If your lower back is flaring up and you’re not sure what to do, this post is for you.
At The MSK Studio in Adelaide, one of the most common things we hear from new patients is: “I didn’t want to make it worse, so I just stopped moving.”
The good news is that complete rest is rarely the most helpful approach. The right movement, done gently and in the right order, is generally what starts to settle things down.
Below are the 5 physiotherapy exercises I use as a starting point with clients who come in during an acute lower back flare-up, in the exact sequence I recommend them.
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Before You Start
Go at your own pace. These exercises are designed to be low load and gentle — the goal right now is to keep the spine moving, reduce stiffness, and start settling things down without making it worse.
If anything feels sharp or causes symptoms to travel down the leg, stop and get a proper spinal physiotherapy assessment before continuing.
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Exercise 1 — Pelvic Rocking
This is usually the first movement I go to with anyone in a flare-up. It’s low load, it’s gentle, and it gets the lower back moving without putting much demand on it at all.
Lie on your back on a firm surface — the floor with a yoga mat or carpet underneath works well. Feet slightly apart, head comfortable. If needed, place a small pillow under the head.
Gently tilt the pelvis forward and back — tilt the lower back down toward the floor, feel a small arch come up, then flatten it back down. That’s it. Small and controlled is exactly right.
What this does is start to mobilise the lower segments of the spine, encourage blood flow to the area, and for a lot of people it starts to take the edge off that deep aching feeling quite quickly.
15–20 repetitions. Nice and slow.
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Exercise 2 — Bridging
Bridging is a low-load way to start activating the glutes and the muscles around the lower back without putting the spine under compression — making it ideal during an acute lower back pain flare-up.
From the same position, gently press your feet into the floor and lift the hips up slowly. Roll the spine up gently — think of it as a continuation of the pelvic rocking. Hold for 2–3 seconds at the top, only as high as comfortable, then lower back down with control.
The key is slow and controlled on the way down. That’s where a lot of the benefit is. You’re not powering through this — you’re waking up the muscles around the spine and getting them working gently.
10 repetitions. Take your time between each one.
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Exercise 3 — Cobra
Lay down onto your stomach, elbows tucked in, palms flat on the floor.
This is an extension movement — bending backwards through the spine. For a lot of people in a lower back flare-up, this direction of movement can actually feel quite relieving.
Everyone is different. If this direction feels uncomfortable, just go as far as feels manageable and stop there.
Start by resting on the forearms for a gentle extension and see how that feels. If that’s okay, you can press up onto the hands and extend a little further.
You want to feel a stretch through the spine — not a sharp pinch through the lower back. If you feel a pinch, come back down and stay at the forearm level.
5–8 repetitions, holding each one for 5–10 seconds at the top.
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Exercise 4 — Child’s Pose
Child’s pose acts as a counterbalance to the cobra — moving the spine in the opposite direction after the extension work.
Come up to kneeling, sit your hips back towards your heels, and reach your arms forward along the floor. Let the lower back round and relax. You’re not pushing into anything — just letting gravity do the work.
For a lot of people, this is the position that feels the most relieving during a flare-up. The lower back gets a chance to decompress and the muscles that have been guarding get to let go a little. If getting your hips all the way to your heels is uncomfortable, place a pillow between your thighs and calves to reduce the range.
Hold for 20–30 seconds. Take a slow breath in and as you breathe out, let the lower back soften a little more.
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Exercise 5 — Cat Camel (Cat Cow)
The final exercise moves the spine through both directions — flexion and extension — and is one of the most effective ways to restore movement through the full length of the spine during a flare-up. This is a cornerstone exercise in clinical exercise rehabilitation at The MSK Studio.
Stay on all fours — hands under shoulders, knees under hips.
On the inhale, round the spine up towards the ceiling, tuck the chin in, and let the lower back round. On the exhale, let the belly drop towards the floor, the lower back arches, and the head comes up gently. Keep moving between these two positions — nice and fluid.
You’re not holding either position, just flowing between them.
You’ll often notice one direction feels more restricted than the other, that’s completely normal. Don’t force a restricted direction. Work within what feels comfortable and the range will often start to free up as you continue.
10 slow cycles. Let the breath guide the movement.
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The Full Sequence
Done together, in this order:
- Pelvic Rocking
- Bridging
- Cobra
- Child’s Pose
- Cat Camel
The sequence takes 10–15 minutes and is something I recommend doing 2–3 times a day during a flare-up. Each exercise builds on the last — the order matters.
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When To Get Assessed
This is general information and every flare-up is different. If your symptoms aren’t settling within a few days, or if you’re getting pain or tingling travelling down the leg, that’s a sign to get a proper assessment rather than pushing through.
Our physiotherapist Fardis specialises in identifying what’s actually driving lower back pain, not just settling the flare-up, but building a spine that’s less likely to keep tipping over. If your flare-up is connected to a workplace injury or WorkCover claim, our general physiotherapy service can help navigate that process too.
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To Bring It All Together
A lower back flare-up is a signal, not a setback. The spine is indicating the gap between load and capacity has closed. Gentle, progressive movement — done in the right sequence — is generally how it comes out the other side.
If you’re based in Adelaide and want to understand what’s actually driving your lower back pain, you can book an initial spinal physiotherapy session at The MSK Studio.
The session covers a full history, an assessment of what’s contributing, and a clear plan for what to do about it.
