Can Stretching Hamstrings Be Bad for Lower Back?

If you have tight hamstrings, lengthening them should be high on your priority list. Tight hamstrings limit your mobility and can set you up for injury in the future, says Eric Cressey, a Major League Baseball strength and conditioning coach. Your hamstrings attach to your pelvis, so there is a close relationship between your hamstrings and your lower back.

  1. Protection

    • Tight hamstrings can be a sign that your back needs more support. Cressey explains that if you have an anterior pelvic tilt -- causing your low back to excessively arch -- and tight hamstrings, it is likely due to your hamstrings protecting a low-back injury. If you have a disk injury, sprain or strain, your hamstrings can shorten to take some of the load off of your spine. Cressey warns that stretching in this condition can do more harm than good as it could produce laxity in your connective tissue.

    Angles

    • Common ways to stretch your hamstrings are to either bend down to touch your toes or lie on your back and pull one leg up using a belt or band. While this is a valid stretch, it is too basic. Your hamstrings attach to the middle, inside and outside of your hip via three different muscle heads – biceps femoris, semitendinosus and semimembranosus. Cressey says when you stretch your hamstrings, you should pull your leg straight back as well as pull it out to the side and toward the center of your body. This method of stretching will create balance in your hamstrings.

    Lumbar Position

    • Your low-back position while lying down and stretching is very important. Dr. Stuart McGill, a biomechanics researcher and professor from Waterloo University, warns against stretching with a rounded back. When most people stretch, they pull their leg until it reaches its full range of motion, then by rounding their backs, pull their leg further. This extended range of motion has nothing to do with the flexibility of your hamstrings and it comes at the expense of your spine. McGill urges people to keep a neutral spine position while stretching to avoid disk injury.

    Recommendations

    • Always see your doctor before starting an exercise or stretching program. While stretching your hamstrings, slip one of your hands beneath your low back. If you feel extra pressure on your hand while stretching, it means your low back is rounding and you need to reposition. Stretching should never hurt. If you experience discomfort, a burning sensation or shooting pains, stop stretching immediately and seek medical advice.