Starting off with a seated hip flexion, seated trunk rotation, and different arm movements will help loosen up the muscles.
Then beginning with exercises, pelvic tilts and bridges do a great job of strengthening the hips and back as well as stretch the areas out.
Next, go into stretches after the muscles have been moving with a supine trunk rotation, knee to chest, and a hamstring stretch in long sitting. These will help loosen tight muscles around the back and hips.
Now, go to all fours, or quadruped for a cat/cow or cat/dog and a prayer stretch or child’s pose.
Finally in a seated position, a thoracic side bend and deep breathing with a jumping jack motion will help the mid to upper back as well.
Therapeutic Yoga can help relieve back pain by incorporating physical therapy & yoga. Trudy, a fellow PT & registered yoga teacher, stops by to show me stretches & exercises for back pain relief.
Upper back pain or thoracic area pain is sometimes caused by trigger points or muscle knots. Trigger points are basically when a specific area on a muscle gets irritated and tightens up into a ball or knot.
One of the most effective back pain relief stretches is the prayer stretch, also known as child’s pose. However, this popular stretch can be challenging for those who cannot get down on the floor or put pressure on their knees. Fortunately, there is an excellent alternative: the seated rolldown stretch. This modification provides a comprehensive back and whole body stretch without the need to kneel or lie on the floor.
These back pain relief stretches don't necessarily need to be done in bed, but they are a great way to help relieve back pain in the morning before getting up, and/or when going to bed at night.
Cracking your back can feel great, and it can help relieve back tension and back pain when it's done correctly. But it's very important to have a proper diagnosis because sometimes you should not crack your back at all. So always get cleared by your doctor or physical therapist before trying.
With osteoporosis, it’s important to perform exercises that strengthen the body while protecting the spine. Lying down in the hook lying position is a great way to help do this. The key is to move safely—maintaining good spinal alignment and avoiding twisting movements. These gentle exercises when done at one’s own pace should help with osteoporosis pain relief.
In this video, I teamed up with Dr. Jen, a pelvic floor physical therapist who also happens to be pregnant! She'll show you her top 5 exercises to help relieve low back pain when you are pregnant by mobilizing and stabilizing the pelvis.
Pickleball back pain is a common injury among people of all ages from this popular sport. The stretches & exercises in this video will help strengthen, relieve pain, and loosen up the muscles around the back and hip area to help relieve back pain from Pickleball.
This 20-minute back pain relief stretching & exercise routine is done in real-time so it’s easy to follow along. Since back & hip muscles are often the same groups of muscles, it may also help relieve hip pain.
