Before getting into the specific stretches, it’s important to understand why the pain is happening. For many people, lower back pain is the result of a sedentary lifestyle or repetitive motions. But in some cases, it can be a symptoms of an underlying condition such as acute pancreatitis or kidney stones.

Before trying to treat your lower backpain yourself with stretches, it’s important that you accurately determine why the pain is happening. If you don’t have a history of lower back pain and if you don’t think it is from sitting or hard, manual labor, then it’s important to make an appointment with your doctor and get checked out.

Now let’s get into the three best stretches you can do for lower back pain:

1. Child’s Pose

This is a classic yoga pose that is great for stretching your gluteus maximus, thigh muscles and spinal extensors. And because it is so relaxing, it tends to quickly loosen up those lower back muscles as well.

Here’s how you do a child’s pose stretch.

2. Knee-to-Chest Stretch

This is another great stretch that relaxes your hips, thighs and butt muscles, thereby allowing your lower back muscles to finally loosen.

Here’s how to do a knee-to-chest stretch.

If you need, you can place a cushion or pillow under your head for padding. And if you can’t quite reach your leg with your arms, feel free to wrap a towel around your leg.

3. Piriformis Stretch

Oftentimes our lower back muscles become tight because other muscles around them are tight. It’s a vicious cycle. The piriformis stretch is great because it loosens the piriformis muscle deep in your buttocks. Loosing this band of muscles should help loosen your lower back muscles.

Here is how to perform this stretch.

While performing these stretches, or any stretch for that matter, be sure that you are gentle and take things slow. This is particularly true if you are older, have recently sustained an injury, or have not been active in quite some time. And, as always, it’s best to speak with your doctor before starting any exercise program. Even better, begin working with a chiropractor who can help relieve all of your aches and pains through a customized treatment plan.