4 (Rarely Used) Things You Can Do Right Now For Lower Back Pain Relief
NOTE: Please use this information at your own risk. If you have a serious back issue do NOT do these and go see your doctor.
Around my early 20’s I got my first real desk job. I worked in a high school and spent 40+ hours a week sitting down in a chair tutoring students and substitute teaching in New York. Right around this time is when I learned a fun truth about sitting — it’s the fastest way to having a back that hurts like hell every day.
I had never previously had back pain in my life — I never had lower back pain, or shoulder issues, or neck pain, but suddenly I started having these pains simultaneously on the majority of my days at work. It didn’t always last long, but every day at some point I was experiencing discomfort in my spine.
The worst part is that when you do get lower back pain, it seems so freaking hard to get rid of. You try adjusting your posture – still hurts.
You try rubbing it or massaging it or stretching out quickly — still hurts.
You try getting up and walking around — ten minutes later, it still hurts.
It’s incredibly frustrating.
This article is a light-version of the video demonstrations in my course Back Pain Freedom, which goes into all of the three daily exercises I recommend.
Exclusive Bonus: Click here to download a bonus guide on fixing back pain that includes several other resources and techniques not featured here.
How to Get Rid of Lower Back Pain if You Think “My Back is Killing Me!”
According to the NIH (National Institute of Health) lower back pain affects nearly everyone at some point in their life(!).
Lower back pain also:
- Is something that Americans spend $50 billion dollars on annually in physicians visits and rehab
- The #1 cause of job related disability
- The #2 neurological health issue (headaches is #1)
Seeing as how back pain is such an ubiquitous problem, I was a little disappointed when I googled back pain relief, because this is the useless advice I got from just about every website.
Useless guides online to backpain:
- Surgery
- See a chiropractor
- Injections
- Physical Therapy
- Acupuncture
- Herbs
- Yoga
But here’s the problem — none of these things you can do yourself , right now (unless you do the usual quick fixes like Aspirin, Ice, Icy/Hot, etc.).
So here’s what I’m NOT going to tell you: I’m NOT going to tell you to go see XXX specialist, because that would be useless advice that you should already know. I am not a doctor or qualified medical professional. You should always be seeing them first.There are thousands of other websites telling you to just go see your doctor or a physical therapist. You know you should be doing that.
Instead, these are a few key strategies I’ve used to reduce the majority of my back pain on a day to day basis, but in my experience these are mostly short term fixes. Check out our epic guide to lower back pain relief to learn more about how I (and many others) got rid of most of my back pain on a daily basis.
4 Things You Can do Right Now For Lower Back Pain Relief
#1 The Egoscue Method For Your Lower Back
I can not even begin to describe my excitement upon finding the Egoscue method. The underlying premise is simple: you’re experiencing pain because of chronic inactivity which weakens certain muscles and tightens others, and the promise is true: it works. Famous celebrities and pro athletes have raved about it, and if you don’t believe me, just look at the Amazon reviews.
I’ll go into much much more detail later, but for now, here are the exercises you should be doing (and the instructions):
For Lower Back Pain
A. Static back – Duration: 5-10 minutes
Static Back
How to do it:
- Lie on your back with both legs bent at right angles on a chair or block
- You can just rest your hands on your stomach or lay your arms out at the side below shoulder level, palms facing up
- Breathe from your stomach. Let the lower back relax.
- Hold for 5-10 minutes
Resources and tools mentioned:
B. Static Extension – Duration: 1 Minute
Static Extension on the Floor
For many of us, back pain is caused by the rounding of the back (flexion) from bad postural habits and sitting or slouching. This exercise reminds the back how to extend properly.
How to do it:
- Kneel with hands on the floor positioned under your shoulders
- Let your back and head relax towards the floor
- Let your shoulder blades come together, and make sure there is an arch in your back
- Keep the elbows straight but shift your hips forward 6 to 8 inches so they are not aligned with the knees.
- Hold 1-2 minutes
Resources and tools mentioned:
C. Supine Groin Stretch – Duration: 10 minutes per side
Supine Groin Stretch
How to do it:
- Lie on your back with one leg resting on a chair, knee bent at 90 degrees, while the other leg is extended straight out and resting on the floor
- Make sure both legs are aligned with the hips and shoulders
- The foot of the extended leg should be propped upright to preventing it from rolling to one side
- Hold 10 minutes then do it on the other side
Resources and tools mentioned:
D. Modified Floor Block – Duration: 6 Minutes
Floor Block Stretch
How to do it:
- Lie on your stomach with your forehead on the floor — your feet should be pigeon toed
- Rest your elbows on books or blocks so that your hands are in the “don’t shoot!” position
- Make sure your shoulders are level — breathe deeply and relax the upper body
- Let your bodyweight naturally fall into the floor
- Hold 6 minutes
The Egoscue method is one thing I’ve constantly revisited because it works so well. Pro athletes and many celebrities have used it to eliminate lifelong, chronic pain (even after decades).
Resources and tools mentioned:
- Pete Egoscue’s Pain Free book
- The Theracane self-massage cane to reach hard spots
#2 Trigger point Therapy for Fixing Lower Back Pain
The science behind trigger points suggests that many chronic pains in the body are due to tension in the musculature. Trigger points are essentially the “origin” points of these pains, and the way to stimulate the relaxation of these points is deep (slightly painful) massage to relax the area.
The interesting thing about trigger points is that even though you think your pain may be coming from a certain area (e.g. your lower back or knee), vary rarely is that the case. Usually somewhere in the surrounding musculature there is something going wrong, rather than at the site of the pain. This is called referral pain and is important to remember. The place hurting is often just collateral damage.
Generally you stimulate the points 5-7 times during the day, for about 30 seconds – 1 minute at a time. Many people report complete back pain relief after regularly using trigger points throughout the day.
Trigger points are a little tricky though because they take some practice to find.
How to stimulate the points:
- When you find the point, it should be very tender and painful. Apply pressure using your thumb, knuckle, or tennis ball on a 7 (out of 1 to 10) pain scale.
- Apply firm pressure in sliding strokes, like you’re trying to iron the area. Don’t just apply pressure and hold it still. Only massage in one direction.
- Do 6 – 12 strokes per trigger point each session (don’t overdo it). Repeat 6-12x a day.
- If you aren’t getting relief you aren’t stimulating the right points
Here are the points you are going to stimulate:
- Gluteus medius (middle-top of your butt)
- Deep Spinal Muscles (muscles running alongside the left of your spine) (Use a tennis ball)
- Quadratus lumborum (muscles coming from left to right around your back, under the rib cage) (Use a tennis ball too)
A. Gluteus Medius point (Watch this video first)
Stimulating Gluteus Medius Point With Fingers – Point B/C
How to find the gluteus medius points:
- Find the top of your hip bone (on your side) and put your hand on the muscle just below it, in other words, put your hand on the side of your hip.
- To locate the gluteus medius, shift your weight to one foot while you feel for a contraction just below the top of the hip bone. You should feel the muscle contract there which is basically the side of your butt (this is your gluteus medius)
- Follow this meaty part of your butt around to the back — remember it’s just under your hip bone
- Apply hard pressure with your thumbs and poke around until you find a super tender, painful spot. Then follow the instructions above for stimulating the trigger points
Video explaining how to find these points:
Stimulating Gluteus Medius Point With a Tennis Ball (Rub Against Wall or Lay Down)
Resources and tools mentioned:
- The Trigger Point Therapy Handbook
- The Theracane (for self-massaging hard points)
- The Trigger Point Therapy Ball
Using a tennis ball on the gluteus medius spot:
- You can also use a tennis ball and rub against the wall or lay on the floor, to stimulate the gluteus medius spot and apply firmer pressure and give the hands a break
- The gluteus medius point is usually around belt level, but it obviously depends how high or low you wear your pants. Just look for the soft fleshy top part of your butt (under the hip bone) and start applying hard pressure — you’ll find a tender spot.
B. Deep Spinal Muscles
How to find/stimulate them:
- The deep spinal muscles are basically all the muscles running alongside the side of the spine. They are easy to find and stimulate.
- Grab a tennis ball and put your back up against the wall. Put the ball so it’s placed just to the left of your spine, where there is a meaty muscular portion.
- Rub your back up and down the wall applying hard pressure with the tennis ball. Remember, it should hurt 😉
- Make sure that you’re not applying pressure on the spine itself
Resources and tools mentioned:
- The Trigger Point Therapy Handbook
- The Theracane (for self-massaging hard points)
- The Trigger Point Therapy Ball
C. Quadratus lumborum
Quadratus Lumborum Point
Stimulating Quadratus Lumborum By Pressing Against Wall With Tennis Ball or Laying Down
Here’s how you find/stimulate it:
- The quadratus lumborum is pretty much where you think about your kidneys being.
- It’s located right under your ribcage (between the rib cage and hip bone — see above) , and has a portion in the front of your body and back.
- To stimulate these points, either use your thumbs like above, or use a tennis ball and roll horizontally — from the back of your body to the front, left and right. Not up and down.
- Basically place the tennis ball right under your rib cage on your back, and then apply pressure from left to right, horizontally.
Resources and tools mentioned:
- The Trigger Point Therapy Handbook
- The Theracane (for self-massaging hard points)
- The Trigger Point Therapy Ball
#3 Self Myofascial Release For Getting Rid of Lower Back Pain
Foam Roller for Myo-fascial Release
Myofascial release is basically personal deep tissue massage. Most often a person will use a foam roller because it’s an easy way to apply lots of pressure to an area and gently roll out areas with high amounts of tension.
Myo-fascial release falls into the category of deep-tissue massage or even trigger point therapy, meaning that the person will roll until they find a tender area, and then massage the area for 30 – 60 seconds before moving on.
Research has shown that massage and the use of pressure points (in combination with joint manipulation, exercise, and relaxation therapy) is effective for both acute and chronic lower back pain.
But then again you probably didn’t really need to hear that — we all know how good it feels to lay down and have someone walk on our back when it’s killing!
If your back is killing you, there are four places you should sit down and give yourself some myo-fascial release. You can either use a foam roller at your gym, buy one on Amazon, or use a tennis ball or even a baseball bat with a pillow over it. Get creative.
3 Places to Use Myo-fascial release – Time Required: 6 Minutes
A. Hip Flexors & Quads
Many people are told to stretch their hamstrings if their back is hurting, claiming that the hamstrings are what’s tight. In reality, it’s often the hip flexors that are the underlying cause — once you stretch the hip flexors they will release the tension on the hamstrings.
The reason for stretching these areas is that when they’re tight, they alter the curvature in your lower back (which is crucial to keeping the weight evenly on your spine). Tight hamstrings or hip flexors will pull your pelvis out of proper alignment.
How to do it
- Get yourself in the position in the image above, and then slowly roll forward up to your waist until you find a tender point.
- Once you find a tender point, leave the foam roller there for 30 seconds, or very very slowly roll back and forth for the same duration
- Make sure to roll both near your groin (up where the top of your leg meets your hips — the hip flexors), as well as the length of the leg to stretch out the quads
- Duration: 30-60 seconds. 2 sets.
Resources and tools mentioned:
- The Trigger Point Therapy Handbook
- The Theracane (for self-massaging hard points)
- The Trigger Point Therapy Ball
- Foam roller for rolling out at the end of the night
B. Lower back / Thoracic Back
How to do it:
- Lay down with the foam roller in the middle of your back and then gradually roll it down to your butt, and up to your neck
- Focus on the area closer to the butt — where the gluteus medius trigger points are, the top meat of your butt
- Pause at tender areas for 30 – 60 seconds, or roll them very very slowly
- Duration 30-60 seconds. 2 sets.
Resources and tools mentioned:
- The Trigger Point Therapy Handbook
- The Theracane (for self-massaging hard points)
- The Trigger Point Therapy Ball
- Foam roller for rolling out at the end of the night
C. Hip Adductors
Stretching the hip adductors will help relax the muscles that are attached to the hips, which will remove some of the strain on the lower back when sitting/walking/doing athletics, and will help restore the natural curvature.
How to do it:
- Pull your leg out at a 90 degree angle, and roll along the inside of the leg. You are relaxing the adductor muscles which pull the legs together — they are often tight and keep the hips tight because we keep our legs together all day in a seated position.
- Roll along the length of the inner leg, and if you find a tender spot either pause, or roll very firmly but slowly.
- Duration – 30-60 seconds. 2 Sets
Resources and tools mentioned:
- The Trigger Point Therapy Handbook
- The Theracane (for self-massaging hard points)
- The Trigger Point Therapy Ball
- Foam roller for rolling out at the end of the night
#4 Static Stretches For Getting Rid of Lower Back Pain
Static stretches, like those done in Yoga, can be a fantastic way to alleviate lower back pain for two reasons: #1 you’re relaxing areas that are constantly experiencing tension and getting more blood flow to them, and #2 you’re lengthening areas that grow stiff and shortened from lack of daily use.
For those of you that sit 40 hours a week, doing these regularly will help immensely. Many of us slump our lower back throughout the day which puts improper pressure on the lower back. There should always be a curve in the lower back, and putting a pillow or lumbar support will reduce back pain and even referred pain in your legs or surrounding areas.
A. Hip Flexor Stretch
Pretty self explanatory, we all did it in gym class.
The only difference here is that you should be focusing on the feeling of your hip flexors stretching — and not much else. Your hip flexor is the vert top part of your leg right where it connects to your hip.
How to do this properly:
- Keep your back straight
- Focus on pushing the back leg up — you’ll feel a harder stretch in your hip flexors
- Flex your butt and clench your abs
- To make this more difficult and more of a stretch, you can lean your upper body away from the back leg. So if it’s your left leg that is elongated at the back, face your body right.
B. Runner’s Quad Stretch
How to do this properly:
- Keep your back straight
- Clench your butt muscles hard
- Focus on the feeling of the top part of your leg stretching (the hip flexor). You’ll also feel it all the way down near your knee if your quads are really tight
- This will help restore the natural curve in the lower back because tight quads and hip flexors pull the pelvis out of alignment
C. Child’s Pose
Do it because: It will help stretch out the upper and mid back, as well as open up the hips a bit. It also feels relaxing as hell.
Duration: 30 seconds, 2 repetitions.
D. Pigeon Pose
Do it because: It will stretch out those tight hips and your hamstrings. To make it easier, keep your foot more vertical (facing down). To make it harder and feel a deeper hip stretch, try pulling your foot out higher and more horizontal.
Duration: 30 seconds, 2 repetitions.
Other Resources I Recommend
#1 Tools I Use Daily – Theracane and Trigger Point Ball
The Theracane is the self-massage cane I’ve demonstrated in all these videos, and the primary reason I use it is because it’s hard to get the traps, shoulders, and upper back on your own.
Another creative solution you can use is put a tennis ball into a sock, sling it over your shoulder, then roll against the wall.
For other parts on my body, I use a trigger point therapy ball. This is primarily something that I travel with, so I can use it while driving, on a plane, in hotels, etc.
#2 Inversion Table
I have no idea if there’s scientific evidence supporting the use of inversion tables for lower back pain, but having recently purchased one for my dad, he said there has been a world of difference in the quick relief it can get.
Here’s what they look like:
#3 Supplements That Lower Inflammation
One of the core supplements I usually recommend across the board is Fish Oil.
An interesting feature of back pain is that there are people with structural issues – who have no pain – and people with no structural issues, who have pain.
So it makes one wonder how much inflammation, the microbiome, stress, and emotions affect back pain.
Fish oil and other omega fatty acids help with inflammation, and weight loss too.
Curcumin is another supplement gaining major press lately about it’s ability to lower inflammation in the body.
#4 Books That I Use Religiously
Pete Egoscue – Pain Free:
A few of the exercises demonstrated here are ones that I learned from the Egoscue method – one of the only things that has worked for me.
Consistently, after having spoken with chiropractors and doctors, who gave me zero useful advice about self-treating back pain, this book has come through.
You can read more about the book Pain Free on Amazon here.
Trigger Point Therapy Workbook
The trigger point therapy workbook is a book I’ve used to learn where to self-massage using the Theracane (above) and the trigger point therapy ball mentioned above.
Personally, It’s a really useful book for learning the locations to self-massage, as well as learning where pain gets referred from other areas.
You can read more about the Trigger Point Therapy Workbook Here.
*** Read part 2 and part 3 for fixing chronic back pain ***
Part 2: Why Cavemen Never Had Back Pain (Maybe)
Part 3: The Truth Behind Lower Back Pain
*****
Images: Back Pain – Dr Todd Cremeans, Foam Roller – Russelsteve, Hip Flexor Stretch, Hip Flexor Girl, Quad Stretch and Pigeon Pose- RachelV2007, Child’s Pose – Allthatmel, Downward dog – Expertvillage
Sources:
- National Institute of Health – Low Back Pain Fact Sheet
- Pain Free – A Revolutionary Method for Stopping Chronic Pain (Amazon)
- Trigger point images from The Trigger Point Therapy Workbook – Davies et al.
- Massage for Low Back Pain – A Systematic Review – The Cochrane Collaboration
- NASM Essentials of Personal Fitness Training
- A Comparison of the Effects of Two Sitting Postures on Back Pain – Spine, Volume 16 Issue 10- Oct. 1991
Great article! I got here through a link in Weed’em & Reap and I’m glad I did. I will definitely sign up for future articles.
I’m familiar with most of the stretching exercises at the bottom of this article because I do them after lifting weights.
As I started reading the back exercises, I realized I knew them from reading “Pain Free” from Pete Egoscue. I don’t have any back problems but since I do sit quite a bit working on my computer, I will have to include them in my regular daily routines. The pictures are really helpful in explaining how to get into the positions.
Hey Lisa !
Thanks for stopping by 🙂 . Incoporating some stretches after lifting weights is an awesome idea.. something that took me a long time to realize. I think if there could ever be an “ultimate workout plan” for the modern human it would include just those two things – lifting weights, and stretching.
I’m glad someone else is familiar with “Pain Free” — not many people are, especially those who need help. Hope it helped!
Alex
Hi Lisa,
Just curious, have you included them in your daily routine? How have you been doing?
So glad you emphasized stretching. I had back pain but only on my lower right side and stretching was the key. I even started a website about all the things I found because it was so obnoxious going through it.
Nothing spammy, btw and I am real life person. haha. (I re-read what I wrote and it sounded spammy).
Hi Kyle,
I was hoping to get your website as i have right side lower back pain with sciatic. Any help you can be appreciated.
Thanks,
Brian
Hi Alexander. Could you please explain why the deep tissue spinal release is only done on the left side of the spine and not the right also. Thanks.
Hi Eric!
Sorry about that, these exercises should be repeated on both sides. Just for time and simplicity’s sake, I only demonstrated them on the left.
Hope that helps!
Shoot me an email if you have any other questions.
— Alex
tried it all.. done the stretches for 8 months.. still in pain.. I have exhausted all efforts, pretty much out of options.. bummer
How did it go after doing this article? Are you referring to the exercises in this article?
Just thought I’d tell you how I got rid of my back pain. No exercising, no exlensive mattresses or any of that mess. I woke with back pain every morning. I woke in the night with back pain…I hurt all the time. So just disgusted with all the soreness and expense I had previously spent…I went to the mattress store. The salesman tried hard to sell me a tempurpedic mattress. Yea right…just want I want…spend another few thousand. I’ve tried all the “firm” mattresses…they eventually will sag enough to cause that back pain. Well if even an expensive mattress will sag why don’t I just buy a cheap one…a disposable one. So I bought a full size kids 4inch foam mattress. Yes just a piece of foam with a cloth around it to look like a mattress. So I took it home, went to bed and oh it was sooooo hard! I couldn’t sleep it was like a rock. So I got a 2 inch memory foam topper from Walmart. That was just enough to make it so I could sleep. Anyways….here I am a year later and I have absolutely no back troubles what so ever!!!! Don’t get me wrong…even a foam mattress will do what I would describe as forming an indentation where you sleep. However since it is just memory foam and a foam pad…the indentation is actually just air being squeezed out of it from sleeping on it every night. It happens about every 3 weeks. Now that sounds like a nuisance but it’s not…a 4″ foam mattress and a 2″ memory foam topper are super light! I just flip the mattress over or around or what have you. I can do it with one hand tied behind my back! A regular mattress doesn’t really form an indentation…it literally just sags and won’t spring back to shape and its heavy so flippingng it is hard to do and even harder when your back hurts! So why does this cure my back pain I’m sure your wondering. I can only assume it’s because a hard foam pad and only a 2 inch memory foam pad doesn’t leave a lot of room for my back to “arch”during the night…. Causing that horrible back pain every morning. When the foam starts to indent(and I can feel the indentation)… I just flip it. I’m good for another 3 weeks or so. In short…my spine is sleeping straight every night and it feels great!
Awesome suggestion – thank you kathy.
Alex, I have a question for you, (and maybe I missed it), could I lay on my back with a tennis ball under me on either side of my spine and then roll?
Could I use two tennis balls, one on either side? I travel a lot and tennis balls would be easier to bring than that long roller thing. Thanks for all the great info.
Hey Kyle,
Yep! Absolutely. Lots of people use tennis balls for self myofascial release or trigger point therapy. Great way to be mobile and still massage those tender areas.
Hope that helps .
— Alex
simple, clear and practical advice, presented very well. thanks
You’re very welcome 🙂
— Alexander
Love your site, Alexander! I’ve had quite intense lower back pain for a couple of days now and your article sure is spot on. Stretching the way you describe used to be a constant factor in addition to my daily yoga practice. Nice reminder to get me back into the spirit of things again!!!
Hey Manuel,
Awesome, I’m glad you liked it and it helped! Egoscue method and trigger points have been LIFEsavers for me. Definitely keep me posted with how your back is doing !
Best,
Alexander
I’m so glad I came across this site!! I have been out for 4 days now with chronic back pain. It is ongoing problem for me caused from an injury when I was younger. But it is happening more often and I am looking at more ways to prevent it. The tips you have provided are fantastic. Thankyou!
Hey Brenda,
Awesome, I’m glad you like it 🙂 Shoot me an email if you ever have any questions.
Best,
Alex
In excruciating pain i work at a net cafe 2 nights back i’d been sitting in an akward position and when i got up i eperienced very intense lower back, it feels very centered inside the spine almost the pain is so bad it feels as though my balls are getting squeezed any ideas???
Hey David,
Have you been checked for bulging discs, herniated discs, or even hernias?
— Alex
i am 71 years old and am having pains in the lower back– i found your site on google, and have started(yesterday) doing your first 4 exercises, as i am not flexible enough to do all the ones like the “downward dog”etc, but i must say that i have had almost immediate relief. only did them yesterday and again today. I will be looking at going further and will keep you posted on my results.. Thanks, you have helped take some of the pain away.
Hi Kevin,
That’s awesome, I’m happy to hear that they worked for you.
The yoga stretches can be tough, just ignore those for now. I would focus on the Egoscue method, and then do some self myofascial release if you can swing it.
Thanks for stopping by!
— Alex
I suffer from lower back pain after a three day hospital stay. I hope to try out the Egoscue Method but will need assistance getting off the floor. I like your site.
Cheers Kurt! Let me know how your back is doing, okay? You can email me if you have any questions about it.
— Alex
wow these are great tips, i have another, have SEX!
Just take it slow and easy and before you know it the lower back and all muscles related to it feel relief.
Sure, pounding on the herniated discs and compressed vertebrae gives great relief…
Hi Aubergine,
Why are you pounding on herniated discs?
From having sex, duh…
My husband hurt his back having sex, I will show him these tips and exercises.
Hello
I am suffering from hip and lower back pain at a time. i am actually a bike rider and in our country the roads condition are very bad…even now i m feeling so much pain while sitting in my office..it gets better if i stand up
my age is just 30 now i m very much concious why i m having this issue.
Pl guide me and show some more visuals or Video links pleaseeeeeeee
Hi Sid,
Can you tell me more about the hip pain? When does it hurt? Where specifically? Which side is the pain?
– Alex
Hi. My pain is different.. it pains when bend backwards. All these execises hurts. Kindly suggest me something.
Hi Waleed,
Laying with your back on the floor flat aggravates your back pain?
— Alex
Lying on the floor (or even in bed at night) flat on my back kills my lower back during a flare up. The best relief I get is bending my knees with the soles of my feet flat on the floor. The only problem is: I cannot sleep like this and it seriously effects my sleep when I have a flare up. My aching back is my alarm clock and it begins to stir only six hours after I’ve laid down at night.
What can I do??
Seems like you know your stuff, so I would really appreciate some professional insight. Especially since any regular MD would simply offer pain meds or muscle relaxers. Trying to keep it natural!
Thanks!
Rebecca
Thanks for posting such a great article! I’m only 31 and have already had two back surgeries, the most recent being a spinal fusion that I recovered quite nicely from. I was finally back to doing the things I’ve wanted to do and even found a new love of outdoor adventure sports. But those bad habits are very difficult to break and after being back at work for eight months (and sitting 9 hours a day) my back pain has returned with a vengeance. I bought a foam roller after watching an episode of Dr. Oz on the MELT method for pain relief. I love that you’ve highlighted the use of myofascial release by using the foam roller as well.
Bottom line, I couldn’t agree more that lifestyle has EVERYTHING to do with your back pain and no amount of medical intervention is going to save you from your own bad habits. The better we are to our bodies, the better our bodies are going to be to us! 🙂
Hey Kim,
Awesome, I’m glad you’re finally finding some relief for your pain 🙂 How is the MELT method? I’ve seen it myself and would love to try it out.
– Alex
I really love the theory behind the MELT method and it’s really easy to do. I do find that I’m able to release a lot of muscle tension in just seconds, it’s pretty amazing. I would caution however, that if you’re experiencing a lot of pain, especially nerve pain, to add exercises one at a time, that way if something aggravates your symptoms you know exactly what it is. By doing this, you won’t feel the need to discontinue your entire regimen. Movement is the best medicine!!
had the long foam roll thing and put it to use after seeing how to on your site. It really started to help. Also knew about the points around the pelvis but I was not approaching them correctly. I am using your method now so we will see how it develops over the next days. many thanks for your site.
Hey David!
Awesome, I’m so glad you saw some improvements after using it. Let me know if you get confused or have any questions !
– Alex
Thanks.for.quick response.
4 Tips was amazing.
YOU are ….aawwssoomme
You’re welcome Srini, let me know how your back goes 🙂
– Alex
Hi Alex !
Thanks for your nice article. I send you a link that will probably interest you.
https://www.scienceofmassage.com/dnn/som/journal/0903/medical.aspx
Enjoy
-Josie-
Hey Alex –
Great article. I happened upon it when I was planning my session with a client with low back pain. Getting back movement really is key – so many people spend their time bracing in fear of aggravating the pain. Then they develop patterns that are hard to let go of – I will definitely send him to this page to keep up his motivation. The “trigger point” massage is spot on, your going to put me out of business!
Thanks,
Christine
Hey Christine,
Absolutely agree – it’s SUPER tough regaining that range of motion because of the inherited bad motion patterns, and the fear of aggravating it. It takes so much maintenance work.
Haha no need to put you out of business! Just send people here if they want extra homework 😉
– Alex
Thanks for these tips! as with most event photographers we carry around 2 heavy professional cameras and various lenses for long periods of time and which puts a strain on the lower back and I end up with a stiff painful lower back the next day. I tried these tips and they provided immediate relief!!! incredulous! so glad I discovered your website and methods! Thank you for posting these.
Hey Natasha,
No problem 🙂 Always happy to help.
– Alex
Hey Alex, I am a 43 year old male and have been having back pains for a few years now. I though it was because i was over weight. I am still 6’2″ tall, but I used to weigh 285 lbs. I now weigh (fluctuate actually) between 215-225 lbs. Sometimes getting out of bed in the morning has only been by literally rolling over letting my feet hit and pushing up (because the pain was so bad). I have been Taking your advice and trying to do The Egoscue method and the Yoga. It has helped some, I no longer have to roll/push out of bed. Some of the yoga is a little hard on my joints, but the stretch is good (still haven’t been able to do the downward dog, don’t know if it’s my weight or my balance) and helping me. Anyway you can do a video of the tennis ball roll? Not really sure how this is being accomplished AND keeping your posture correct/overcompensated for it to work. Once again THANK YOU! For even posting and having this site. I still have back pain but it literally is 50/60 percent better.
Hi Joe,
Awesome I’m glad to hear your back is doing a little bit better.
For now I would just focus on Egoscue method and doing some trigger point therapy/myofascial release. Any chance you have a baseball bat you can put a pillow over, and then roll over the problematic areas near your back?
And yes, absolutely I’ll put in some better videos doing the tennis ball roll. I had a hard time showing a good visual the first time around but I’ll find a way to make it show better on camera.
– Alex
Hello, I have L5-S1 Bulging disc,, my Gluteus hurts like hell!!! with some leg weakness,,,, Kindly suggest me something. thanks.
Hi Randa,
Have you seen a doctor first about your bulging disc? What did he/she say?
Best,
Alex
Yes I’ve see a doctor, he said to strengthen my back, but when ever I start walking or swimming the pain comes again, do you think the reason is because my muscles are still very weak?
Ironically I just ordered the two books you mention here. I was surfing the web after I ordered them and happened across your website and was impressed to hear your accolades of these books and methods. I have some DDD and foreminal stenosis at L4/5 along with posture issues (office type job). As Kim mentions above, breaking bad habits and the need to learn how to take care of our bodies, I too feel the healing and strength to my back will be through what I learn in these books, as well as what you have on this awesome website!
Cheers,
Bill
No problem Bill! 🙂 Let me know how it goes as you work through these two books. Shoot me an email if you have any questions !
– Alex
Some excellent exercises for back pain. You have a great web site. Thanks for sharing
No problem June 🙂 I hope it helped!
– Alex
Hi Alex,
So glad I stumbled upon this when researching lower back pain stretches. I have been doing these stretches nightly for about 3 days now and my back feels so much better! Glad to know the reasoning behind pain in the left side of my spine. THANKS!!!
You’re welcome Sarah! I hope it helped.
– Alex
Hi, just wanted to say thankyou. Stumbled across your site yesterday, after 10 days of agony, not being able to bend, sit or hardly walk. Much better today after doing exercises and self massage. Wonderful!!! Can’t thank you enough.
Hi Annette,
You’re very welcome, keep doing them and let me know how it goes 🙂
– Alex
Hey Alex,
Great guide u have here !! I have had a sedentary life-style, desk-job for 4 yrs now(yeah i am a geek). Since a year I had back pain once a month or so. In such a case if i go to running/gym if felt better. This July i had a minor knee surgery and i was on bed for 1 month and started walking again. Couple of days back i stretched too much in office like 4-5 hours on the chair straight without taking break. Since then I have back pain/ discomfort in my back. I have tried stretching, swimming, brisk walking, mild exercises, massage etc. I started trying your method but then I realized that if i lie down flat on the floor, my lower back is not completely relaxed so, I feel mild unease while doing static back and static groin stretch.Should I anyway do them? Also, could you please explain a good standing up posture ?
Thank you,
Ankit
Hi Ankit,
Avoid anything that causes discomfort. Have you checked with your doctor to make sure nothing serious is going on?
When I lye flat on my back and press on certain areas I get a shooting pain in my lower back and the pain even radiates around my side and abdomen. Not sure if I should start your exercises, see a chiropractor or rest for a time. I have pain even when I’m at rest.
Thank You,
Carol
Hi Carol –
Please see a doctor and do not do these exercises – if you have a serious issue you should be regularly seeing a qualified medical professional.
Best,
Alex
Hi Alex,
I woke myself up this morning by turning in my sleep and a shooting pain in my upper back on the left side next to my spine. I can feel the pain radiate up my neck to my head/left ear and down through my left arm. None of the lower back exercises seemed applicable and I don’t really think I could get into those positions right now. Im hoping some ibuprofen and heating pads will do the trick to at least get me up out of bed but I was wondering if u had any good upper back exercises. I’ve done the balls on my upper back for soreness when working out and they usually work with consistent long term use. I was wondering if you had any for more immediate relief?
This is my first time to your website, by the way, and I think it’s great!
Thanks!
Mariah
Hi Mariah,
Yeah, sounds like it’s more of a thoracic issue, esp. if both your upper back and neck are hurting.
Do these exercises (it’s for upper back and neck pain): http://modernhealthmonk.com/neck-pain-and-shoulder-pain-upper-crossed-syndrome/
Let me know how those go, okay?
Best,
Alex
I am a 22yr old female. I started weight around November last year. My goal being to increase the size of my gleuteus maximus.
The exercise i performed included squat,butt bridge,lunges,hipthrust,deadlift. I had great results ,around late december i started having mild lower back waist pain and by febuary it got worsed.
I stoped working out and went to see a doctor who told me not to worry that i will be okay in weeks, a month passed and no improvements still, i went back and he prescribed some muscle relaxant and pain relief drugs, it helped a little but whenever i stop the pain comes back. I went for xray and the re
sult says my spine went concave a little to the right(scoliosis) owing from severe muscle spasm. And when the pain started it was at my left lower back then in 2 months the pain shifted completely to the right lower back, and no more pain in the left.
Another doctor i visited said is a sliped disc… I don’t know.
Two month ago the orthopaedic doctor told me to go for physical therapy which i did while on some drugs too but all to no avail.
Lately the pain have been shifting on a daily basis from left to right and drugs seem to be having very little or no effect to relieve the pain. I don’t know what to do, most time i break down and start crying as the pain can get very very painful and causes me to be depressed. Am too young to be experiencing this please help me in any that you can on what to do.
*** i found out that i lifted too heavy and use bad form that’s why the pain came about.
I eagerly hope to hear from you.
Thanks.
Hi Judith,
Did the doctor confirm you didn’t have something serious like a herniated disc? Check with your doctor first – if they confirm that nothing serious is wrong, start with the Egoscue exercises and see how it goes.
Keep me updated with your progress !
Hi Alex!
Thank you soo much for your quick response to my back issue. I implemented the exercises you recommended and they worked! I was surprised when you mentioned that it might be a neck issue since the pain originated in my upper back but you called it correctly. Once I worked the kink out of my back I realized my neck was the real culprit. I’m bookmarking your site right now.
Thanks again!
Mariah
This is such a helpful article! I’ve been having lower back pain for a few weeks now. Everyone keeps saying just go to the Chiropracter or Physio but no advice on some daily exercises to do at home and help with every day comfort! I’ll now be incorporating these into my morning routine in the hopes of ridding this back pain!
Hi,
Just wanted to say thanks,my back was killing me,I got almost instant relief from your pressure point exercises.
I can move again!
Many many thanks
You’re very welcome Phil 🙂
Hi I was wondering if you could help me, my problem is when I walk my lower back starts hurting. I know I have arthritis but this has suddenly got worse over the last year. I think the chiropractor made this worse. It feels like my back locks up, and its moves up my spine round my waist/hip area I am getting so depressed living on pain killers. Can you recomend some exercises for me as I cannot stand this pain. Waiting to see a pain doctor. Many thanks pat
Hi Pat,
Check to see if you have lower crossed syndrome. Pretty common to get lower back pain when walking if you do. This will help you figure out if you do – and how to fix it.
http://modernhealthmonk.com/lower-back-pain-lower-crossed-syndrome/
New job, more sitting. 2 weeks later, lower back pain. I thought a good, long night’s rest laying down would fix things. After sleeping in late today, no go. Decided to Google for help, found your site, and feel like a million bucks! Pain is gone! Thank you so much!
No problem Margaret 🙂
Instant relief. Thanks!
Holy crap, thanks. Back pain resolved! Thanks!
No problem Jonathan! You’re welcome 🙂
Excellent article – thank you! It’s currently 4am and I can’t sleep due to lower back pain and a horrible cough 🙁 It feels as though my lower back has seized up and is totally solid.
Would these techniques work for pain caused/worsened by coughing??
I have had lower back pain on and off since pregnancy 2 yrs ago but this cough is making it worse 🙁
I’d be grateful for your thoughts
Hi Helen,
If it’s due to coughing, most likely not – but you might want to try the trigger points and see if those provide relief.
– Alex
I’ve been having lower back pain for years now… I’m going to be 31 in a few weeks and I have to say that I always dread getting up in the morning because my back is always sore. Thanks for providing these easy to do exercises. Can’t wait to try them out!
HI Alex
I have a very old quad bike injury in my lower back on the left hand side. I never took care of it properly and it hasn’t bothered me in years. I work in IT now and am thus forced into a desk all day. Recently my lower back and hip on the left have been giving me so many problems. I have taken anti inflammatory’s(I do not want to become reliant on them), been to physio, acupuncture and had dry needling done. I am only getting temporary realise and more and more frustrated. I battle to sleep at night and can’t stand for long periods of time. My left hip pops in and out and the whole area around it as described above by you is very knotted and tender. I have been doing all the stretches advised by you and many others, however I would like to know what forms of exercise can I do in the gym? I am worried about further aggravating my injuries but I am so frustrated with not exercising and picking up weight. I really hope you can help me.
Many thanks
Heather
Hi Heather,
Try the foam rolling I recommend here: http://modernhealthmonk.com/desk-pain-relief/
Hi there,
I was in a car accident just a little over a year ago… ever since then I have had major issues with back pain. I was extremely active prior to the accident (volleyball player, in the gym 4x a week, hikes all the time, yoga, etc)… then all of a sudden that came to a lurching halt as all the healthcare professionals I saw advised me not to do activity.. I thought it was odd, but they were the professional and I wanted to get better, so I reluctantly followed orders. As I mentioned, it has now been over a year, and things have only gotten worse. I get pain shooting down my legs on a regular basis, and also get back spasms several times a day… It is quite debilitating. I am now seeing a new family doctor who is telling me to get back into working out, but it is extremely difficult as I cannot even go for a 10 minute walk without severe back pain. I have been for physio, chiro, massage therapy, IMS, and even to a specialist… the works. Nothing has gotten better. I’m at the point where I don’t know how to fix it, so that I am able to have a normal life again. Any help would be much appreciated. I’m at my wits end with this.
Thank you.
For someone who says they don’t recommend yoga, there’s an awful lot of yoga in your guide… Specifically: the things in that so-called Egoscue Method are the same things I do in yoga class every week.
Hi Alex,
I’m in a desperate situation with back pain right now. I’ve had mid back pain (not going too low into the lower back) only when I sleep! Its not the mattress as I changed it and slept on couches, other mattresses, everything. Its been almost nightly since August last yr, at this point I half got used to it and just toss and turn waking every few hours each night. I had an xray and it doesn’t show much. Had a PT eval and they can’t reproduce the pain in the day. Waiting for doc to hopefully send me for an MRI. The other day I slept at my mom’s on the couch and woke up not feeling the mid back pain because there was sharp spasm pain on my lower back. This lasted all day yesterday and today. Each time I try to get up from sitting position or sit down from standing position, it is excruciating pain. It seems to be a little more towards the left side but concentrated on the middle/left lower back. I can’t even lift my legs to cross them while sitting cause it triggers more pain. I’ve taken advil and it doesn’t help. Tried a heating pack earlier while studying. I’m going to try your stretches now, probably not the bending back one since just attempting to stand up straighter or walk more sends shooting pain. Tomorrow I’ll be working all day but standing. Hopefully sharp spasm pain won’t suddenly come out then I’ll be frozen and yelling ouch. I’ve always had a strong back by the way. Used to be on a competitive paddling team, ran two marathons, and triathlons. Unfortunately I went back to school for a change in career and it leaves me no time to do any extreme exercise like I used to. I still swim consistently twice a week. Out of shape, yes a bit, but not enough to have horrible debilitating pain out of the blues? If you have any thoughts or suggestions, please email me. Thanks so much! Julie
Hi Julie –
Have you tried putting a towel or thin pillow under your lower back when you sleep?
I just did the Gluteus Medius massage and the tightness in my lower middle started pulsing, the muscles started relaxing immediately. I will follow the rest of your suggestions, they appear practical and not expensive to do. thank you.
Hi Alexander nice to meet you and I have one question if I do the excersize is the pain going to go away immediately or its going to take a while
Hi Alberto, for some people it works right away. Try it!
Instant results. I have tried everything from cortisone, Needling, Chiro and my back pain keeps coming back. I did this yesterday and felt relief right away. Thank you!!!
Cheers DYJ :-).
Hy Dear,
I hope you are in good health. I am glad to have this information. I have pain in lower back section, from last three months. i used to do exercise in my daily routine but one-day i wake up in the morning and i feel a swear pain in may lower back. but after few days it become less. Now the main problem is when i am trying to bend my back their is always some sort of pain in the lower section and sometimes a current develop in my spine. Means to say if i bend my back on a specific angle their is always a current develop in my spine and my pain starts, writ between from my hips where my spine end. Please suggest me some exercises. Thank you.
Hi Zeeshan,
How was your back after trying these exercises?
hi,
i am 38 years, and weighting 100kg. i saw your article through google search. i used today the techniques in method #1 Egoscue Method. is it enough to do all 4 method once in a day. i have back pain on my one side. even i cough i feel pain. what should i do
Hi Sami,
You could do them all in one day, if there’s still pain.
I don’t have back pains but i did some of your exercises. what i am looking for are a few exercises for puffy knees, especially for my left knee the right don’t look to bad. my doctor was surprised they don’t hurt. i am not fat 90 lbs. 5′ 1” tall. hanging skin above my knees from my thighs.
dena
My friend i have back pain rite top of my hip near to my backbone. I feel pain when i try to bend my body rite near the backbone from middle of my left butt i feel that one of my muscle is being stretched and when i keep a hand or finger on that muscle near the backbone and would like to comeback on my original standing position then i don’t feel pain. sometimes when suddenly bend their is some sort of current develop on top of left hip. i don’t know what happens i never had an accident. i just start feeling pain when i was sitting on the chair and try to do exercise fro my biceps and next day i started feeling pain.
Hi Shan – did you try the gluteus medius point mentioned in the video?
Hey im 23 years old and in gymn i hurted badly and my lower disc L5 is moved from its placed and i have a bad lower lumber pain on the left side and after getting reports i found that im having little arthritis in in that bone also and my nerves are compressing in between that disc which is causing me pain so please advice me some thing will these exercises be good for me?
Hi Alexander,
This is great! It is really helps – thanks so much 🙂
No problem 🙂
Hey Love the site! So I have quick Question. So I have Lower back pain problems and I have like one side from lower back that has pain and one that doesn’t. Help(:
So I’m a male nurse and 3 days ago moved a 153kg Pt from one bed to another with the help of 2 little nurses. I of course was at center mass pulling. Then pushed the bed down the hall then when we got to her room cleaned her and turned her.
Well after 10 minutes I developed a sharp excruciating low back pain. Could barely walk and stand.
3 days off work so far.
Going home in a bit an trying your exercises and trigger points.
Hope it helps.
Let me know how it goes Michael! Sorry to hear about that.
Stop smoking cigarettes! Many studies have proven that if a person smokes, they will be 30 percent more susceptible to developing back pain. It decreases the blood circulation and constricts blood vessels, which in turn prevents essential nutrients from getting to the lower spine and discs, causing them to become brittle and vulnerable to injury.
I just read Pain Free but what exercise do I start with when I pretty much have a problem in all areas. I herniated my l5 s1 disc 2 yrs ago and have since had leg problems in my muscles. Ankles and knees kill me and no matter what I do nothing helps. What would you suggest to do ? Thanks Donna
These exercises are perfect! you nailed the “pain free” concepts!
Hey Alex,
Nice Article. I have been doing a desk job for 7 years and recently started riding my motor-bike yo office and it started taking a toll on my lower back. Your 4 step exercise gave me instant relief. Great work man. Keep doing the same 🙂
These four exercises along with my regular workout routine have help me a great deal. I try to do them at least 2 or 3 times a week. If I start feeling pain I just increase how many times a week I do them. I never have gone this long without a major flare up. Can’t tell how much this has helped me. I didn’t believe it at first but I said what have a got to lose, I’ll give it a try. I glad I did. Thanks for the tips.
Jack Frost
Cheers Jack 🙂 Glad to hear you’re doing better!
Hey alex am still waiting for my reply:
Hey im 23 years old and in gymn i hurted badly and my lower disc L5 is moved from its placed and i have a bad lower lumber pain on the left side and after getting reports i found that im having little arthritis in in that bone also and my nerves are compressing in between that disc which is causing me pain so please advice me some thing will these exercises be good for me?
Hi Fatima –
Please avoid these and check with your doc first if you have any serious back issues.
– Alex
I wasn’t able to do the Static Back (A.) it really hurt worse being on the floor, I tried to reduce the 90 degress, keep it at 90 or increase it, nothing felt good. It just hurt worse, however I was able to do the Static Extension (B.) without too much pain.
My back pain mostly wakes me up at night. I see a chiropractor weekly and have been afraid to mention the nocturnal back pain b/c he’s already told me that it’s not good to be sleeping on a soft bed. I have tried the whole side sleeping (way too difficult to find a good position with pillows, twisting, etc.). Mostly, I sleep on my back and had been putting a rolled up towel under my knees, even tried a wedge pillow under my knees, neither help. I still tend to get only 5-6max hrs of sleep before my back screams pain & wakes me up.
I do sit at a desk all day, but have tried to incorporate more stretches throughout my day so that I am getting up frequently (every 30 mins-1hr), but I just don’t know what else to do. Is the nocturnal back pain something that you address in your book?
Hi Christina, start with this guide: http://modernhealthmonk.com/back-pain-when-sleeping/
I have problem in Gluteus Medius Point C. I have shown to many specialists but I feel no improvement.
Please suggest me some exercises and special diet to get out of pain.
i`m 23 year old.my nerve on gluteus medius is blocked when i rest on bed it is vibrating.
hi
i am 23 year old.i have pain in gluteus medius point C.
my nerve is vibrating and i feel pain
hi
i have disc bulge in the lower back and its pressing on a nerve giving me sciatica in the left leg. this has been going on for around 3 yrs now so my glutes and non existent, and inner thigh are really tight. Yes i have a desk job! 🙁 I was offered surgery to remove the floating bits of disc away from the nerve, but from reading stuff on the internet, i cancelled the op! What would you suggest. Im trying your exercises and stretches now! 🙂
I have been having back pains since yesterday january 15, on my left lower,mid side of my back. Everytime i move it hurts. I feel like i can’t do anything because my back really hurts. I have to slowly move to get up or turn side ways on my bed. I stretched and massaged the area, still hurts. Been in pain since yesterday..shoukd i go to the doctor?
This is all awesome info. I am a former pro football player. This product really helped my pain! The Rhino Roller
Cheers chad! You’re welcome man.
my lower back is killing me and I am doing the exercises and all the stretching please help l5 and s1 bad!
my mum had back pain and she did it and now she’s feeling better.
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Perhaps you are already the patient of a Chiropractor, or perhaps you have considered chiropractic treatment.
Hi,
I found your website when I was doing a search on google to get rid of back pain. Recently I started having lower/middle back pain after I changed my mattress. The pain starts when I sit for a long time and its so hard to get rid of and continues all night long and i wake up early because of it. Sometimes it starts in the middle of night. Do you think it could be the mattress or the problem is me sitting for too long because of my work? Could a mattress help this situation or make it worse?
Hi Lili,
It’s so hard to tell – for me personally I had to buy a cheaper mattress that was stiffer – now I usually don’t get much back pain because my spine is more aligned as I sleep. But I’ve also seen people spend thousands on new mattresses that didn’t do anything for them.
yoga is the good way to treat lower back pain. its work for me..
I just want to say thank you. I’ve been battling a stomach flu and I woke up with the worst lower back pain. I used your stretches to make the pain disappear and then the proper form for side sleeping and I actually got deep nice rest. Thank you, thank you, thank you. 🙂
Cheers Caroline 🙂
I’ve been suffering from lower back pain since I’m working several hours a day just in front of my pc. When I started doing some yoga, more stretching, and I corrected my sitting position, and changed my bed foam, car seat and the chair I am sitting on at work, after a few days, I noticed some major relief on my back. And now, I hardly experience back pain. Lifestyle changes is your best relief really. Hope this helps. Awesome site you got. Love the tips I get from it. Keep it up! 🙂
You are totally telling TRUTH! I’m currently undergoing physical therapy (torn rotator cuff/frozen shoulder) in a rather large, modern facility where I see various injuries/treatments as you sit applying heat/ice after pt has ended and all that you have described is what physical therapists actually do, except you saved us many years of school (4-6 years I believe) and healthcare bills. The diagrams/charts and videos have made this very simple for anyone concerned about getting assistance and performing self-treatment properly. Fantastic accurate information so since I trust what you wrote here I will now look into your other information. Thank you, I actually pulled a lower back muscle when opening a top window.
Glad it helped Neena! Please let me know how you’re doing after going through this. – Alex
Back exercises can be helpful with certain types of back conditions however it’s always wise to let your doctor know what you’re doing just to make sure it’s not something that can hurt you or make a condition worse.
I absolutely agree Tammy – great to check with a qualified health professional before doing anything here.
Hello,
I have a question about the Modified Floor Block exercise. Does your forehead have to touch the floor during this exercise cause it seems really uncomfortable with my forehead touching the floor. Is it ok if the chin part of your face touches the floor instead of the forehead. It feels more comfortable like this.
Thanks in advance.
Hi Lili – go with whatever feels best, for sure.
I ended up going to a chiropractor from http://greggchiro.info/garden-city-chiropractor/ .. I really wish I had gone sooner. I heard friends tell me over and over to go but to be honest I didn’t think it would do much help. Now I regret putting it off for so long. I go back on a regular basis to keep my back pain at bay.
Man, thank you so much for this… saved my life 😀
Glad it helped 🙂
We can definitely help ease back pain with stretching exercises but if pain continues a doctor should be consulted to determine if the cause may be due to other more serious health issues.
Thankyou very much….it worked a lot…i had to go to six flags theme park but my back pain did not enable me to go but now im fit n fine…thanks alot!!!!I going to six flags. I recommend this to every one who are
suffering from back pian. Thanks for this post. Really it works!!!!
You’re welcome 🙂
Hi! Alexander, I’ve gone through your pages and found it very helpful and enlightening. I have a herniated disc problem more than twelve years back and had to get operated about ten years back. Since then I got along good till last month, when I got this nagging pain in my lower back and my doctor advised me for MRI after which the same problem was diagnosed (herniated disc). Now I go for physiotherapy twice a week and I would love your advice as to the kind of exercises that I should follow. My therapist told me that a foam roll is a very effective way to help with my problem. Could you please give me your opinion and guidance? Looking forward to hear from you. Regards Tenzin.
Hey Tenzin –
If you have a herniated disc you should definitely stick with your doc’s advice, and make sure to ask him/her before trying anything here – don’t want to worsen anything.
Good Explanation.Very Usefull.
You’re welcome!
Good tips. This really work for me. I recommend to others to try and see how it heals, doing stretching as the above images show. Very helpful & useful webpage. Many Thanks!
Hi
past 3 days i am practicing this 4 exercise and my lower back right side increased constantly can you please suggest me whether i have to continue or stop.
Hi jay -I’d stop and see a doctor.
Bing a chronic ppain patient myself, I can inform
you very first hand that chronic pain sufferers are siignificantly discriminated
against. Being among countless Americans who experience chronic discomfort every
day, I can also likewise affirm that chronic discomfort gpes grossly under-treated and millions
off Americans suffer needllessly in pain everyday. With today’s medication, and tthe resourcws that we are
privileged to have in this nation, not a bachelor shoould ever suffer out of overlook from
chtonic discomfort.
Due to various situations, government regulations, and
other elements, medical profdessionals as a whole in the medical neighborhood
are skeptical and rather hesitant when dealing wityh individuals
in chronic discomfort. Some doctors flat out refuse to treat people with chronic pain, which is
a shame. Somme medical professionals will barely deal
with people in chronic discomfort whyich is also a shame.
If your fortunate like I was, a chronic discomfort patient who discovered a thoughtful medical professional that cares about treating chronic pain effectively, properly aand effectively on a drug treatment program.
Wow never would have thought about using a tennis ball to relieve my back pain, can’t wait to give this a try thanks 🙂
Hi alex.
It’s currently 3:30am in aus and i have been up and down with backpain all night……again! I have always had lower back pain but what i have now takes the cake. It ONLY happens at night and can be so bad i cannot move. It hurts to breath i get sharp pains mid thorassic (cannot take a deep beathe or sneeze as the pain is unbearable), outer lower pain (feels loke the muscles are really weak and probably are) and a tightness in my traps….all right hand side of my back. I cannot get any relief except anti inflammatories. This says to me muscular problems and nothing else yet.
My questions for you are these.
How firm should the tennis ball be?
Can you use the form roller if you only have pain on one side?
Thanks
B
Hey Bron,
Yes and yes – if a tennis ball isn’t firm enough, you can use a golf ball but be VERY careful where you roll with it. It’ll likely leave you sore for a day or two.
Does carrying a wallet in my back pocket lead to chronic back pain?
Most likely not unless you sit on it all day.
I had severe back pain where I could not sit and when I did I could barely stand…I was a nationally certified personal trainer for 20 yrs and never expected to have severe back pain that brought me to tears. Went to a surgeon who diagnosed me with degenerative disc disease and actually my vertebrae was in great shape with the exception of one disc near the coccyx. The doctor sent me to a PT clinic & they were great in that their approach was to prevent surgery with numerous yoga like stretches and the roller. Went through pain for 2 years and today I am basically pain free without surgery….the only I get a twinge is if I move suddenly while twisting. Proper exercise to strengthen & specific proper stretching is the key along with maintaining the proper weight so you don’t burden your back.
I love the advise you have given….kudos to you!
Your book has transformed my life more than any other book i’ve read on the subject
Thank you for this site. Wellness is empowering. I just started reading your articles, and I’m excited to read more. 🙂
Glad it helped Taahirah !
You said you view all these stretches as short term solutions but to check out your epic guide or how to eliminate the pain altogether. I’m having trouble finding this guide!
Hi Brendan, Sorry about that – try here: http://modernhealthmonk.com/back-pain-bonus/
Wouldn’t an active sex partner help too? I mean I’ll try these exercises too. Maybe sex is the quick fix?
Back pain is so annoying!!
agree!
hey alexander… i am 20 yrs old nd hav 67 kg weight, have lower back pain in right side….
it is bcoz i put on a 90 kg weight boy on my shoulder and walked when i was exercising…
what to do now for relief….. plz help me through mail on my email-id
Hi Farhan – did you go through this guide – and try the quadratus lumborum massage there?
This helped me a lot thank you
You’re welcome Richie !
Thanks sir.i want to ask you that can it be revert and will i live a normal life or it goes worse with time
Plz tell me the truth
Thanks
Hi there –
Have you had a chance to see your doctor and talk about this? It’s ultimately the only way to know.
-Alex
Hi Alexander,
Thanks for your routine. Unfortunately, all the positions emphasize stretching, softening, stimulating, etc. No strengthening of the core muscles of the lower back and belly. I sustained a low back sports injury in high school. I tried everything in the way of stretching and got limited relief which didn’t last. What did work for me was three slow crunches on a big exercise ball working up to twenty, and standing and sucking in and releasing of the low belly muscles. I also purchased a low back hyperextension frame, well-padded for about $200 I started with three extensions done slow with assist bars, working up to a set of twelve, no assist. This completely stopped the pain as long as I did the routine twice a week or so. It stretches and strengthens simultaneously.
I am also going add some of your stretching poses.
Thanks for your good work.
please help and suggest me what i do for my hard back pain
pls…..
Thank you so much for getting ‘to the point of pain’ with back issues.
I have been to a chiropractor and been examined by a doctor for back strain, tension and stress as the diagnosis turned out. Fed up with being a passive pain relief taker, I tried your methods which were very helpful.
Finding the ‘trigger’ points was like like finding a bruise that had a slight burning sensation.
It wasn’t excrutiating but just like you said a feeling of needing to be ‘ironed’ out.
I tried the massage techniques and tennis ball! I am already moving around in more comfort. The muscles/tendons have started to open out.
As I said before It’s a no brainer to to see a practioner/doctor but it is so helpful to have some practical tips on after care.
Thanks so much!
Lots of best wishes from the UK!!!
So happy it helped for you Sarah 🙂 I find that if I do this regularly, it just keeps getting better and easier.
Thank you so much – I’m so glad I found this link! I totally screwed up my back yesterday to the point I couldn’t walk, etc. and this is helping a TON.
Happy it helped Rhonda 🙂
Very good info. Lucky me I recently found your website
by chance (stumbleupon). I have book marked it for later!
Hi Alexander,
I tried your steps and tips and it works like charm.
You are doing great work. Keep it up.
Glad they helped!
Thanks you so much for this article. I injured my hip/lower back somehow at work and even after rest/chiro/massage, I kept re injuring myself with very little exertion. The last time I was freaking out! I have been using lacrosse balls on the pressure points you mention and have had amazing results! I also stretch after heat, figure 4 stretch is good for the hip and child’s pose feels so great on my back. This morning I woke up with no stiffness (it did return after sitting for a while) and my mood and outlook on this injury had lightened drastically. Thanks again
I used to love rolling around the floor with a tennis ball, getting the kinks out of my back. It felt really good, esp on the lower back, but I made the mistake of doing it right on my upper spine, and under my neck and caused a herniated disc! I ended up in severe nerve pain, a crooked neck, and had to get a steroid shot, meds, physical therapy, and lots of time to get back to normal again. NOT RECOMMENDED.
I know the prior comments are quite old so my comment will probably be lost in the internet abyss. But I am sending out a S.O.S. to the Universe in hopes that someone will hear me. The chronic pain that I am experiencing is becoming unbearable and after hours upon hours, begging medical professionals to help me, I am beginning to think I will never know life without pain again.
I was “diagnosed with DDD and several disc herniations” a year ago. I did medication and PT for 3 months. The pain was manageable. It became a part of everyday life. Nearly a year to the date, I am in a worse state. My lower back aches 24/7. I have nerve pain and numbness in my legs and feet. The muscles in my legs seize up off and on all day and I am unable to stand or walk for more than two minutes. When I attempt to stretch my legs and/or back, my leg muscles seize. I can’t even climb stairs or get up off the floor without help. No one can tell me why. No one can tell me how to help myself. The medications do not help. The doctors do not help. And hours of internet searches leave me wondering if I am dying from some jungle disease.
Please, if anyone is reading this, reach out. If there is any help for me, reach out. I
Hi Susan – have you seen the book pain free ?
Nice picks, I was taught all but one of them from a physical therapist in 1983… Still doing them.
This is the best article on back pain I have ever come across. I pulled my lower back out yesterday just before an important weekend of teaching, and following some of these tips (especially the trigger points) has totally removed the pain. Miraculous! Thank you so much for sharing.
Thank you for sharing informational blog. It is really helpful for those who suffers from joint pain problems,back pain and neck pain.
Would it be possible to purchase this is book form? Thank you
Hi Nell – which book?
i am having lower back pain from the last few days. The pain is exactly on the left side of lower back just above the hip.
When i am standing the pain is negligible, but as soon as i sit down, the pain increases.
I use to drive car for 1hr morning and evening for commuting from home to office.
I have a full time sitting work in office on the laptop.
Pls suggest me some exercise which i can perform at home to keep away this back pain.
Hi Alex,
Thanks for your information.
Most back pain seems to happen with inactivity. However, my back pain is from activity. I’ve had a manual labour job fro the past 9 years and have been getting pain lately. Not severe, just uncomfortable. I am 43yo.
Is the treatment different?
Hey Steve, check with your doc that it’s okay, and try these out after getting the OK.
-Alex
Hi Alex,
A google search helped me find your cite and what a jackpot of info. I found. Thank you for your generosity in sharing your journey and save so many of us the time to do this.
Can I contact you outside of this forum because I have some questions about chairs without arms (don’t have any with arms) plus some are based on my history and current issues I am experiencing.
I wanted to get a roller foam and wondered what length to get? 3 inch diameter is what I have in mind.
Been trying these exercises for my lower back pain and what a relief… Thanks
Glad it helped Rosezetta!
I lifted something too heavy and have been in pain for 2 weeks. I have the Egoscue book that has helped me in the past. I find that doing the static back and modified floor block put me in terrible pain every time – anything where I’m lying on the floor, front or back. I can barely get up and walking is very difficult and I feel better before executing those e-cises. it’s my inclination that I shouldn’t be doing those. I’m 72 and very thin. What are your thoughts?
Hi,
Alex ,
gone through your tips,but some hours it’s fine but end of the day still it’s hurts.
Thanks,
I am new to your techniques, and don’t see anything that helps me just yet so am writing hoping that you can offer some assistance in my case. I am 83 years old, still operating a home-based business (almost 30 years now!), still able to run my household alone, and take care of my two small dogs, llive alone, and was diagnosed with osteoporosis about 14 years ago, and lumbar stenosis (L-1 & L3) about 10 years ago. Had spinal decompression treatments about 10 years ago which helped immensely. Had a right hip replacement (2008), horrible fractured right femur late 2014, and in 2015 a total knee replacement. I am the bionic woman! Bone scans show good improvement as regards to the osteoporosis – especially in the spine. However, the surgeries seem to have aggravated the back problem which is at the point now where even my thighs are affected (pain and weakness). Had 12 physical therapy treatments for the back this year a few months after the knee replacement which gave some relief but not much. I am totally opposed to taking pain pills and stuff like Excedrin although my doctor feels I am a bit unreasonable about that. My biggest problem is that most recommended exercises are those that are done on the floor. I am absolutely unable to do them because once on the floor (which is a trick in itself!) I’m unable to get myself up off the floor due to the repaired knee as well as the bad left knee – weight applied to them is impossible. One of the problems of living alone! Can you steer me to some exercises that do not require being on the floor?
Hi I entered my email address to download your guide and I still have not received an email to confirm
Hi Angela,
Did you check your spam?
Experiencing extreme lower back pain, did some yoga poses I found on youtube, helped a little. Tred to start off with D. since getting to a chair would take a while, made my pain so much worse. Not doing this again.
Holy crap! I’ve been sitting here reading/watching your 3 most popular articles because I have knee pain and lower back pain WHILE having really uncomfortable lower back pain. After going through your materials a few times (because there’s a lot of info) and decided I’m going to do 2 stretches before I go to bed, which I just did: the front lean split stretch and the pigeon pose (modified). Now I’m back at my computer b/c I still have 30 mins before I have to sleep and was going to check out what else on your site I want to read when I noticed lower back pain is gone!
It’s funny b/c I know how to do those stretches b/c I had learn basic yoga before but I never knew the connections. Ok now the pain is coming back b/c I wasn’t sitting properly :P. But I’m so amazed and happy b/c my back was REALLY bothering me today from all the traveling, more so than before. Now I’m motivated to do more stretches and maybe I’ll finally have a good night’s sleep. Thanks!
Glad it helped Jane!
Hi Alex, thanks for the great instructions and descriptions of back pain relief strategies. Different exercises and stretches work well or not so well, but some of the ideas you have mentioned have also been recommended to me by various doctors and physiotherapists…the tennis ball being one example. Lower back pain is, shall we say, “unpleasant”. I’ve found that a cheap little TENS machine – $20-$30 on eBay – has really helped me. Thanks again for the obvious effort you have put into this post,
Matthew
(Melbourne, Australia)
I just said ef it and turned to marijuana. More so, CBD in cannabis is what really helped relieve my back pain. I’ve been using a CBD oil cartridge from a brand called Quanta, and it’s been amazing. No psychoactive effect, so I can smoke some and go to work with no groginess or haze. I don’t get “high”, but my back gets fixed lol
I hear you, but is it fixing it in the long run?
Thank you tips for the pain relief below may be useful also for others.
“I loved this post! There are so many people who suffer from postural problems! I will bookmark it for future reference.
Thanks for posting!”
Thank you so much for this helpful article and important informations. I am practicing these steps daily and today I started wearing lower back support belt and will get rid of this problem soon. Medications as muscles relaxant and nerve swelling relieve are also effective.
Good luck Mazen!
This is a great piece. Thanks
It really worked thanks
Hopeful it works
Hey! 👋 Thanks for this information though. I’m going to include this in my daily routine because ya know I’ll still experiencing this lower back pain and it’s kinda annoying. But anyways, thank you for this piece again! 🤗😇🏃🏋️♀️
Good luck Nan
This article is fantastic!! Now if only my back was loose enough to do half of them.
Haha, hope it helps Jayy.
I have INSANE trigger points in my glutes pretty much all the time. It hurts like hell to use the tennis ball on them but after they do, my back feels incredible. It’s so worth it.
Hi Alexander,
This thread has been going on some time. Looks like it’s still fairly active. I’ve self diagnosed myself as having sacro iliac dysfunction. No physio or chiro has specifically agreed yet I can specifically pin point the area and it is directly at my SI. I’ve smashed onto my tail bone area twice sledding and had my coccyx bone broken during childbirth due to it being tipped inward, last year I jarred my back when I nearly slid on ice and it’s been a chronic pain for 14 months. Today I am in absolute tears. I’m feeling very pessimistic of ever having relief. Can you recommend any pain meds that have been helpful and is it possible to actually have your hips become locked so that you cannot perform a hinged forward bend while sitting and what exercise/stretch can I do to be able to bend forward? Thanks for anything you can offer. I feel so sad. I’ve run 3-5 times a week for 9 years and haven’t since this flared up. So frustrated.
My dad is experiencing back pain for a while now and he’s having a hard time sleeping because of it. It was explained here that he can try some exercises to help ease the pain. Moreover, if the pain persists, it’s best to consult health professionals for lower back pain.
Just came across your site. About 25 years ago, I had excruciating low back pain that I was able to get a handle on by going to the Egocsue clinic in San Diego. (I still have the menus.) I’ve always been pretty active, running, martial arts of various types, stretching, some weights. Now, I think due in part to 1) sitting for work (no option, I’m a pilot) and 2) improper technique lifting weights, it seems i’ve kind of squashed the disk between the L5 and S1 joint, pinching the nerve going to my left buttock and sometimes thigh, or sometimes just super painful above the hip in the back. I’ve tried the Egoscue menu for herniated disc, but anything like static extension just puts a bunch of pressure on the spot. X-rays and observation show right hip elevated a bit. I’ve started with a regular PT therapist, but would like to figure a way to incorporate the Egoscue stuff without irritating further (and maybe really damaging) the nerve.
Any suggestions?
I have heel pain and need arch support for my tired feet. I first wore orthofeet shoes around the house for an hour or two at a t ime, as suggested. This past weekend I ventured out to work my daughters Girl Scout cookie booths. I was on my feet 2 hours straight and my feet felt great.
My back has been hurting for the last couple of weeks. I have been crying and staying up all night because it hurts so bad! Thank you for sharing the different routines I can do. The one where you lie on your back and put one leg on a chair was very useful to relieve some of my pain. Along with trying all these different body positions, I am going to try to find a chiropractor who can give me more insight of what is wrong with my back.
i’m having lower back pain for past two months now .please help me out.
Hi GRACE ,I agree with you this was a great informative post you have shared on this page about the reducing of back bone pain easily within a short interval of time by following the instruction of physio therapist and also understand the steps of exercise given to you by a doctor otherwise your pain of backbone near a spinal cord are increase day by day and this is very helpful for your health .
Thanks.
This is very good for me
👍