Knee to chest exercise ยท low back pain
Hugging a knee to your chest gives a tight low back a slow, controlled way to let go.
The knee to chest stretch is a home low back stretch: lying on your back, you hug one knee in toward your chest, stopping at a gentle stretch, hold for 20 seconds, three rounds per leg.
Skip this one unless it is marked on the home program your physician gave you. Unless your instructions say otherwise, do your marked exercises twice a day, every day, and tick off each session in your log.
Step by step: the knee to chest
- Set up: Lie face up, knees bent, soles on the floor.
- Move: Clasp your hands behind one knee and ease it in toward you until the low back and buttock feel a mild pull. Lower it and switch legs.
- Count and hold: Hold 20 seconds. 3 times each leg. Twice a day.
Why the knee to chest matters after a procedure
After a back injury or a flare, low back and buttock muscles clamp down to splint the painful joint or disc. That splint is useful for days, not months. This stretch opens the back of the spine gently and lets those muscles relax, which often makes the strengthening exercises that follow easier. Pain that runs below the knee is a different story; see sciatica.
Which mistakes undo it?
- Yanking the knee in quickly or pulling hard.
- Lifting your head and shoulders off the floor.
- Staying in the stretch when pain shoots into the leg.
When to stop for the day
Expect a mild stretch, some effort, and maybe a little soreness the next morning. Quit for the day and phone (314) 886-5620 if you get:
- Numbness, tingling or weakness that was not there before
- A sharp, stabbing pain
- Pain that rises 2 points or more above your starting number and does not settle within an hour
- Lightheadedness, or your vision changing
Fainting, chest pain or a struggle to breathe: dial 911, not our office.
What to remember
- Slow pull, steady hold.
- Head stays down on the floor.
- Shooting leg pain means let go.
Last step. Show us you have it: Right here in the clinic, demonstrate one stretch on each leg with your head resting on the floor. Unsure about any step? We run through it with you again next time.
Why bring your exercise log?
The log is how we tell the difference between an exercise that is not working and an exercise that is not being done. At each visit your technician counts the sessions you checked off, notes your daily pain number, and watches you do one exercise to correct your form before small errors become habits.
Related reading
- The painstl.com physiotherapy program, every station and test
- Pelvic tilt, another low back exercise
- Cat and cow, another low back exercise
- Bridge, another low back exercise
Need the plan built around your injection?
A physician examines you first and decides which low back exercises fit your diagnosis and the procedure you had.
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