Lower back pain is one of the most common ailments affecting populations across the world. While back injuries may not always present conspicuously, those of us who have experienced back pain know it can truly be debilitating.

Back problems are also a complicated area of human health. The cause is not always immediately clear. At times, yes, a scan will show that there is an obvious issue. However, for many people, a pulled muscle or general fatigue makes the spine vulnerable.

Exercises to manage spine health and lower back pain are plentiful. And, if you’ve ever spoken to someone experiencing back problems, you’ll know that there isn’t a one-size-fits-all solution. Every person and every situation is unique.

More often than not, managing lower back pain requires a trial-and-error approach. We find something that works for us and stick with that. In an ideal world, proper prohibitive care and maintenance would save many from experiencing the debilitating symptoms of lower back pain. In reality, many of us find ourselves searching for treatment and ways to get things back to ‘normal.’

For many people, the hips are a significant contributing factor to lower back pain. Tension and stiffness in the hips can cause strain to the lower back. Each of these exercises that can help relieve lower back pain also incorporates hip work. In general, by releasing tension and stiffness in the hips, a common result is released stiffness (and pain) in the lower back.

Utilizing Stick Mobility Training Sticks, these exercises for lower back pain can help you get a better stretch and start moving better. When your back experiences less discomfort, it makes so many things easier. From training and exercise to the simplest tasks in life, a healthy, happy back lets you do and enjoy more.

To help with relief and mobility in the spine, try these exercises for lower back pain:

QL Stretch for Low Back Tightness

Training Stick(s) Required: 1 long Training Stick (6 or 7 feet long)

Tightness in the quadratus lumborum (QL) is a very common cause of lower back pain and tightness. The QL is located in your lower back on either side of the lumbar spine and helps in flexion and extension of the spine. It also plays a role in stability in the back.

Lower back pain associated with the QL is common due to its overall functionality. The muscle is used to sit, stand and walk. Essentially, it’s one of those muscles we constantly use, but care and maintenance of the QL is often overlooked.

Try this drill demonstrated here to stretch the QL and alleviate tightness in the lower back. This video goes into depth on instruction.

This stretch is a monkey hang variation that specifically targets the low back area and provides a deep stretch along the QL and all the way to the lat and into the shoulder.

As one hip hangs off the surface, reach up to grab high on the Training Stick. Remain situated on the surface. You will feel the stretch in the lower back and all the way up to your shoulder. Alternate sides, and feel the tightness easing!

Bow & Arrow Variation for Tight Lower Back and Hips

Training Stick(s) Required: 1 long Training Stick (6 or 7 feet long); shorter individuals can also use a 5-foot Training Stick

The Stick Mobility Bow & Arrow is an excellent drill to stretch the lateral chain and help with overall body stiffness. This variation specifically targets the hips, lateral chain, thoracic spine, and shoulders. While this exercise can help alleviate lower back pain, it also helps improve your stability and strengthen the body.

This exercise is essentially a kneeling Bow & Arrow. For the full instruction, watch this video demonstration.

Begin in the half-kneeling position. Grab the Training Stick with one hand on the grip and the other hand about halfway down. Start by holding the Training Stick above your head, so that the other end is hanging out to one side. Side bend until the Training Stick hits the ground and the other end comes to rest a couple of feet to your side. Push your mid-stick hand out to create a bow.

You can vary this variation by side-bending slightly backward. This will target the shoulders more.

The Stick Mobility Bow & Arrow is a tremendous stretch. This half-kneeling variation allows us to target the hips more than the standing version. By targeting the hips and working the lateral chain, the stretch benefits the lower back.

Psoas Release in the 90/90 Position

Training Stick(s) Required: 1 Short Training Stick (4 or 5 feet long)

The psoas muscle is a critical component of mobility in the lumbar spine and the hips. A tight psoas can cause pain in the lower back, hips, legs, and pelvis. Maintaining mobility in this muscle is especially important for those who sit for long periods of time.

This exercise, which you can see thoroughly demonstrated and explained, will help to open up your interior capsule and stretch the psoas. It also incorporates some thoracic rotation that is an additional help to alleviate back pain.

Start by setting up in the 90/90 position with your backside facing a wall. You want both of your knees and the pubis area to be at 90 degrees. First, we’ll target the left anterior hip and psoas by going down onto your right elbow. Take your Training Stick in the left hand and anchor it into the wall behind you. Actively push your left knee down into the floor. This will put tension on your psoas. With your left hand push the Training Stick into the base of the wall. 

This will activate the posterior line from the backside of the left shoulder to the lat and down into the left glute. Squeeze your left glute and do a posterior pelvic tuck. Keep your left leg locked down, continue to drive the Training Stick into the base of the wall, and begin to open up your left arm.  

This opens up and lengthens the entire interior capsule. When you turn your shoulder toward the wall, this will work in the thoracic rotation.

Simply sitting in the 90/90 position is a great way to balance the hips and keep them mobile. This can help with stiffness and pain in the lower back and hips. By incorporating the Training Stick into the position, the variation helps you to target your efforts. By leveraging the Training Stick, you can also expand the benefits of the stretch with the thoracic rotation, thus benefiting more of the spine.

In Closing

Stick Mobility Training offers a wide variety of [benefits]. There are drills that focus on strengthening, flexibility, stability, balance, and more. These range from full-body workouts to specific joint mobilizations that target particular areas.

When it comes to specific exercises, Stick Mobility can help you target your work to particular muscle groups, joint complexes, and even individual joints. Using the Training Sticks to create leverage helps us to expand our end ranges, but it also allows for better specificity in training. The ability to focus your exercises and feel the impact is a significant benefit of incorporating Stick Mobility into your training.

In a world where we can find too many exercise solutions to combat lower back pain, Stick Mobility sets itself apart. Using the Training Sticks combines a variety of disciplines into principles that can yield a range of outcomes, head to toe, from workouts to strengthening the whole body to exercises to alleviate lower back pain.