Why Your Lower Back Hurts — And Why Stretching It Isn’t the Fix
🔥 Why Your Lower Back Hurts — And Why Stretching It Isn’t the Fix
Let’s get something straight: your lower back isn’t the problem — it’s the symptom.
Most people who come in complaining of chronic lower back pain say the same things:
“I stretch my back all the time, but it keeps coming back.”
“I foam roll it, heat it, crack it… but nothing sticks.”
“I just have a ‘bad back’ I guess.”
But here’s the truth: your lower back is overworking because other parts of your body aren’t doing their job.
💥 The Real Culprits Behind Chronic Lower Back Pain:
🔓 1. Tight or immobile hips
Your hips are designed to be mobile and powerful. When they’re locked up from sitting all day, your lower back tries to compensate for lost motion. That’s like using your wrist to do the work of your shoulder — it’ll work… until it doesn’t.
🦶 2. Unstable or stiff ankles
Your body is a chain. If your ankles don’t move well, your knees and hips have to absorb the load. That alters your gait, movement, and posture — all of which filter stress directly into your lumbar spine.
🧱 3. Weak or poorly activated core
If your core can’t stabilize the spine, your lower back muscles try to step in. But those muscles were never meant to stabilize and move at the same time. Eventually, they fatigue, tighten, and spasm.
🚨 Stretching Your Lower Back Isn't the Answer
Stretching a muscle that's overworking doesn't solve the root issue. It's like putting out a fire alarm instead of the fire.
You must restore balance between mobility and stability in the areas above and below the low back:
Mobilize your hips
Stabilize your ankles
Strengthen your deep core
THEN retrain functional movement patterns
✅ What You Can Start Doing Today:
90/90 hip mobility drills to open the hips
Single-leg balance & calf raises to improve ankle stability
Dead bugs, bird dogs, and planks to build deep core strength
Split squats and hip hinges to retrain full-body movement
🧠 Final Thoughts:
Your low back isn’t broken. It’s just been doing too much for too long.
You don’t need to “fix your back.”
You need to build a body that stops breaking it.
Stop chasing symptoms. Start building solutions.