Does Stretching Actually Help with Lower Back Pain?

Stretching may help reduce chronic lower back pain for some people, especially as part of a broader exercise program. The amount of relief varies, and stretching does not help everyone. Stretches for the hips and legs, including the hip flexors, hamstrings, and piriformis, may feel helpful for some people, but the best exercises depend on the cause of the pain and the person’s symptoms. A gentle stretch can often be held briefly and repeated as comfortable, but there is no single schedule that is best for everyone. Stop or modify a stretch if it increases pain. Key stretches include knee-to-chest pulls, cat-cow poses, and piriformis stretches. During a new flare of back pain, avoid stretches that make symptoms worse, and keep movements gentle. Seek prompt medical care for pain accompanied by new weakness or numbness, loss of bladder or bowel control, numbness around the groin, fever, major trauma, or other concerning symptoms.