Relieve Low Back Pain with 4 Simple Core Exercise Progressions
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Lower back pain can often be relieved, and even prevented, by strengthening the core. So here are progression exercises to help strength the core in the front, side, and back.
When we talk about core exercises, people usually think about the abdominal muscles in the front, but our core muscles are not only in the front,, but also in the side and back.
Starting with a pelvic tilt is the foundation to progress to a dead bug exercise. These might look simple, but when done correctly, they can be very challenging.
Next bridging to a single leg bridge is a great progression to work your glutes and hamstrings. Then, a clamshell to clamshell with feet lifted progression will work the muscles on the side of your body.
Finally, a quadruped leg extension to a bird dog is a great way to work all the muscles because you have to stabilize your body with the movements.
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!
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.
The biggest myth about back arthritis pain relief is that exercise makes the condition worse. However, this couldn't be further from the truth. One of the most beneficial exercises for back arthritis is bridging. Bridge exercises are great to do every day, but make sure to progress slowly so it doesn’t get inflamed.
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.
These back pain stretches and exercises are for general back pain like soreness from overworking your back or if you've pulled a muscle. Check out the back pain section of my website for more specific back pain related exercises and stretches.
Sore back muscles are common when starting a new workout program or when exercising a little too hard. These back stretches can help relax a sore & tight back and provide pain relief.
A rhomboid stretch is great for the rhomboid muscles because they tend to get overworked and tight easily. Many rhomboid stretches require someone to get in an uncomfortable position or down on the floor. This simple modified rhomboid stretch can be done sitting in a chair or on the couch.
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.
