7 Stretches That Can Help Lower Back Pain
A physical therapist's guide to the most effective stretches for lower back relief — with step-by-step instructions, hold times, and the clinical reasoning behind each one.
Lower back pain is one of the most searched health topics on the internet, and for good reason. It affects roughly 80% of adults at some point in their lives, and when it hits, the first thing most people reach for is a stretch. That instinct isn't wrong. Targeted stretching can provide meaningful relief for many types of low back pain by releasing muscle tension, improving mobility, and calming an overactive nervous system.
But not all stretches help all back pain, and some can make certain conditions worse. As physical therapists in St. George, we see patients regularly who have been stretching faithfully for weeks with no improvement, often because the stretch doesn't match what's actually driving their pain. This guide gives you the right stretches, done correctly, with the clinical reasoning behind each one so you can make informed decisions about what your body needs.
An Important Note Before You Start
These stretches are appropriate for most common causes of lower back pain — muscle tightness, hip flexor restriction, lumbar stiffness, and mild disc-related discomfort. They are not appropriate for everyone.
General rules for all stretches in this guide: move slowly and with control, never force a range of motion that produces sharp or shooting pain, and breathe throughout each hold. A sensation of gentle pulling or mild discomfort is normal. Sharp, stabbing, or radiating pain is a signal to stop.
Best time to stretch
After a warm shower or light walk, when muscles are warm. Avoid cold-morning stretching on a stiff spine.
Floor surface
Use a yoga mat or firm carpet. Avoid stretching on a soft mattress — it doesn't allow your spine to move properly.
Frequency
Once or twice daily is ideal for most people. More is not always better — quality and consistency matter more than volume.
Pain rule
0–3/10 discomfort is acceptable. Anything above a 4, or any radiating sensation, means stop and reassess.
The 7 Stretches
How to do it
- Lie on your back on a firm surface with both knees bent, feet flat.
- Bring one knee up toward your chest and hold it with both hands just below the kneecap.
- Gently pull the knee toward your chest until you feel a comfortable stretch in the lower back and glute.
- Hold, then switch sides. Repeat pulling both knees to the chest simultaneously.
How to do it
- Start on hands and knees on the floor.
- Sit your hips back toward your heels, extending your arms forward on the floor.
- Let your forehead rest on the floor or a folded towel.
- Walk your hands slightly to the left to add a lateral stretch, then to the right.
How to do it
- Lie on your back with both knees bent.
- Cross your right ankle over your left thigh, just above the knee, forming a figure-4 shape.
- Either stay here, or lift your left foot off the floor and gently pull your left thigh toward your chest.
- You should feel a deep stretch in the right glute and hip. Switch sides.
How to do it
- Start on hands and knees, wrists under shoulders, knees under hips.
- Cat: Exhale and round your spine toward the ceiling, tucking chin and tailbone.
- Cow: Inhale and let your belly drop toward the floor, lifting your head and tailbone.
- Flow slowly and continuously between the two positions, driven by your breath.
How to do it
- Kneel on your right knee with your left foot forward, left knee at 90 degrees.
- Keep your torso tall and gently shift your hips forward until you feel a stretch at the front of the right hip.
- For a deeper stretch, raise your right arm overhead and lean slightly left.
- Hold, then switch sides.
How to do it
- Lie on your back with arms out to your sides in a T-shape.
- Bring your right knee to your chest, then let it fall across your body to the left, aiming for the floor.
- Keep both shoulders flat on the floor. Turn your head to the right if comfortable.
- Hold, then repeat on the other side.
How to do it
- Lie on your back in a doorway. Place your right leg up the wall or doorframe, keeping it as straight as comfortable.
- Your left leg stays flat on the floor through the doorway opening.
- Scoot your hips closer to the wall to increase the stretch intensity.
- Keep your low back flat — don't let it arch away from the floor. Switch sides.
When Stretching Isn't Enough
Stretching is a starting point, not a complete solution. If your lower back pain has been present for more than two to three weeks, is severe enough to affect your sleep or daily activities, or involves any leg symptoms, a stretching program alone is unlikely to resolve it.
At Fortify Physical Therapy in St. George, we see patients every week who have been stretching faithfully without getting to the root of what's actually driving their pain. A proper physical therapy evaluation identifies not just where you hurt, but why: whether it's a mobility deficit, a strength imbalance, a joint restriction, trigger points in the muscle tissue, or a combination of all of the above.
From there, we can use tools like dry needling to address myofascial trigger points that stretching can't reach and manual therapy to restore joint mobility in ways that no amount of self-stretching can replicate.
The good news: you don't need a physician referral to see us. If you're in St. George, Washington, Ivins, Santa Clara, or the surrounding southern Utah area, we're here to help you get past the stretch-and-hope cycle and actually fix what's going on.
Still Hurting After Stretching?
If stretching isn't cutting it, it's time to find out what's actually driving your pain. Book a free consultation with our team at Fortify Physical Therapy — no referral needed.
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