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9 Stretches To Help Relieve A Tight Lower Back

Exercises, yoga poses, and stretches may help relieve tightness in your lower back by increasing flexibility and strength. You can do these lying down, sitting, standing, or kneeling.

A tight lower back may affect your daily movements and impact your quality of life.

Sometimes, lower back tightness is also accompanied by symptoms like pain, spasms, and cramping that could affect your pelvis, hips, and legs.

Stretches and exercises can help improve flexibility and strength in your lower back. They can also lengthen and extend your spine, helping to relieve compression in the lower back.

Here are nine exercises you can add to your daily routine.

This exercise increases flexibility, relieves tension, and helps loosen the lower back and hip muscles. If comfortable, you can also engage your core muscles.

Muscles used:

rectus abdominis (abdominal muscles)

erector spinae (muscles that run the length of the back)

pelvic muscles

gluteal muscles

Stand with your feet slightly wider than your hips and your hands on your hips.

Start by gently moving your hips from side to side.

Slowly rotate your hips in one direction, making big circles.

Do at least 10 circles.

Repeat in the opposite direction.

This exercise helps relieve tension and tightness in the lower back and stretches your hips.

Muscles used:

erector spinae

sacral muscles (muscles of the part of the spinal column connected to the pelvis)

pelvic muscles

obliques

Lie on your back, bend your knees, and extend your arms out to the side so they're perpendicular to your torso. Your feet can be a little wider than your hips.

Exhale as you slowly drop your knees down to the right and turn to look to the left.

Inhale, returning to the starting position.

Continue this movement for 1 minute, alternating between the left and right sides.

This stretch helps loosen lower back muscles and increase flexibility while stretching and stabilizing the pelvis.

Muscles used:

gluteus maximus

pelvic muscles

spinal extensors

quadriceps

Lie on your back with both legs extended.

Draw your right knee to your chest with your fingers interlaced around your shin.

Hold this position for 5 seconds, then release your leg.

Repeat this stretch 5 times on both legs.

Draw both knees into your chest and hold your hands, arms, or elbows.

Hold this position for 30 seconds.

This stretch relaxes the lower back and stretches the hamstrings. It also helps to align the spine.

Muscles used:

hamstrings

gluteus maximus

rectus abdominis

erector spinae

Lie on your back with both legs extended.

Lift your right leg up so it's as straight as possible, keeping a slight bend in the knee. You can bend your left knee and press into your foot for support.

Interlace your fingers to hold your leg behind your thigh, or use a strap or towel around the top of your foot.

Hold this stretch for 30 seconds.

Repeat on the left side.

Repeat 2 or 3 times on each side.

This exercise strengthens your lower back and abdominal muscles. It also increases flexibility.

Muscles used:

hamstrings

rectus abdominis

sacral muscles

gluteus maximus

Lie on your back with your knees bent. While relaxed, your spine will have a slight curve so the base of your spine isn't touching the floor.

Engage your core muscles so the base of your spine presses into the floor.

Hold for 5 seconds and then relax.

Repeat 3 times, gradually increasing to 10 repetitions.

This yoga pose increases the flexibility of the spine and provides a nice stretch for your hips and abdomen.

Pay attention to your core muscles as you engage and release them throughout the movement. If you're feeling especially stiff or sore, try doing the movement slowly and gently.

Muscles used:

erector spinae

rectus abdominis

triceps

gluteus maximus

Come into the tabletop position with your weight balanced evenly between all four points.

Inhale as look up and drop your belly toward the floor.

Exhale as you arch your back toward the ceiling.

Continue this movement for at least 1 minute.

This gentle yoga pose relieves pressure on the lower back and helps lengthen, stretch, and align the spine.

Muscles used:

gluteus maximus

posterior muscles

hamstrings

spinal extensors

From a kneeling position, sit back on your heels with your knees together or slightly apart. You may place a bolster or pillow under your thighs, chest, or forehead.

Hinge at the hips to fold forward, extending your arms in front of you, or resting them next to your body.

Allow your body to fall heavy as you completely relax, letting go of tightness.

Hold this pose for 1 minute.

This yoga pose allows you to relax your lower back and pelvis. It provides an excellent stretch for your hamstrings and helps relieve stress and tension.

Muscles used:

hamstrings

pelvic muscles

lower back

back of your neck

Come into a seated position with the right side of your body against a wall.

Lie onto your back and swing your legs up along the wall. You may place a cushion under your hips or move your hips a few inches from the wall.

Relax your arms in any comfortable position.

Focus on relaxing the lower back and releasing tension.

Stay in this pose for up to 2 minutes.

Complete your stretching routine with a few minutes of relaxation before going about your day. This gives your muscles a chance to fully relax.

Lie down on your back. Focus on releasing any remaining tension and tightness in the body.

Some natural remedies may help you relieve tightness in your lower back, including:

It's important to note that limited research supports these remedies for the treatment of tightness in the lower back. As such, it's best to speak with a healthcare professional before trying them.

The American Chiropractic Association recommends the following tips to help prevent lower back pain:

adopt a well-balanced diet

get regular exercise and warm up beforehand

avoid being sedentary for too long, such as by walking for 5 minutes every 1 hour

use a back support when sitting to help improve your posture

wear comfortable, supportive shoes

sleep on a firm mattress

use proper form when lifting heavy objects, such as with your legs instead of your lower back

quit smoking, if you smoke

You'll typically see improvements within 2 to 6 weeks of doing daily exercises.

However, you should see a doctor if:

symptoms affect your daily activities

symptoms worsen, especially while doing the exercises

you have a high temperature

back pain is worse when you cough, sneeze, or laugh

Also see a doctor if you experience any numbness, swelling, or severe pain. They can help determine if any pain or tightness is being caused by an underlying health condition.

How to release lower back tightness?

Several stretches and exercises, including Corpe's Pose, Child's Pose, and pelvic tilts, could help release lower back tightness.

Why are my lower back muscles so tight?

Your lower back muscles may be tight for several reasons, such as a strain or sprain, slouching for long periods, a sedentary lifestyle, compensating for other injured body parts like your hamstring or gluteus muscles, or a medical condition.

A tight lower back may affect your ability to perform daily tasks and cause discomfort, pain, and other symptoms.

Some stretches and exercises could help strengthen and loosen your lower back, providing relief.

If your lower back pain doesn't improve after a few weeks, speak with a healthcare professional. They could develop a treatment plan for you.

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The Cystic Fibrosis Foundation's Patient Registry is used to track the health of people with CF in the United States. This information allows us and CF researchers to identify trends, design clinical trials for new therapies, and uncover effective treatments.

During your first visit to our center, we will ask for your consent to participate in the registry. Your participation provides data for healthcare improvement and research while helping create the most precise picture of the current state of CF care.

Your CF data, including genetics, sweat test results, recent sputum culture, and visit history, is graphed and can be given to you at every visit. If you have questions, please ask your doctor or nurse to review the data with you.

What Does It Mean When You Have Pelvic And Lower Back Pain Together?

Pelvic and lower back pain can occur at the same time for many reasons, ranging from arthritis to infections. If your pain is severe or lasts more than a few days, it's important to see your doctor.

As humans, we all feel pain. Sometimes, this pain is localized, but other times, it can feel like every muscle and bone in your body hurts.

Two areas of the body that you may experience pain in are the lower back and pelvis. It's possible to experience pain in just one of these areas, but you can experience it in both at the same time.

Reasons why you may experience pain in both the lower back and pelvis can range from arthritis to kidney infections. Treatment will need to focus on the exact cause of your pain.

If you have severe pain, notice blood in your bowel movements, or have signs of infection, make sure to notify your doctor right away.

Pelvic pain is discomfort you feel in your lower stomach region. It may be isolated in one specific area or more generalized across the pelvis.

Pelvic pain may include stabbing, sharp, or burning sensations. Or, it can feel like dull, heavy cramping. It can also feel like a twisting sensation.

You may experience pelvic pain all the time or only when you're exercising, peeing, or engaging in sexual activities.

Lower back pain occurs between the bottom of the ribs and the buttocks. It can feel like a dull, constant ache or a sharp, searing pain that goes down the legs.

It may be due to a fall or accident. It can also be related to lifting something heavy or degeneration of the spine.

The lower back and pelvis share many of the same structures, including joints, ligaments, and nerves. When an injury or medical condition affects these areas, you may feel pain in both areas.

Many organs, like the kidneys and ovaries, are also located in these regions of the body. When infection or injury occurs to these organs, you can experience both pelvic and lower back pain.

Treatment for a combination of pelvic and lower back pain will depend on the cause of the pain.

If you have pelvic and lower back pain, you may find relief with:

In some cases, surgery may be necessary to treat the cause of lower back and pelvic pain.

The cause of your pelvic and lower back pain will determine the outlook.

For example, if your pain is due to arthritis, you may experience long-term (chronic) or worsening pain in the future.

However, if the pelvic and lower back pain is related to an infection, it may clear up within a few days with the help of medication.

When should you worry about pelvic pain?

If pelvic pain is sudden or severe, seek immediate help. Other signs of concern include blood in your pee or stools, a fever, unintended weight loss, or pain and bloating that does not go away over several weeks.

When should you worry about lower back pain?

See a doctor if your back pain is the result of a fall or accident. It's also important to seek medical help if lower back pain does not resolve within a week or two or you experience numbness and tingling.

How do you stretch your lower back and pelvis?

Yoga poses and exercises like lifting your knee to your chest can help you stretch your lower back and pelvis.

The pelvis and lower back share some joints, nerve endings, and ligaments.

Health conditions and injuries that affect these common structures can cause pain in both areas. Problems with the surrounding organs can also cause discomfort in both the lower back and the pelvis.

It's important to notify your doctor if you experience severe or prolonged pelvic and lower back pain. It's also important to seek immediate medical assistance if you're showing signs of infection, like a fever or blood in your urine or stool.

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