The 3 Stretches I Do Every Night to Prevent Low Back Pain

Woman with Low Back Pain

Over the past 15 years, I have spent a fair amount of time working on people’s back pain…including mine.  That said, it’s been several years since my last low back problem (knock on wood) and I attribute that to one main thing…stretching.  More specifically, stretching the FRONT of my body. 

Yes, posture is key and using our bodies correctly is also imperative.  However, none of us are perfect and thus we have these stretches to get us out of problems. 

The top 3 stretches to limit low back pain (and that I do nightly) are:

Ardha Bekasana (Half Frog Pose) or a Quad stretch:

Half Frog Pose: A Quad Stretch

Though your quads generally function at the knee, one of the 4 quad muscles crosses the hip joint and thus has a function there.  So this stretch can help ease the front of the hip & thigh and allow for improved range of motion.  When we have better range of motion at the hip, the back is generally happier. 

Lizard stretch or a Hip Flexor stretch:

Lizard Pose: A Hip Flexor Stretch

There are several hip flexors, a particularly famous one called the Psoas muscle.  It’s a huge muscle that attaches onto the entire lumbar spine.  So stretching this muscle as well as the other hip flexors, can give freedom to the low back as well as the hips.  Happy hips help make for a happy back.

Lastly, because yes, I am a certified McKenzie therapist, is a backbend.  Once the first 2 are completed, you might be amazed at how free your back feels to backbend.  This is not a stretch that I hold but do repetitiously.  To do them a la McKenzie, it should be an arm mover vs. a back mover.  If you truly need this technique, please see a qualified McKenzie Therapist. 

Cobra Pose: A Backbend

Most of us are in need of backbends, as most of us forward bend all day long. Sitting is considered a forward bend for the spine. Obviously, bending to pick things up, cleaning, cooking, gardening/yard work, sewing...these are all forward bending. Even most of our yoga classes are comprised of forward bends. So though it's not necessarily intuitive, back-bending is what most of our spines need.

And yes, I do them in this order.  I have found that stretching in this order helps to allow the following stretch to feel even better.  I do them every night before bed to help “apologize” to my spine for all of the crap I’ve put it through.  I’d rather take a few minutes before bed to do this than wake up with a back problem because of something I did the day before.

Obviously modifying these stretches is just fine if these particular ones are too intense or not achievable. 

One last thing to consider: If the front of the body is always ridiculously tight…how well are your glutes functioning?  If the glutes aren’t functioning well, the front of the body will take a fair amount of the strain.  I’ll talk about this in another post.

Still waking up with back pain or tight hips?

Let’s create a personalized stretching and movement plan to help you stay pain-free — day and night. Union Yoga & Physical Therapy in Annandale, VA offers expert guidance with a blend of physical therapy, yoga, and McKenzie methods.