Just Picture It: My Lower Back Release Routine

Me and my peanut--this is where I place it when I roll out my back ;)

Earlier this week, I received the following message from one of my readers:

In a fairly recent blog you mentioned a morning routine with a lacrosse ball for your back. Can you tell me more? I take/teach yoga daily and have for years. Only recently has my lower back has been incredibly stiff. I attribute it to age or maybe carrying my two little kids more often than I should given my/their size :) But am looking for some relief. Yoga by itself isn't getting it done and, in fact, I really think loosening things up would greatly improve my practice, so when I saw that on your blog, I was intrigued! If you have any time, I would love to hear more.

After reading this, I thought, why haven't I shared more about my lower back routine--especially since it's given me so much relief?! So that's what we're doing today--talking about how I've been able to release my lower back when I wake up each morning, with just a few simple tools...

**Before delving deeper, I feel like it is also important to note that this is what works for me, but that it may not be right for everyone (and depending on what is going on with your lower back, this routine could do more harm than good, so you want to be careful!). I am by no means a physical therapist or doctor, just a yogi who has found a way to release my own lower back without meds--which makes me happy :) **

 So here's what I do each morning when I wake up:

1. I start with Child's Pose. 
First thing. I must do this right when I wake up--it feels amazing. Usually with my knees together to really round my spine and stretch out my lower back. I'll take about 5-10 deep breaths here (sometimes have to stop myself from falling asleep again while in this pose, hehe!).

2. Then, I lie on my back and hug my knees into my chest, followed by Happy Baby. 
When doing both of these movements, I typically rock gently side to side. I'm also mindful of trying to keep my sacrum grounded on the floor (don't let it lift up/round too much), which feels lot better for my lumbar spine.

3. Next, I pick my "tool" for the day. 
I almost always use the lacrosse ball (below, yellow ball), but that's because I'm pretty used to rolling out my muscles and like it to be fairly intense. If you're brand new to rolling, I would start with a tennis ball (or a practice tennis ball, which is even softer!). Also pictured here is a "peanut," or two Lacrosse balls taped together. This is even more intense, but also pretty effective if  you want to get into a bigger muscle group...

Personally, when I roll out my lower back, I'm aiming get into the Multifidus (causes me a lot of pain), the Serratus Posterior (SP), and the Erector Spinae (ES), all pictured in this amazing diagram below (I love it because it isn't too technical or confusing!)! Again, everyone is different, but rolling these areas gives me the most relief.

Image via athletestreatingathletes.com

4. Then, I place the ball under my back and start by just applying pressure (no movement). 
 I usually start by placing the ball one side of my spine (always avoid the spine itself!), right where I feel the stiffness/pain, and just allow my body weight & the ball to do all of the work of applying pressure to the muscle. You can see this pictured below in the image on the left, and can see that I control the amount of pressure by pressing into my feet and lifting my hips off of the floor to add more weight. You can also see the placement of the ball in the image on the right. Usually, I will move the ball a couple of inches up and down these muscles every couple of breaths, so that I get into the entirety of the muscles on either side of my lumbar spine by the time I'm done. 

5. Next, I add a little "rolling" or side to side movement. 
Two important things to remember here: one, this should be a very small, controlled movement, typically moving side to side (move perpendicular to the spine--always avoiding the spine--or perpendicular to the direction that the muscle fibers run). Again, I use a very small amount of movement, moving my body over the ball so that I can control where it goes. I typically do this on the muscles on either side of the spine (as shown above), but also on either side of my sacrum and deep in the sides of my hips (another trouble area for me that is definitely connected to my lower back issues). 

6. Once I've done both sides, I usually end by removing the ball and hugging my knees back in towards my body one last time. 
This entire routine only takes about 5-10 minutes, and I've found that it's done wonders for my lower back pain. 

**For those who may have trouble doing this on your back, you can also do it against a wall. This allows you to lessen the intensity (aren't placing so much of your body weight on the ball) and some find it a lot easier to target specific areas of the body this way. If you do it against the wall, you'll place the ball against the wall, lean into it (the further you walk your feet from the wall, the more intense it becomes) and then you can bend your knees and move side to side to move the ball.**

So, if you think it could help you, give it a try! Again, I would start with a tennis ball if you're brand new, and be sure to take it easy, move slowly, and listen to your body. 

Oh, and using these tools to roll out the IT band area (YIKES!), thoracic spine, traps, hamstrings, and quads can also be amazing. I'm a BIG fan, although I definitely have to psych myself up for it, because it is super intense...

I hope that you, too, can find some relief through rolling! 

And thanks to my reader who sparked the idea of sharing this with you :)

Namaste,
Mary Catherine