For a herniated disc, to relieve the back pain, you want to do extension exercises and stretches to help push the disc back into the space in your spine
To start off, lie down in a prone position on your stomach. You will prop up on your elbows for a prone prop. Try to keep your hips down on the ground while your stomach and chest come off the ground. If the elbows are too much, you can come down slightly to where it is comfortable. Hold this for 30 seconds and do three.
Then if that becomes easy, still in the same position, now come up into a push up position on your hands. Still try to keep your hips down on the ground if possible. This one is a little more stressful on the arms, so you might want to start off with 10-15 seconds, and work your way up from there.
Now turn over onto your back and prop you knees up with your feet flat on the ground. You will do a bridge by pushing your bottom up off the ground, but try to do this slowly, and do one segment of your back at a time curling upward. Then slowly go down the same way, one segment at a time. You can start off with 10 of these, and then work your way up.
Finally, you will do a figure four stretch. Cross your foot over onto the thigh of your other leg into a figure four position. Grab the leg on the ground underneath the thigh, and pull your leg toward your chest. Hold this stretch for 30 seconds, and do three on each side.
Getting Back Pain Relief can be a daily challenge, whether the back pain occurs in the morning after waking up or at the end of a long day. This guided, real-time back stretching routine is designed to help relieve back pain, back stiffness, and improve back flexibility, whether you are starting or ending your day (or anywhere in between).
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.
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.
The upper back can be a hard area to stretch. Tight rhomboid muscles and other muscles around the shoulder and neck can cause upper back pain. My favorite stretch for the upper back area is a seated rhomboid stretch.
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!
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.
Osteoporosis develops when the structure and strength of bone changes. This can cause decrease in bone strength which can increase the risk of breaking bones. These gentle exercises for osteoporosis, when done at one’s own pace, can help prevent further decline and help protect the bones.
For a herniated disc, to relieve the back pain, you want to do extension exercises and stretches to help push the disc back into the space in your spine
