When low back pain strikes, the first instinct for many people is to stretch. It feels intuitive: if your back feels tight, stretching must be the solution, right?

Wrong — and in many cases, dangerously wrong.

According to spine biomechanics expert Professor Stuart McGill, stretching an already sensitised or unstable spine often worsens the underlying injury.

Here’s why you should rethink stretching your low back — and what you should do instead:

The Illusion of Relief – Stretching the spine may temporarily reduce discomfort by stimulating receptors that “override” pain signals. But this short-lived relief often comes at the cost of increased tissue damage. Imagine pulling on a fraying rope, it may feel looser, but it’s actually weaker and closer to snapping. The same concept applies to irritated discs, ligaments, or joints in your lower back.

Why Mobility Isn’t the Problem – Most back pain isn’t caused by a lack of flexibility; it’s caused by excessive, uncontrolled movement at unstable joints. Repeated forward bending, twisting, and shearing forces overload the tissues, leading to injury. Research shows that improving stability — not stretching — is the key to protecting spinal structures and relieving pain.