Maintain Good Posture
The pain may have started after a long workout at the gym, but the strain that caused it has probably been building for years. Mary Ann Wilmarth PT, DPT, OCS, a spokeswoman for the American Physical Therapy Association and chief of physical therapy at Harvard University, says most people perform their daily activities with poor posture, putting unnecessary strain on their back.

“Little things add up,” she says. “You can increase the pressure on your back by 50% simply by leaning over the sink incorrectly to brush your teeth. Keeping the right amount of curvature in the back takes pressure off the nerves and will reduce back pain.”

Strengthen Your Core
Most people with chronic back pain would benefit from stronger abdominal muscles.

“The torso is a combination of many muscle groups working together,” Frank B. Wyatt, EdD, professor of exercise physiology at Missouri Western State University, tells WebMD in an email. “If the abdominals are weak, other areas must pick up the slack. When we strengthen the abdominals, it often reduces the strain on the lower back.”

Improve Flexibility
Too much tension and tightness can cause back pain. "Our goal in increasing flexibility is to put an equal load throughout the body from the feet all the way up to the head,” D. Scott Davis, PT, MS, EdD, OCS, an orthopaedic physical therapist and associate professor at West Virginia University, says. “One good exercise is to sit on the edge of the bed with one leg extended and the other one on the floor. Give your hamstrings a stretch by leaning forward while keeping your back in a neutral position.”

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