4 common reasons for lower back tightness and ways physical therapy may help

If you’re experiencing tightness in your lower back, it can be quite painful and make basic movements like twisting or bending difficult. Almost 80% of Americans have expressed feeling at least one episode of lower back pain in their lifetime. Your lower back, known as the lumbar spine, is made up of five vertebrae that support your body and allow for a wide range of movement. There could be several factors contributing to your lower back’s tightness, causing you pain or discomfort. If you believe any of the below causes may be affecting your lower back, it may be time to reach out to a physical therapist for guidance and support. 

Let’s look closer at four common causes for lower back tightness that may be causing you pain and how physical therapy may help:

1. Posture

Whether you're walking or sitting, it's easy to overlook how your posture affects your lower back. Over time, improper posture habits can throw off your body's alignment, putting strain on muscles and ligaments and leading to chronic lower back pain.

How physical therapy can help

Oftentimes we find ourselves trying to overcorrect our posture, and by doing so we end up placing added strain on other areas while our body continues to be out of alignment. What many people don’t realize is that poor alignment can affect almost everything we do. Over time, it can reduce how well our bodies function and lead to ongoing strain or discomfort. Fortunately, a physical therapist can assess your sitting and standing posture and provide guidance to help you improve it, which in turn can support your long-term functional mobility.

2. Overuse or strain 

Whether it’s from moving too quickly or repeatedly straining a lower back muscle during everyday activities, you may be experiencing tightness and discomfort in your lower back. That’s because these movements can overstretch the muscles and ligaments in your back, causing them to tear and weaken. This can lead to pain and instability in your lower back.

How physical therapy can help

A licensed physical therapist understands that your lower back tightness may make it difficult to perform certain activities. By working directly with you to create a personalized treatment plan, they can help you understand your recovery timeline and offer ways to modify your daily activities while you undergo treatment. If your pain and tightness are caused by overuse, your treatment may begin with a focus to reduce inflammation in the affected area. Once that’s under control, your therapist may begin to shift the focus to gentle movement and muscle strengthening of the affected area and surrounding muscles to help prevent future strain.

3. Lack of mobility/stretching 

Depending on the cause of your lower back’s tightness (e.g., a herniated disc or arthritis), you may have stopped doing the stretches or movements you did before your injury. When you’re not moving or stretching daily, this can actually cause you to become more rigid and stiff in your movements. Think of the saying “if you don’t use it, you lose it” — same goes with your mobility. If you’re at a loss on how to get back to moving safely and effectively, working with a physical therapist can help. 

How physical therapy can help

It’s important to stretch your muscles even if it’s difficult. This is where a physical therapist can help. Your physical therapist can show you different exercises and stretches that are tailored toward alleviating pain in your lower back. Sometimes these activities may be specifically for your back or for the surrounding muscles that may be contributing to your tightness. 

They also have specific tools and services that can help break up your tight muscles by targeting your trigger points. As you begin to regain your mobility or reach a level that’s comfortable after your injury, you’re making progress. Each step brings you closer to returning to the activities you love, this time with a lower risk of reinjury. 

4. Muscle imbalance

If you have weaker abdominal (core) muscles, you may be placing additional stress on your lower back. Over extended periods of time, this kind of muscle imbalance can lead to stiffness and even chronic pain. Some studies have shown that even weakness or imbalance in the hip muscles (glutes and hip flexors) have been linked to low back pain, particularly in female athletes. 

How physical therapy can help

Upon your evaluation, your physical therapist can help determine where your muscle imbalances exist and recommend exercises to specifically target those areas. If you have a weaker core, they will focus on strengthening your back and core muscles. 

Chances are your muscle imbalances did not occur overnight, so be mindful that change won’t happen immediately. However, if you stay consistent with your personalized plan, you may experience reduced back pain as your muscles continue to strengthen. 

KC Rehab can help with your lower back tightness

There could be many things contributing to your lower back’s tightness. At KC Rehab, we are ready to help alleviate your back pain. Our team of licensed physical therapists can work with you to create a personalized treatment plan to alleviate your tightness and pain and offer guidance to prevent future strain. Our mission is to get you back to feeling your best and managing your symptoms with a sense of empowerment. 

Don’t wait! Contact our team today for more information or to schedule an initial appointment.