If you suffer from chronic back pain then you owe it to yourself to check out these 5 simple stretches for lower back pain.
I've been going to Physical Therapy now for about 6 months in order to work out the kinks in my back and strengthen my core muscles. My therapist always begins our sessions with a series of stretches which I've found really works, no matter how stiff or sore I am.
I perform these almost every single morning in order to loosen up the muscles and discs in my back. It's really helped to jump start my day and get the blood flowing in my lower back. Even better is that it only takes a few minutes to go through these stretches and get on with your day.
For each of these stretches you can do 10 reps, over 1 - 2 sets.
Cat Cow
I start off with some cat cow stretches to loosen up my back. When I'm finished with cat cows I'll actually do what I call the "Butt Wiggles" where you stretch your hips side to side from this same position. It's kind of like the cat cow but sideways instead of up and down.
Bird Dog
From the cat cow position you can go straight into bird dogs. Repeat alternating one side to the other and keep your core engaged during this exercise. I'll do about 10-20 reps of these.
Bird Dog Progressions (Drawing Squares)
Then I'll jump into bird dog progressions which I like to call "Drawing Squares". Don't let this one fool you, it's harder than it looks. That or maybe I'm just not very coordinated. Again, I'll try and do about 10 - 20 circles each side.
Child's Pose With Side Stretches
From your hands and knees I then drop into a child's pose and hold this stretch for about 10-20 seconds just letting my back and shoulders relax. Once you feel comfortable, keep your knees in place and stretch your arms to the sides. This allows you to isolate both the left and right sides.
Lower Body Russian Twist
Finally I flip over onto my back and perform 10 - 20 lower body twists. Again focus on keeping your core engaged and don't go too fast on these.
I know, simple right? These stretches may not look all that effective, but I swear by them in order to get my day going.
Until next time... Here's to keeping you active and ruling at life!
Brandon Fields
Founder @ Old Bones Therapy