Stretches for Lower Back Pain: What Actually Helps and When Should You Get It Checked?
Gentle, regular stretching for lower back pain can ease stiffness and help you move better. The best stretches work the muscles around the lower spine, hips and pelvis. But if your pain keeps coming back or gets worse, the cause may be a structural alignment problem that stretching alone cannot fix.
Key points
- Stretching can relieve muscular lower back pain, but it does not fix structural problems.
- A simple daily routine for the hips, hamstrings and lower spine takes under ten minutes.
- Pain that keeps coming back may point to a whole-body alignment problem, not just tight muscles.
- Standing imaging shows how your bones and joints line up under your full body weight.
- Stop any stretch that causes sharp, shooting or worsening pain, and get advice.
Lower back pain affects most adults at some point. Stretching is often the first thing people try, and for good reason. It can reduce muscle tension, improve blood flow and help you move more freely. But stretching is not always the full answer. If the pain keeps coming back, something else may be going on with the way your body is aligned.
What are the best stretches for lower back pain?
The most effective lower back stretches work the muscles that attach to or support the lumbar spine. These include the hamstrings, hip flexors, glutes and the muscles running along either side of the spine. Here is a simple routine you can do each morning or before bed. Hold each stretch gently for 20 to 30 seconds. Repeat on each side where needed.
Knee to chest
Lie on your back. Gently pull one knee towards your chest and hold. You should feel a gentle stretch across your lower back and glute. Change sides.
Cat-cow
On your hands and knees, slowly arch your back upwards (like a cat), then let it dip gently downwards. Move between the two positions in time with your breath. This loosens the whole spine.
Child's pose
From your hands and knees, sit your hips back towards your heels and stretch your arms forward on the floor. This is a classic yoga position that gently opens the lower back.
Figure-four stretch
Lie on your back. Cross one ankle over the opposite knee, then pull the bottom leg towards you. This works the piriformis and deep glute muscles, which often contribute to lower back and sciatic-type pain.
Cobra press-up
Lie face down. Place your hands under your shoulders and gently press your upper body up, keeping your hips on the floor. This extends the lumbar spine and can relieve stiffness from sitting for long periods.
Seated spinal twist
Sit with your legs straight. Bend one knee and cross it over the other leg. Gently twist your upper body towards the bent knee. This stretches the lower back and outer hip.
You can do most of these stretches in bed if getting down onto the floor is hard. The key is doing them regularly. A few minutes each morning helps more than one long session once a week.
Why does stretching help lower back pain?
Stretching helps because most lower back pain involves tight, overworked muscles. When the muscles around the spine, pelvis and hips become stiff, they pull on the joints and limit normal movement. Gentle stretching reduces that tension, improves blood flow to the area and lets the joints move more freely.
Loosens tight hamstrings, hip flexors and spinal muscles that stiffen from sitting or inactivity.
Helps bring back range of movement in the lower spine, hips and pelvis, so everyday movement feels easier.
Regular, gentle movement encourages healing and can reduce the chance of the pain coming back.
However, stretching works best when the underlying cause of the pain is muscular. If the pain is coming from a joint, a disc or a problem with how your whole body is lined up, stretching may give temporary relief, but the pain keeps coming back.
When should you stop stretching and get your back checked?
You should stop stretching and get advice if the pain is getting worse, not better. A stretch should feel like a gentle pull, never sharp or electric. If pain shoots down your leg, does not improve after several weeks of regular stretching, or keeps coming back after it settles, there may be a structural cause that needs checking.
- The pain started after a specific activity or a period of inactivity
- Stiffness eases with gentle movement
- You feel better within a few weeks of daily stretching
- The pain stays in the lower back and does not spread
- The pain keeps coming back even with regular stretching
- Discomfort spreads into the hip, buttock or leg
- You feel stiff or crooked when you stand
- One leg feels longer than the other
- The pain has lasted more than six weeks
A note on soft-tissue problems. EOS imaging shows bones, joints and overall alignment clearly. For soft-tissue concerns such as discs, nerves or ligaments, MRI is usually the better tool. Your treating clinician can advise which type of imaging is right for you.
Get urgent medical help if you have numbness or weakness in your legs, loss of bladder or bowel control, or sudden severe symptoms. Contact your doctor straight away or go to your nearest hospital emergency department.
Could your lower back pain be an alignment problem?
Yes, and this is often missed. Your body is a connected chain from your feet to your head. If one area is slightly out of line, perhaps a tilted pelvis, uneven hips, or a small difference in leg length, the muscles around your lower back may work harder to make up for it. That extra work creates tension, and tension creates pain.
Standard imaging such as X-rays, CT or MRI is usually done while you are lying down. When you lie down, your muscles relax and gravity no longer pulls on your joints. This can hide alignment problems that only show up when you are standing and bearing weight, which is how you actually live your life.
An EOS scan captures your whole skeleton from head to foot while you stand naturally. It uses about 90% less radiation than a standard X-ray, around ten times less. The image shows exactly how every part of your skeleton relates to the rest. It reveals the ways your body may be making up for an imbalance, which may be driving your lower back pain. This information helps your clinician plan the right approach, whether that is targeted physiotherapy, orthotics, or something else entirely.
Before you start a treatment, or change the one you are on, it is worth getting a detailed diagnosis. Knowing whether the cause sits in your pelvis, your legs or your spine changes what will actually help.
If your lower back pain keeps coming back even with stretching, a standing whole-body assessment at our London clinic can show whether alignment is the missing piece.
Book a free video consultationYou can learn more about how whole-body standing imaging works on the EOS scan overview page. For questions about the spine and lower back, there is a separate page covering common spinal conditions in more detail.
Frequently asked questions
Daily stretching is ideal. Even five to ten minutes each morning or evening can make a noticeable difference to stiffness and discomfort over a few weeks.
Yes. Knee-to-chest, figure-four and gentle spinal twists all work well on a firm mattress. This can be especially helpful first thing in the morning, when your back feels stiffest.
Yoga can be very helpful because it combines stretching with controlled breathing and gentle strengthening. Poses like cat-cow, child's pose and downward dog are commonly recommended. Start gently and avoid any position that causes sharp pain.
If your pain is severe, do not force any stretch. Very gentle movement is usually fine. But if the pain is intense, spreads down your leg, or comes with numbness or weakness, speak to your doctor or get urgent care before you continue any exercise.
Pain that keeps returning often means the muscles are making up for something else, such as a pelvic tilt, uneven hips, or a small alignment imbalance. Stretching eases the symptom but does not address the structural cause. Standing whole-body imaging can help identify what is driving the pattern.
Some stretches, especially the figure-four and gentle hamstring stretches, can ease sciatic-type symptoms by reducing tension on the piriformis and the muscles around it. However, if pain runs down your leg consistently, it is worth getting the cause properly assessed.
An EOS scan takes a full-length image of your skeleton while you stand. Unlike a standard X-ray or MRI, it captures how your bones and joints line up under your full body weight. This reveals alignment problems that may be causing or contributing to your back pain.
Yes. EOS uses about 90% less radiation than a standard X-ray, around ten times less. You can find more details about safety and what to expect on the FAQs page.
No. ScanAlign is a private, self-pay clinic and you can refer yourself, including from abroad. The first step is a free video consultation to discuss whether imaging is right for you.
The price for patients travelling from abroad is confirmed during the free video consultation, and you can read general answers on the FAQs page. The consultation is also a good chance to ask any questions before you commit.
Still stretching with no lasting relief?
A free video consultation, from wherever you are, can help you understand whether a whole-body alignment assessment in London is the right next step.
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- NHS. "Back pain: exercises and stretches." nhs.uk, 2023.
- Gordon R, Bloxham S. "A Systematic Review of the Effects of Exercise and Physical Activity on Non-Specific Chronic Low Back Pain." Healthcare (Basel), 2016; 4(2): 22.
- Illés T, Somoskeöy S. "The EOS imaging system and its uses in daily orthopaedic practice." International Orthopaedics, 2012; 36(7): 1405–1411.
Written by Abbas Dhami (Specialist Diagnostic Radiographer)
This page is general information and not a diagnosis.
ScanAlign is the trading name of CoreMed Solutions Ltd and operates under The Harley Street Hospital's CQC licence.