Lower back pain & tightness

Do you wake up in the morning with a tight lower back? Does it make you want to stretch yourself out before your first cup of coffee? I’ve got a quick exercise that you can do to help this.

The muscles that tend to tighten up are your glutes and piriformis muscles. Find a suitable, solid surface, like a table. With your leg bent outwards, place your leg on the table so that the outside of the ankle is resting on the surface. Your knee should be fairly close to the table-top, not pointing upwards but rather, out. It should be at an angle of about 90 degrees.

From this position, you’re going to lean forward and stretch. Keep your back straight, bending from your hip. Stretch until you can feel a gentle pull. Keep the position for 30 seconds and then try and stretch a little further. While you’re doing that, breath in for a second and out for two, helping your muscles relax. Repeat this three times on either side. You can repeat this three times a day.

Your health is important, so treat any injury, ailment or condition with utmost care. If symptoms persist or you experience an increase in pain and discomfort, please contact your physiotherapist immediately. If you are not sure how this all applies to you or where to turn for assistance, please make contact with us and we will gladly offer you some additional guidance.