Back stretches when done on a regular basis will maintain the flexibility of your spinal ligaments, muscles, and fascia. Maintaining back mobility by doing a few back stretching exercises on a regular basis is important in terms of preventing back pain. If you are looking to relieve back pain or dysfunction or even back pain that has come on "for no particular reason" that may or may not have resulted from a back injury, it is best to consult a physical therapist rather than try all the back stretches out there. Your particular problem may require specific stretches in a particular direction. Working or stretching in the wrong direction could make your problem worse. Your physical therapist can diagnose mechanical problems and prescribe the correct back exercises for you. |
Back Stretches ContentsWhy do we do back stretchesWhat happens if we never stretch our back Can stretching our back correct back pain? Can stretching your back prevent back pain? How do I know what stretches to do for my back? Back Stretching Exercises. Anatomy of the back |
Why do we do back stretches?The purpose of doing back stretches is multifacetted. Back stretches are necessary to maintain mobility, maintain joint health, sustain a good posture, and normalize forces on discs.Maintain Mobility Like all joints if you fail to take the joints in your back through their full range of motion on a regular basis you will eventually lose that range of motion. Like the saying "if you don't use it, you lose it." You can observe this in someone that has to spend weeks in a cast due to a fracture. While the fracture heals usually without issue, the joints that have been immobilized have become stiff because soft tissues have shortened, muscles have become weak, and cartilage has become softer. If we maintain our joints in a range that allows the surrounding soft tissues to shorten then eventually they will shorten and lead to stiffening. Maintain Joint Health The cartilage in the joints of your spine do not have a blood supply. They instead derive nutrients like a sponge through diffusion. It is the movement and compression of the cartilaginous surfaces that maintains their optimum health. back stretches will take your joints through their full range of movement. Sustain a Good Posture If you cannot move your joints into a position of good posture you simply cannot maintain a good posture. When ![]() Normalize Forces on Discs I like to compare discs to jelly donuts in order to explain the hydrostatics to my patients. When you compress one side of a jelly donut, the jelly gets pushed to the other side. As it pushes it strains the annular fibres that hold it in. Over time and with age and previous injuries these annular fibres break down, develop cracks and fissures and can allow the jelly material to bulge. By doing back stretches in certain directions we can alter the position of the jelly material and minimize the stress on those annular fibres. |
What happens if we never stretch our back?Gravity is an ever present and dangerous force we live with on a daily basis. Unless we fight it, gravity will always win. That normal "S" shaped curve we all should have becomes shorter and more compressed if we let it. It is usually at the peaks of those curves in the "S" that we develop pain, strain, arthritis, compression fractures, etc. If we slouch and let gravity take hold we are essentially hanging on our ligaments and joints as opposed to keeping our joints in a nice neutral position. This will lead to regions of hypo mobility (stiffness) and hypermobility(too much movement) and subsequent degenerative changes. |
Back Stretching Exercises.Here are some back stretching exercises suitable for a generally healthy population to maintain mobility. If you have pain or an underlying or preexisting condition consult your physical therapist to see if these back stretches are appropriate for you. |
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Flexion in Lying
![]() You should pull only to the point of tension. You should not pull into any pain, bounce, or force the movement. If you are stiff in this direction it may take you months of repeating this exercise to regain full range of motion. This exercise is best not done in isolation. Most people should follow this exercise by Repeated Extension in Lying. |
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Repeated
Extension in
Lying
![]() You should push only to the point of tension while maintaining your hips on the floor. You should not push into any pain, bounce, or force the movement. You should have a gentle curve in your back as you push up, no severe curvatures in one location. If you are stiff in this direction it may take you months of repeating this exercise to regain full range of motion. Stretching the ligaments of the spine safely is like moving teeth. It takes a small force on a repetitive basis over a long period of time. If you hold this stretch it can lead to excessive forces exerted on just a few joints as opposed to having the forces distributed along the whole back. Be gentle. It's likely that your back has become stiff over years, and that's not going to be fixed in a few weeks. It can take months. |
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Supported Upper Thoracic Extension
![]() You should push only to the point of tension. You should not push into any pain, bounce, or force the movement. If you are stiff in this direction it may take you months of repeating this exercise to regain full range of motion. This exercise stretches the ligaments on the front in your spine as well as taking pressure off the discs and vertebral bodies. It is good to do this stretch if you are in an occupation that involves periods of prolonged sitting |
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Doorway Stretch
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Back over
a Pillow
![]() ![]() This back stretch helps to reverse the kyphosis in the thoracic spine. While it is normal to have a kyposis, gravity is always working to exaggerate it. Excessive kyphosis puts pressure on discs and vertebral bodies, and in severe cases can interfere with breathing. |
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Pelvic
Tilt
![]() If you do not feel your lower back pressing against the floor you may be tight in that region. Place your hand under your lower back. Doing the pelvic tilt you should feel your lower back pushing down on your hand. Do not hold your breath. The pelvic tilt is a dynamic way of stretching the lumbar extensors. The easiest way of performing the pelvic tilt is lying down. As this is mastered you should try it standing with your back against the wall or when on all fours. |
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Kneeling Lumbar Flexion
![]() This is a gentle stretch for the lumbar extensors. Also being stretched are latissimus dorsi, teres major, lower trapezius, gluteals, lumbodorsal fascia, part of the quadriceps, and ankle dorsiflexors. |
MusclesDeep Muscles of the BackErector Spinae
Intermediate Layer of Muscles
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