps to increase the flexibility of your lower back, as well as strengthen the muscles of the core. By tilting the pelvis back, you are starting the exercise off with a stretch and then continuing to move forward into strengthening the abdominals and glutes. The exercise can help alleviate pain in the lower lumbar region of the spine as it helps take the strain off of it.
3. Lying Pelvic Rotations
It begins with lying on your back with both knees bent and feet flat on the floor. From this position, you will slowly extend one knee out, in line with your hip, and turn the opposite foot inward.
You will maintain this position for a few seconds, focusing on your breathing and any sensations you feel in your lower back. You will then switch legs, with the opposite knee extending out and the same foot turning inward.
4. Ankle Dorsiflexion
It helps to strengthen and increase flexibility in the ankles, calves, and hamstrings while helping to stretch and relax the lower back muscles. Ankle dorsiflexion stretches involve bending forward and bringing one foot toward the bottom while keeping the other foot flat on the ground. Maintaining a straight spine, the foot should be raised up as high as possible while keeping the heel in contact with the ground.
5. Cat-Cow
This stretch works by rounding and arching the lower back and provides a slow, gentle stretch of the spine in opposite directions. Doing the back stretches and holding the positions for a few seconds encourages an increased range of motion and helps to focus on proper posture, both of which can help alleviate back pain. The Cat-Cow also helps increase circulation, flexibility, and strength in the back muscles, as well as aiding in relaxation.
Relieve Your Lower Back Pain Today
Back stretches can provide relief from lower back pain, such as in the case of sciatica. From the cobra pose to cat-cow, these stretches are easy to do and may help alleviate the discomfort.
Make sure to consult a doctor before following any exercise program, but in most cases, these simple stretches are safe and can be beneficial. Try them today to see if they bring relief!
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Last Updated on April 4, 2023
