Content

• Steps
• Warning

Low back muscle tension is a common problem for many people. Improving overall physical and psychological health can help you significantly reduce lower back muscle tension. With the proper care, it is possible to reduce lower back muscle tension.

Steps

Part 1 of 3: Stretch your lower back muscles for quick pain relief

1. 

   Try stretching your knees. Lie on your back with knees bent and feet on the floor. Extend your arms in a T-shape so that your shoulders touch the floor. Legs close together, slowly lower the left knee as far as possible.
   • Hold for two minutes.
   • Focus on keeping your shoulders on the floor while stretching.
   • Repeat the stretch on the other side by bringing the knee to the center, then lowering to the right. Keep your shoulders on the floor and stay in this position for two minutes.

2. 

   
   
   Stretch the calf muscles and hamstring muscles. Lie on your back with knees bent on the floor. Stretch your left leg and straighten it up, focusing on pointing your heels towards the ceiling. Bend your knees and rest your feet on the floor.
   • Repeat the left leg muscle stretching for 6-8 reps. For the last time, keep your feet straight with your heels facing the ceiling for 30 seconds.
   • Repeat the stretching with your right leg.

3. 

   
   
   Do the dove to open your hips. Start in the cow position. Bring your left knee up toward your chest and lower to the floor with your foot facing right. Slide your right foot on the floor and stretch straight back.
   • Your left leg is at a 90 degree angle below and in front of your torso.
   • Slowly lower yourself forward to feel the muscles in your butt and hips. Lower as close to the floor as possible, placing your forehead on the floor if possible.
   • Hold for 5 deep breaths, switch legs and repeat with the other side.

4. 

   
   
   Try a 4-in-1 stretch. Lie on your back and bend your knees so that your legs form a 90 degree angle in front of your face. Cross left ankle to right leg and bend left foot. Reach out to grab your right thigh, pull it back with both hands as far as possible.
   • Hold for 30 seconds, then switch to the other side and repeat with your right leg.
   • To further stretch, curl a towel and place it under your hips while stretching.

5. 

   Perform tail wagging to stretch the large back muscles. Start in a crawl position with your hands just below your shoulders and your knees just below your hips. Keeping knees on the floor, lift left foot and shake to the left while looking at toe over left shoulder.
   • Pause and still shake the foot to the right while turning your head to look your toe over your right shoulder.
   • Repeat this with your right foot, stopping after each foot shake and looking toward your toes.
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Part 2 of 3: Using massage and natural remedies

1. 

   Grab a tennis ball or foam roller to massage your back. Place the tennis ball below your belt and cautiously lie on it with your knees bent and your feet on the floor. Roll over slowly and gently around the ball in the area of ​​the contracting muscle to release the tension.
   • Do not place the ball just below your spine but under the muscle tension on either side of your spine.
   • Find a foam roller online or at a store that sells gym equipment. Place the roller horizontally on the floor behind you and lie on it with your knees bent and feet on the floor.
   • Roll up and down on a foam roller to relax muscle groups that are contracting.

2. 

   Adjust your sleeping position and use more pillows. Lying on your back is often considered the best sleeping position for a healthy back. Lie on your back facing the ceiling with enough pillows under your neck and shoulders so that your head doesn't fall to the sides.
   • Place a small pillow under your knee for extra support in your lower back.
   • Adjust pillows as needed. You need to avoid the space between your body and the cushion as much as possible.
   • If you sleep on your side, place a pillow between your knees to relieve the pressure on your hips at night.

3. 

   Try thermotherapy for quick pain relief. The heat stimulates the blood to circulate to the painful areas of the body and inhibits the pain that travels to the brain, helping muscles relax. Place a heating pad or hot water bottle in the tension area of ​​your back.
   • You can also take a dip in a hot tub and focus your massage on the spastic muscles of your back.
   • Another option is to take a hot shower and shine water in the tension area.
   • Be sure not to oversleep while using a heating pad to prevent burns.

4. 

   See a massage therapist or chiropractor. If you have persistent lower back strains, consider seeing a massage therapist or chiropractor. A massage therapist will massage the back muscles that cause lower back pain, while the chiropractor will massage and manipulate them manually to put the dislocated areas of the spine into place.
   • If you are unsure which specialist to see, see a trusted health care facility for advice.
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Part 3 of 3: Relieve long-term back pain with exercise

1. 

   Do 30-minute cardio exercises 5 times a week. Cardio exercises help keep you in good overall health and release stress that can lead to lower back muscle pain. Depending on your current level, aim to do at least 30 minutes of walking or swimming 5 days per week.
   • If you've never done cardio, start with 10 minutes of walking 3 days a week and work up to 30 minutes 5 days a week. When you feel comfortable with this exercise, try more strenuous activities like jogging, dancing, or cycling for a few days a week.

2. 

   Strengthens your core muscles. Strength of the abdominal and back muscles plays an important role in feeling in the lower back muscles.
   • Try a pelvic tilt exercise by lying on your back on the floor with your knees bent. Squeeze your lower abdominal muscles to bring your lower back to the floor without using your glutes or leg muscles. Hold this position for 5 seconds and repeat 5-10 beats.
   • Try a stomach crunch by lying on your back on the floor, arms crossed across your chest. Use your upper abdominal muscles to raise your upper body at an angle of 15 degrees from the floor, holding the position for 5 seconds. Do this 5 to 10 times a day.
   • Other exercises like the pilates specifically focus on the central muscles. Do these exercises on DVD or sign up for a class.

3. 

   Practice yoga daily or weekly. Yoga is a combination of stretching movements, body-strengthening postures and breathing techniques to improve your overall health and reduce stress. Various poses like dog face down, cow-cat, extended triangle focus on improving your lower back muscles.
   • If you've been doing yoga every week, increase it to a few times per week or do short exercises per day.
   • Take a beginner class if you're new to yoga. Some classes even provide the basics for you to practice at home.
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Warning

• If you have a serious health problem that leads to lower back strain, discuss this with your healthcare provider before trying any of the above treatments.