In the Western world, it is very common for people to develop a “lower cross syndrome”. This is a mechanical circumstance where tight hamstrings, tight hip flexors, weak abdominals and a sway back conspire to cause lower back pain. In a culture that sits a lot, doesn’t exercise much and has a high incidence of lower back pain, it is common to find lower cross syndrome at the root of the symptoms.

The best “treatment” for this syndrome to to combine stretching of the hip flexors and hamstrings with strengthening of the abdominals, or core strengthening. The core program can be found in the LITE version of our app. The stretches are to be found in the full version of the app.

For long term back health, combining core strengthening with lower extremity flexibility is key. In our clinic, Sports Reaction Center in Bellevue, WA, we have successfully treated thousands of lower back patients over the years using these strategies. In the absence of disc herniation or other mechanical causes of lower back pain, this simple strategy can solve your problem.