These stretches and videos are designed as a resource for patients at the clinic. If we have not examined you and prescribed this exercise please go carefully. Listen to how your body feels and stop if you feel any pain. If you have any doubts about the suitability of the exercise please contact us for more information.
This is a great general stretch to gently stretch out your low back, I like to call it a knee hug. Lie with a pillow under your head
Low Back Stretch – Floor and Bed
The rotation back stretch also stretches the side of your back, bottom and side of leg. Lie with a pillow under your head
Rotation Back Stretch – Floor or Bed
This low back stretch can be done whilst sitting on the side of the bed, but is best done in a chair. It is also a great one you can do at any time at work.
Low Back Stretch – In the Chair
Hamstrings (muscles at the back of your legs) are important muscles that have a direct influence on the tilt of your pelvis and how much you pull on your low back. If the hamstrings are stiff or relatively short, when you bend forward you will pull harder onto the low back, which can be a way to strain your back. especially if you have weak abdominal muscles. It doesn’t matter if you aren’t a super stretchy person – every little helps!
Long periods of sitting will also shorten the hamstrings, so this is a great couple of stretches to do every day – as we all sit far too long. There are other ways to stretch the hamstrings, but doing it this way makes sure you can’t cheat!
Hamstring and Back Rotational Stretch
Pain in the bottom (which may come from the sciatic nerve being squeezed around this area) and can sometimes be accompanied (not always) with pain radiating down the leg, can be helped in time by loosing up the muscles in the bottom, which are mainly the glutes and piriformis muscles.
Because of the way they attach to the leg we can use the leg as a lever to help stretch this area. You need to be sitting in a supportive chair, not perched on a sofa. Take this stretch in stages, if you can’t even lift your leg to put the foot on the knee, just go as far as you can and just rest the foot on the knee for a short while with no pressure and repeat a couple of times if you can.
If it’s too painful use the other stretches for a while. You can also try sitting on a cold compress for a few minutes before attempting the stretch which may dull the pain enough so you can lift the leg.
For those who can get on the floor this is another way to stretch your glutes and piriformis muscles. I you are one of the very stretchy people you can do this same stretch but standing resting the leg on a table that you lean over.
