Lower back stiffness exercises, aimed at the actual problem.

By Leonardo Machado, LFT · Licensed Physiotherapist · issuing institution name pending publication

A low back that feels perpetually tight, guarded, or "stuck" is one of the most common complaints in rehabilitation — and one of the most commonly mistreated with generic stretching that never actually resolves it. Mobility loss in the low back is rarely just about the spine itself; it is often a combination of a joint or tissue that has become genuinely restricted, and surrounding structures — especially the hips — that have quietly lost range and are forcing the low back to compensate.

This is educational information, not a personalized program. What your back needs specifically — where the actual restriction is, how far to push range, what to prioritize first — depends on assessment findings. If a doctor has flagged a specific structural concern, that guidance takes priority over general information here.

Instead of handing every low back patient the same set of stretches, a criterion-based approach starts with assessment: which specific segment or direction of movement is actually restricted, and is the driver in the spine, the hip, or both. From there, mobility work targets what assessment actually found — thoracic rotation, lumbar segmental mobility, pelvic tilt control, or hip flexion/extension/internal rotation range — rather than a one-size-fits-all flexibility routine.

This matters because generic stretching for a low back that is actually restricted at the hip does very little — and generic hip stretching for a low back with a true segmental spinal restriction does very little either. The right target depends on where the actual deficit is, which is why assessment comes before any exercise is assigned here.