Physical therapist reveals 4 easy exercises to relieve back pain

It seems as though everyone has back pains these days, whether it’s from sitting at a desk all day, heavy lifting or just an awkward movement.

According to research from Cross River Therapy, 540 million people globally suffer from back pain at any given time, and eight out of 10 Americans experience back problems at least once.

Thankfully, there are easy exercises that can help relieve the pain in a matter of minutes — and they can all be done from the comfort of your bed.

Dr. Dan Ginader, an NYC-based physical therapist who specializes in dance injuries, posted a video on TikTok sharing a “roadmap” of exercises to try if your back is locked up.

Extend the back

He said that one of the first things you can do “right away” is to find a comfortable place to lie on your stomach.

“If rounding the back causes symptoms, then extending the back will relieve them,” he said, adding that laying on your stomach allows you to do this while keeping everything supported.

Once it starts to feel a little better, prop yourself up on your elbows to increase extension and start doing pushups for “extra extra extension.”

Integrate rotation

Step two involves integrating rotation by laying on your back, bending your knees and dropping them to one side until you feel a slight stretch.

Continue to hold in that position for about a second and repeat the same movement on the other side.

“The goal is to keep these fairly gentle and just take what the body gives you,” he said.

Repeat this step 10 or 20 times.

Sciatic nerve glides

Raise your leg and hold behind it with both of your hands while keeping your toe pointed toward your face. Extend your leg until you feel a gentle stretch, hold for half a second and repeat.

Keep the bending and extending movement gentle, and do these about 15 times on each leg.

Bridges

“Finally it’s time to activate some muscles with some gentle bridges,” Ginader said.

This movement will emphasize lower back extension while also turning on the muscles in your glutes, he explained.

“Limit bending and sitting, and repeat this as necessary,” he advised. “But if you’re not feeling better in 24 to 72 hours, see a professional.”