Alleviate Lower Back Pain With Stretching

An often overlooked way to alleviate lower back pain is stretching. Here's what you need to know about stretching for back pain.

Lower back pain can be caused by injury, medical conditions such as scoliosis or spinal stenosis, age or stress. But one of the most common causes of lower back pain is tight, stiff muscles in the lower back, hamstrings, buttocks or hips.

When the muscles in the lower back, hamstrings, buttocks or hips get tight and stiff, it leads to postural imbalances, and postural imbalances lead to lower back pain.

For example, tight, stiff hamstrings tend to pull on the pelvis, as the top of the hamstrings is attached to the pelvis, and this causes a rounding of the lower back, which is a postural imbalance. Over time, this postural imbalance will lead to lower back pain.

The way to prevent or reduce tightness and stiffness in the muscles of the lower back, hamstrings, buttocks or hips is by stretching them on a consistent basis in order to increase their flexibility. Stretching is the most effective way to increase the flexibility of a muscle.

I've experienced firsthand the effectiveness of stretching to alleviate lower back pain. A few years ago I started experiencing lower back pain for the first time in my life. At first it only made working out somewhat difficult, but as the pain got worse it made working out almost impossible and it made performing certain everyday tasks very difficult.

I was able to eliminate my lower back pain by following a regular stretching routine. I still stretch at least three times per week, as stretching is now a regular part of my fitness program, and I've had no recurrence of back pain. I'm also, at 55 years old, more flexible than I've ever been.

Even though stretching is an effective way to relieve lower back pain, you need to be aware that certain stretches can actually make lower back pain worse.

For example, while the standing hamstring stretch, where you bend forward at the waist and reach towards the ground, is a good way to stretch the hamstrings, it puts stress on the lower back. You never want to do standing hamstring stretches if you have lower back pain.

Make sure that before you start any stretching routine, you learn how to stretch properly and safely and learn what stretches will be most appropriate for your specific needs.

The Stretching Handbook is one of the best resources available for developing a safe and effective stretching routine. It covers every possible stretching exercise for every major muscle group in the body. Click here to read my review of The Stretching Handbook

In conclusion, don't overlook the effectiveness of stretching to alleviate lower back pain. Following a regular stretching routine might be just what you need to eliminate your lower back pain.

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