How to Loosen Tight Lower Back Muscles

Tight lower back muscles can get in the way of doing almost everything. You may find it uncomfortable (or even actively painful) to bend over, walk up or down stairs, stand still, and even go to bed at night. 

Fortunately, you can reduce or even eliminate the pain and discomfort of tight lower back muscles. 

Potential Causes of Tight Lower Back Muscles

• Injury – A common cause of any back pain is injury. Car accidents, falls, heavy lifting, and sports injuries sometimes cause tightness and pain in your lower back. Then again, you may have felt your back “go out” when you were working in the garden, getting into or out of the car, or pushing a child on a swing. Many routine activities can go horribly wrong to create tight lower back muscles. 
• Overuse – You may find your back hurts after jogging, running, doing push-ups, or lifting weights. Any sport that involves pulling or lifting can cause overuse injuries, and sometimes symptoms are delayed up to 24 or 48 hours. 
• Arthritis – This degenerative disease involves chronic joint inflammation leading to structural damage and localized pain. Inflammation from spinal arthritis commonly leads to stiffness.
• Fibromyalgia – With widespread pain, sensitivity, and stiffness, fibromyalgia may also affect the back. It can also cause sleep problems, exacerbating back pain.  
• Muscle Sheath Contractions – When the sheath of muscle encapsulating the spine contracts, it reduces flexibility and support. Excessive contractions cause stiffness and pain. 
• Herniated and Ruptured Discs – The flattening and bulging or rupturing of discs between vertebrae.
• Radiculopathy – Inflammation, compression, or injury of a spinal nerve root.
• Sprains and Strains - Sprains are from tearing or stretching ligaments. Strains are tears in tendons or muscles.
• Skeletal Abnormalities – Scoliosis, lordosis, and other spinal abnormalities can cause tightness in the lower back.
• Sciatica – Compression of the sciatic nerve running down the back radiates pain down the leg.
• Spinal Stenosis – Narrowing the spinal column puts pressure on nerves and the spinal cord.
• Spondylolisthesis – Vertebrae of the lower back come out of place, pinching nerves nearby.
• Poor Posture – Much of the pain felt from tight lower back muscles is from spending extended periods of screen time. 

Diagnosis and Discovery 

Almost every condition that causes tight lower back muscles, from trauma in an accident to fibromyalgia, uses a physical exam for diagnosis. Your physical therapist at FYZICAL Therapy & Balance Centers in Mechanicsburg, PA, conducts an initial assessment to determine the best course of treatment. 

There are many causes of tight back muscles. The back is a dynamic, complex structure of nerves and muscles, so sometimes it doesn’t take much to feel discomfort. 

Prevention

Your physical therapist at FYZICAL Therapy & Balance Centers in Mechanicsburg, PA, will design a customized prevention program for you. Follow those instructions for the best results. In the meantime, here are a few general tips. 

• Always warm up and stretch before you take part in any physical activity or play any sports.
• Avoiding smoking. The reduced blood flow from smoking increases your general risk of injury.
• Sleep on a good mattress that supports your spine. Sleep on your side with a slim pillow between your knees. Keep your knees slightly bent and your back in a neutral position. 
• Exercise regularly.
• Always wear supportive, comfortable footwear.
• Lift heavy objects with your legs and avoid twisting your lower back.
• Eat a balanced diet.
• Reach and maintain a healthy weight.
• Avoid inactivity over long periods.
• Maintain good posture. Consider an ergonomic assessment of your workplace or home office. 
• Use lumbar supports.

Stretching Exercises

You can loosen tightness in your lower back by stretching out your lower back. Your physical therapist at FYZICAL Therapy & Balance Centers in Mechanicsburg, PA, will provide you with a tailored list. In the meantime, see our blog Lower Back Pain Stretches for general instructions. 

Treatment Options

Standard first-line treatment involves physical therapy. This is one of the reasons you don’t need a referral from your physician to see a Doctor of Physical Therapy (although your insurance may ask for one for reimbursement.) 

Your physical therapist will first focus on loosening your lower back muscles, increasing blood flow, and then strengthening them for long-term relief. Everybody’s back is a bit different, so the process begins with a comprehensive exam to determine the underlying causes that contribute to your tightness. 

Depending on the severity of the tightness in your lower back muscles, simple stretching may improve your symptoms. To prevent a recurrence, begin a custom program of physical therapy from a certified Doctor of Physical Therapy. 

Your physical therapist may use hot or cold packs in the course of your treatments and recommend you use one or both in between appointments. 

The goal of physical therapy is to reduce the risk you will need more invasive treatments such as nerve blocks, steroid injections, or even surgery.  

Most lower back problems fully resolve with physical therapy over a few weeks or months. But if you sustained a back injury, see a doctor right away.  

Non-steroidal Anti-inflammatory Drugs (NSAIDs) 

Some doctors prescribe NSAID medications like naproxen in oral or topical form. Keep in mind that NSAIDs strain the kidneys, liver, stomach, and heart. Natural pain relief through physical therapy, with hot and cold packs, is just as effective (or more so!) without the danger of side effects. 

Heat Therapy

Sustained heat treatment helps improve tightness and pain symptoms from delayed-onset muscle soreness (DOMS). Research shows heat packs used for several hours right after exercising seem to be the best way to loosen tight lower back muscles. The heat increases blood flow and flexibility of the tissues.

In Summary

Lower back pain and tightness are common complaints with many causes, from injuries to simple bad posture.

Specific exercises and stretches can help loosen the tightness in your lower back. These movements are especially effective when combined with a customized physical therapy recovery program from FYZICAL Therapy & Balance Centers in Mechanicsburg, PA.

Your back is critical to your ability to move comfortably and perform the activities in your daily life. This highly intricate system of muscles, nerves, tendons, ligaments, and bones work together to keep you standing upright.