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.
Cracking your back can help relieve back pain. But make sure the cause of your back pain is diagnosed first because with some back issues you should never crack your back.
Lower back pain can make it difficult to perform everyday activities. Here are some of my favorite back stretches & exercises that can help provide low back pain relief and strengthen back muscles.
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.
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.
The lower back can be a hard area to stretch depending on what is causing the pain. My favorite exercise for this area is a pelvic tilt. It’s a great exercise as well as a stretch for the low back, hips, and pelvis.
Percussive Massage Therapy using a massage gun (aka percussion massager) for back pain relief uses fast, soft pulses over a short amount of time to get deep down into the muscle fibers.
Stretches & exercises are a great way to help relieve back pain. But with nearly 1,000 videos on the Ask Doctor Jo YouTube Channel, it can be hard to find the best one for you. So for 2025, here are some of my favorite Back Pain Relief Videos that actually work!
This back pain relief exercises routine can help strengthen, relieve pain, and loosen up the muscles around the back and the hip area. These back exercises are done in real time, so it’s easy to follow along with the routine.
My favorite exercise for upper back pain relief is a seated row. It’s a great exercise for your upper back, shoulders, and neck area. This upper back exercise is performed in real-time, so it's easy to follow along if you want.
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.
