Founder Matt with Pain to strength participant

Stretches for Tight Lower Back

Pain Management

January 18, 2026•1 min read

Stretches for tight lower back

A “tight” back isn’t always short muscles.

Often, it’s protective tension.

Why your back feels tight

Common reasons include:

poor movement confidence
weak support muscles
stress and fatigue
limited hip motion

Stretching alone can feel good… then stop working.

When stretching helps

Stretching can help:

reduce temporary stiffness
improve comfort before movement
support recovery

But it’s not the solution on its own.

What actually fixes tightness long-term

Strength and control.

When the nervous system trusts the area, muscles stop guarding.

The Pain to Strength Framework

We pair targeted stretches with:

spinal control work
hip strength
gradual loading

This is why tight backs feel looser without endless stretching routines.

Stretches for Tight Lower Back

Matthew Kaloutsis

I'm Matt Kaloutsis, founder of Neura Rehab and Performance and an exercise rehabilitation specialist based at FITAZ FK Gym in Kangaroo Point, Brisbane. I work with adults living with chronic back pain who've cycled through physio, chiro, massage, and the scans without lasting results. My clinical foundation is the NeuroHab Method, which I co-developed alongside Brisbane neurosurgeon Dr David Johnson after he saw too many post-surgical patients still in pain. I'm certified across all three levels of the McGill Method, trained directly under Professor Stuart McGill at BackFitPro (Levels 1, 2 and 3, completed in 2020). Over 17 years in clinical practice I've worked with the Brisbane Broncos, Brisbane Roar, and All Sports Physiotherapy clinics across Brisbane. My focus is the gap between physiotherapy and personal training, the exact place most chronic back pain people fall into. The work I do is built around rebuilding capacity, not just settling flare-ups, so the pain stops coming back.

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