Stretching is a great thing to try when your back is feeling painful or tight. We put together a list of our top four stretches for you to try that target different muscles. You may find one of these helpful, or possibly all of them. Remember: the goal is a comfortable stretch, not increased pain.
Single Knee to Chest Stretch:
- Lay on your back and grab your right knee, hugging it straight in toward your chest so you feel a stretch in the right low back and/or hip and hold 30-60 seconds.
- If you don’t feel a stretch try pulling knee up and over toward the left shoulder to see if you that position elicits more of a stretch and hold same duration.
- Alternate right and left leg, completing 2-3 times each side.
Figure-4 Rotation Stretch:
- Lay on your back with left knee bent and right ankle on top of knee in a figure-4 position.
- Slowly rotate legs to one side so you feel a stretch in your hips and low back, then rotate to the other side.
- Slowly rotate back and forth for about 30-60 seconds.
- Alternate with left ankle on top of right knee, completing 2-3 times each side.
Supine Hamstring Stretch:
- While laying on your back, grab behind your right knee.
- Slowly straighten your right leg so you feel a stretch down the back of your leg and hold for 30-60 seconds.
- If you can’t comfortably reach behind your knee with your hands, use a towel or belt.
- Alternate right and left leg, completing 2-3 times each side.
Angry Cat Stretch:
- On the floor, get up onto hands and knees with wrists under shoulders and knees directly under hips.
- Tuck your chin toward your chest and press your back up toward the ceiling, keeping your butt tucked underneath you.
- Slowly shift more weight back over your heels so you feel a stretch down the center of your back.
- Try shifting your hips side to side like you are “wagging your tail”.
If these stretches don’t help, then what? If you try to manage the pain on your own but don’t feel any improvement within a few days, that’s when you should give us a call. Physical therapy is often a great way to help reduce back pain without prescription pain medications and costly imaging.