If you have become frustrated with lower lumbar pain stretches that don’t work, last only temporarily, or worse have hurt you, it’s time to learn a stretching approach that truly provides relaxation of your tight muscles and quickly resolves agonizing lower lumbar pain.
Instead of trying to lengthen muscle tightness with stretching, a much more effective approach is to relax and resolve the tightness by shortening the muscle. This classic, but uncommonly known, approach to muscle tightness and lower lumbar pain often provides quicker and more lasting relief because relaxation of painful lower lumbar muscles is more important than stretching when it comes to pain relief.
Lower lumbar muscles become painful when they tighten to protect you from moving into ranges of motion that cause pain. Muscle fibers shorten, develop tight nodules (trigger points), or go into a full out excruciating spasm in a protective mechanism that is often your primary source of lower lumbar pain.
Trying to stretch this tightness often signals the body to only tighten more as it attempts to “lock you down” to prevent further damage to the muscle or neighboring spinal joints, ligaments or discs. However, this protective response can be easily released if the muscle and nervous system sense a relaxed (safe) shortening of the involved muscle, and a stretching of its antagonist or opposite muscle.
Let’s use muscle tightness on the right side of the lower back as an example of quick pain relief. Lying down on your left side, contact the tightest area in the right side of your lower back with your right thumb. You will need to explore your lower lumbar region to feel where your back muscles are the tightest. Monitor the area of greatest muscle tension as you slowly change your resting position.
Begin by rolling your shoulders slightly forwards and backwards to determine if there is any change in the tension. Then rotate your hips by rolling them slightly forwards and backwards. Increase and decrease the arch of your lower back by bringing your chest and knees forwards to decrease the arch, and backwards to increase the arch. Try placing a pillow under your shoulder and head, as well as on under your knees and ankles. Try as many different angles, distances and combined positions as you can to find the combination that either releases the muscle tension completely under your thumb, or eases it the most.
Once you have found the “sweet spot” of tension and pain relief, simply relax passively against the floor/bed and pillows for exactly 90 seconds. Keep your thumb feeling the muscle relaxation as you rest for this specific time. The deep intrafusal fibers of your muscle spindles are being shortened in this position, while the more superficial extrafusal fibers on the opposite side of your body are being stretched. Collectively, your nervous system is resetting your local muscular system as a whole with this lower lumbar pain stretch.
After the 90 seconds, very, very slowly unwind your body to a neutral (straight) side lying position. Monitor the relaxation in your previously tight area as you do this. Any recurrence of extra tension means you are moving too quickly. If lasting tightness occurs, start the 90 second process over again.
You should now feel a dramatic difference in your lower lumbar muscle pain. Rest motionless in the side lying neutral position for at least a few minutes, or take a nap before arising. If performed in bed at night, simply fall asleep. When you are ready to stand, be sure to keep your body as straight as possible (especially in your lower back region) as you make the transition to the vertical position.
This lower lumbar pain stretch can be used several times per day as needed, and one stretching session builds on another until the spasm or pain resolves. Different stretch positions can be used for pain or tightness that occur on both sides of the lower lumbar region. These and other effective stretching techniques can be found in any of the Low Back Stretch Programs.
Dr. Michael C Remy, DABCO, CCSP is a chiropractic sports orthopedist who specializes in custom healing exercises for back pain and spine rehabilitation. His Low Back Stretch Program offers simple and effective stretching techniques to provide the greatest relief in the least amount of time.
Disclaimer: Lowbackstrech.com and all North Shore Health and Fitness Associates, Inc. ebooks, video series and courses are for general educational and informational purposes only and do not replace professional medical advice. This content does not establish a doctor-patient relationship. Always consult with your own doctor before starting this or any new exercise program, or changing your diet or supplements, as these changes may be harmful to your health. Exercise and changing posture and movement patterns carries a risk of injury. You perform these movements, stretches and exercises at your own risk. Stop immediately if you feel pain, numbness, tingling, dizziness or shortness of breath during any exercise. Modify or skip any movement that causes discomfort. The author and publisher disclaim any liability for injury, loss, or damage resulting directly or indirectly from the use of this content. Results vary by individual, and no specific outcome or cure for back pain or any other musculoskeletal pain is guaranteed.