Back pain can be a severely debilitating combination of symptoms. You’ll know exactly what I mean if you’ve ever held back from participating in an activity because you’re afraid that your back might “go out” on you or you simply can no longer bend over without having to use your hands to prop yourself up on your thighs when standing back upright.
If you know me well, then you’ll already know that I too suffer from chronic low back pain as a result of my days spent in the United States Army Infantry, but I’m lucky in that I know how to manage it well as a physical therapist.
I’m not here to try and convince you that low back pain can always be cured, because truly, sometimes it can and sometimes it cannot. However, I am here to encourage you that, most of the time, low back pain symptoms can be significantly improved with a consistent practice of specific stretching and strengthening exercises.
In this article, I will share with you my six best low back pain relief exercises, so that hopefully you too, can learn to relieve and/or manage your back pain symptoms.
- Easy-to-Follow, Customized Therapeutic Exercise Guides
- Reduce Pain, Improve Mobility, & Prevent Injuries
- Download for Use on Any Mobile Device or Print at Home
- Each Worksheet Includes Additional Exercises for Comprehensive Rehab Programs
- Designed by Dr. Tim, PT, DPT, OCS
Easy-to-Follow, Customized Therapeutic Exercise Guides
Reduce Pain, Improve Mobility, & Prevent Injuries
Download for Use on Any Device or Print at Home
Each Worksheet Includes Additional Exercises for Comprehensive Rehab Programs
Designed by Dr. Tim, PT, DPT, OCS
Table of Contents
Common Causes of Low Back Pain
Back pain is most commonly caused by the following:
- Poor Posture
- Poor posture can cause increased stress on the lumbar spine and increased tightness in the low back muscles.
- Inactivity/Overweight (i.e. Poor Work Desk Ergonomics)
- Inactivity can lead to increased weight gain causing increased compression within the lumbar spine vertebrae as well as increased tightness in the low back muscles.
- Back Muscle Strain
- Back muscle strain injuries (typically while lifting an object) are the #1 leading cause of back pain.
- Decreased Flexibility
- Decreased muscle flexibility (increased tightness) can cause low back pain as it often leads to joint stiffness and asymmetric movements.
- Core Weakness
- Core weakness can result in decreased spinal stabilization and may increase the overall risk of injury.
- Degenerative Disc Disease
- Progressive degeneration can occur in the intervertebral discs of the lumbar spine leading to back pain.
Click here to see the full list of the Top 10 Causes of Low Back Pain.
Stretches for Lower Back Pain
If you are just starting out on your journey to low back pain relief, then I usually recommend starting with stretching and flexibility activities. These include things like passive stretching, active stretching, and mobility exercises (yoga, etc.).
Starting out with flexibility exercises and NOT with strengthening exercises is important because there is an increased chance of injury (muscle strain) if you begin to strengthen when you already have significantly tight low back muscles.
Remember earlier when I said that decreased flexibility can cause asymmetrical movements?
Tight muscles will often cause the body to unconsciously move through an abnormal motion.
Your body is smart enough to figure out how to perform a certain movement that you’re asking it to do, even if it in ends up doing it in a suboptimal way leading to a potential injury.
For those who are dealing with current low back pain, I recommend starting with daily stretching twice per day.
Daily stretching can be done once in the morning and once again in the evening. This frequency will help to speed up the effects of stretching and hopefully, a noticeable improvement will be felt within the first week of dedicated stretching.
Check out my full article on my Five Key Low Back Pain Stretches for a personal guide to these back pain relief stretches.
When to Start with Strengthening Exercises
Low back pain relief exercises typically can begin 1-2 weeks after the low back muscle stretching/flexibility program was started.
It is important to remember that during the strengthening process, the low back muscles will naturally tighten up within 24-48 hours after each strengthening session.
As a result of this natural healing process, it is imperative that low back stretches be performed soon after each strengthening session. If this is done correctly, any increase in low back pain after each strengthening session should be kept at a minimal level.
Why are Back Strengthening Exercises Important?
While back stretching exercises are important to restore normal mobility and symmetry of the lumbar spine and pelvis (as the low back muscles share attachments to both areas), strengthening exercises are important to restore the protective stabilization of the spine.
If you only perform stretching exercises, then you are only treating half of the problem.
Strengthening exercises help to increase the load capacity of the spine by recruiting the help of both large and small muscle groups that can stabilize and protect the spine. Over time, this will help to reduce the stress placed on the lumbar spine and surrounding musculature.
Alternative Back Pain Relief Treatments
During the initial self-care treatment phase of stretching and flexibility, the following alternative treatments should be considered also:
- Lidocaine Patch
- The use of a Lidocaine pain patch can help to reduce acute low back pain for the first few days after the injury. Lidocaine is a pain reliever that provides some numbing effects for the area.
- Muscle Creams
- Muscle creams can also provide some light pain relief after a back strain. There are way too many creams out there to list, but some of the most popular ones with my patients are:
9.7- PAIN RELIEVING OINTMENT
- ULTRA STRENGTH
- NON-STAINING
- 1.7 OUNCES
- PROVIDES RELIEF FOR ACHES & PAINS
- Heating Pad/Heat Therapy
- The heat helps to reduce muscular tightness and joint stiffness. The combination of a heating pad with the low back strain exercises and stretches below will help to speed up your recovery.
9.4- PURE ENRICHMENT PURERELIEF HEATING PAD
- FULL-BODY PAIN RELIEF
- THERAPEUTIC 12″x24″ PAD
- DRY OR MOIST HEAT THERAPY
- MACHINE WASHABLE
- The heat helps to reduce muscular tightness and joint stiffness. The combination of a heating pad with the low back strain exercises and stretches below will help to speed up your recovery.
- TENS Unit
- A TENS unit is a hand-held electrical stimulator device that provides pain relief. It is very effective in providing pain relief for muscle strains. TENS units used to require medical prescriptions, but now you can purchase them online. They work via the “Gate Theory,” which means that when they are turned on, the mind only feels the electrical stimulation from the unit as it blocks (shuts the gate) the pain stimuli. I recommend the TENS unit from Nursal as it has dual channels and comes with 14-electrode pads that can be reused several times each.
9.3- PROFESSIONAL PAIN RELIEF MACHINE
- REAL AB DUAL CHANNEL
- MEMORY FUNCTION & ACCIDENTAL TOUCH PREVENTION
- 24 MODES & 20 INTENSITY LEVELS
- 14 STRONG ADHESIVE THICKER REUSABLE ELECTRODE PADS
- Back Brace
- A quality back brace like the FREETOO is beneficial in temporarily reducing acute back pain after a muscle strain. The brace helps to reduce the workload and stress on the back muscles allowing them to recover from the injury. However, physical therapy exercises will still need to be performed daily to help improve the injured muscle/s mobility to promote a speedy recovery.
9.4- FREETOO BACK BRACE
- 360 DEGREE SUPPORT
- 4-WAY STRETCH ELASTIC
- RELIEF FROM DISC HERNIATION, STRAINS, SCOLIOSIS, ETC
- PERFECT FOR WEAR AT-HOME, OFFICE, GYM
- NSAIDs (Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Medications)
- Oral medications such as Aleve, Advil, Ibuprofen, etc. can provide back pain relief after a muscle strain as they reduce inflammation in the muscles. These medications can be found over the counter in your local pharmacy or grocery store. Be sure to consult with your doctor or pharmacist before taking these medications to ensure that they are safe for you to take.
- Muscle Relaxers
- Muscle Relaxers such as cyclobenzaprine and diazepam are prescription medications that can be helpful for short-term use when combined with other treatment modalities. These medications are useful for treating muscle-related conditions.
- Formal Physical Therapy
- Sometimes back pain can be elusive and difficult to manage. Sometimes it is nerve-related in the case of Spinal Stenosis and other more complex conditions that would benefit from in-person physical therapy treatment.
The Six BEST Low Back Pain Relief Exercises!
- Easy-to-Follow, Customized Therapeutic Exercise Guides
- Reduce Pain, Improve Mobility, & Prevent Injuries
- Download for Use on Any Mobile Device or Print at Home
- Each Worksheet Includes Additional Exercises for Comprehensive Rehab Programs
- Designed by Dr. Tim, PT, DPT, OCS
Easy-to-Follow, Customized Therapeutic Exercise Guides
Reduce Pain, Improve Mobility, & Prevent Injuries
Download for Use on Any Device or Print at Home
Each Worksheet Includes Additional Exercises for Comprehensive Rehab Programs
Designed by Dr. Tim, PT, DPT, OCS
Dual Leg Bridging Exercise
- Bend both knees equally to a position that the injured knee can tolerate.
- Engage your glute muscles by squeezing your buttocks.
- Lift your hips towards the ceiling. Pause, then lower.
- Perform: 3 sets x 10 reps (1x/every other day)
Quadruped Donkey Kick Exercise
- Start on all fours with hands directly underneath the shoulders and knees underneath the hips.
- While keeping the back flat, extend on foot up towards the ceiling as if you were trying to tap the ceiling with your heel.
- Try to NOT shift nor rotate your hips – Keep them squared to the table surface.
- Focus on squeezing the glutes (buttock muscles).
- Perform: 3 sets x 10-15 reps (1x/every other day)
Standing Oblique Crunch Exercise
- Use these: Amazon Basics Rubber Encased Dumbbells
- While holding a medium to heavy weight in one hand, perform a side crunch by squeezing the oblique muscles on the opposite side of the weight.
- Do NOT shrug the shoulder of the arm that is holding the weight. Keep the weight hanging relaxed throughout the movement.
- Perform: 3 sets x 10 reps on each side (1x/every other day)
Deadlift Exercise
- Use these: Amazon Basics Rubber Encased Dumbbells
- While holding two medium to heavy weights at the thigh level, shift the hips back as if you were trying to tap your butt against a wall that is behind you.
- Allow the knees to bend slightly as you slowly lower the weights down in front of the shins until the back is almost parallel to the floor.
- Pause, then squeeze the glutes (buttock muscles) as you return to a standing position.
- Start with light weights and slowly increase the weights as the back gets stronger over time.
- Perform: 2-3 sets x 10 reps (1x/every other day)
Superman/Superwoman Exercise
- Use this: BOSU Ball (can alternatively use two pillows stacked)
- While lying on your belly, rest both hands and both feet on the floor. Keep your eyes looking down at the floor the entire time to protect the neck.
- Engage the back and glute muscles while slowly lifting the chest towards the ceiling.
- Be sure to stretch the back muscles between each set of this exercise as it will naturally cause tightness in the low back muscles.
- Perform: 2-3 sets x 10 reps (1x/every other day)
Hip Thrust on Physio Ball Exercise
- Use these: Amazon Basics Rubber Encased Dumbbells and URBNFit 65 cm Swiss Ball
- Position yourself so that your head and shoulders are supported on the swiss ball
- Cradle a heavy weight or kettlebell on your pelvis
- Squeeze your glutes as you bridge your hips up towards the ceiling, pause, then lower
- Perform: 3 sets x 10-15 reps (1x/day)
Video: The Six BEST Low Back Pain Relief Exercises
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the best exercises for back pain relief?
- The best exercises for back pain relief include stretching exercises such as passive stretching, active stretching, and mobility exercises like yoga. Strengthening exercises that target the core muscles and the muscles of the lower back are also beneficial. It is important to consult with a healthcare professional or a licensed physical therapist to determine which exercises are most suitable for your specific condition.
How often should I do back pain relief exercises?
- The frequency of back pain relief exercises depends on individual factors and the severity of your condition. Generally, it is recommended to perform stretching exercises daily, ideally twice a day – once in the morning and once in the evening. Strengthening exercises can be done 2-3 times a week, allowing at least a day of rest in between to allow for muscle recovery.
Can back pain relief exercises worsen my condition?
- When performed correctly, back pain relief exercises should not worsen your condition. However, it is important to listen to your body and not push through excessive pain or discomfort during exercise. It is always advisable to consult with a healthcare professional before starting any exercise program to ensure it is safe and appropriate for your specific situation.
How long does it take to see results from back pain relief exercises?
- The timeframe for seeing results from back pain relief exercises can vary depending on the individual and the severity of the condition. Some people may experience relief within the first week of dedicated stretching, while for others it may take longer. Consistency and adherence to the exercise program are key factors in achieving results.
Are there any precautions I should take while doing back pain relief exercises?
- Yes, there are a few precautions to keep in mind when performing back pain relief exercises. First, it is important to start gradually and not overexert yourself, especially if you are new to exercise or have a pre-existing condition. It is also essential to maintain proper form and technique during exercises to avoid strain or injury. If you experience sharp or worsening pain, it is advisable to stop the exercises and seek advice from a healthcare professional. Additionally, it is important to wear appropriate clothing and footwear to ensure stability.
