Low back pain is one of the main reasons people call my office. I've been practicing in Loveland for twenty years and that hasn't changed once.
Most of the time it isn't complicated. We sit too much. Some muscles get tight, other muscles quit doing their job, and the low back ends up carrying the extra load. That's most of what I see.
The good news is you can do a lot for it at home. These are three stretches I hand out all the time. They take about ten minutes. You don't need any equipment and you can do all three on the floor in your living room.
One thing before you start. None of these should hurt. You want a stretch you can breathe through, maybe a four or five out of ten. If it gets sharp, back off. Pushing harder doesn't make it work any faster.
Knee to Chest
Lie on your back with both knees bent and your feet flat on the floor. Keep your head and shoulders down on the floor the whole time. Don't lift them up. Pull one knee toward your chest with both hands and leave the other foot planted. Hold it 20-30 seconds and keep breathing. Switch sides. Do each leg twice.
If it feels better you can pull both knees in at the same time. Either version is fine. Just keep your head and shoulders down.
This one opens up the joints in your low back and takes pressure off the part that's complaining. It's also the safest place to start if you're sore right now. Most people feel something let go after a few breaths.
The Figure 4
Stay on your back. Cross your right ankle over your left knee so your legs make the shape of a number 4. Reach through the gap and grab behind your left thigh. Pull that leg toward you until you feel it on the outside of your right hip. Hold 20-30 seconds, then switch sides.
This one surprises people. The muscles deep in your glutes sit right next to the nerve that runs down your leg. When they get tight from sitting, they can send pain straight into your low back. A lot of times the problem isn't where it hurts.
Kneeling Hip Flexor Stretch
Kneel down on one knee with your other foot flat on the floor in front of you. Put a towel under your knee if the floor is hard. Squeeze the glute on the side you're kneeling on. Then shift your weight forward a little until you feel a stretch across the front of that hip. Keep your upper body straight up and down. Hold 20-30 seconds, then switch sides.
Here's the part most people have never heard. When you sit all day, the muscles on the front of your hips stay short for hours. Those muscles attach to your low back. When they're tight they pull on your back all day long, even when you're standing up. If you work at a desk, this is usually the one that makes the biggest difference.
Do Them Every Day
Do all three approximately 3-4 times a week and most people notice a difference in a couple of weeks. Do them after a hot shower or at the end of the day when you're already warm and they'll feel a lot better. Five minutes every day beats one long session on Sunday.
One more thing, and this part matters. Stretching is for a normal stiff, sore low back. If you've got pain shooting down your leg, numbness or tingling in your foot, weakness, or pain that wakes you up at night, that's something different. Don't stretch through it. Get it looked at. Same goes if it hasn't improved in a few weeks.
Most backs aren't damaged. They're stiff and overworked. A few minutes a day and a lot less sitting goes a long way.