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Lower Back Pain Rehab: Core Exercises and Movement🛠️⚙️

Struggling with lower back pain? Learn how physical therapy uses hip mobility, anti-rotation core presses, and box squats to protect and strengthen your spine. Lower Back Pain Rehab: Core Exercises and Movement Lower back pain can make everyday movements like bending, sitting, or standing up feel difficult. It’s natural to wonder whether to rest, keep moving, or start exercising. The right approach depends on your symptoms, health history, and what you need to get back to doing. Back pain can have different causes, and no single exercise sequence suits everyone. Rebuilding a resilient lower back takes more than quick fixes. For many people with acute low-back pain, staying active, as symptoms allow, may be more helpful than bed rest, but that doesn’t mean forcing painful movements. By teaching your glutes and core to absorb force, you may be able to direct pressure off the lumbar spine and restore confidence in your movement. Read how fear of movement can affect back and hip pain ...
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Shoulder Extension for Shoulder Pain🧩

Physical therapist lying prone on a gym floor performing a barbell shoulder extension drill for shoulder pain relief and mobility
Shoulder extension may be the secret sauce to fixing shoulder symptoms. Learn how prone barbell extensions restore mobility and relieve pain.

Most shoulder rehabilitation routines focus almost entirely on overhead reaching (flexion) or external rotation. Shoulder extension may be the missing piece if your shoulders feel tight, pinchy, or stuck.

If you work at a desk or press weights regularly, your shoulders spend too much time pulled forward, and shoulder extension often gets neglected. Training that motion can help restore a more comfortable, usable shoulder.

Why shoulder extension matters

Shoulder extension is the movement of driving your upper arm behind your torso.

If that motion is limited, the front of the shoulder can stay under extra stress. That may contribute to stiffness, discomfort, and a pinching feeling during pressing, reaching, or everyday movement.

For many people, improving shoulder extension is one of the simplest ways to support better shoulder mechanics.

3 drills to improve shoulder extension mobility

Use these drills to build on the movement shown in the video below:

1. Prone barbell shoulder extension liftoffs

Lie face down and hold a light barbell or dowel behind your lower back or glutes. Keep your elbows straight and lift the bar slightly with control.

2. Seated reverse floor creeps

Sit on the floor with your knees bent and your hands behind you, fingers pointing away from your body. Slowly shift your body to open the front of the shoulder.

3. Prone extension isometrics

At the top of the liftoff, hold the position for 5 to 10 seconds. Keep the movement steady and controlled to reinforce end-range strength.

For quick daily mobility hacks to offset desk tightness, try The 3-Step "Desk Reset": Why Your Shoulders Ache (How to Fix Them in 60 Secs) 

Prone Barbell Shoulder Extension Exercise 

This video shows a prone barbell shoulder extension drill. It’s a simple, controlled way to build mobility and support rehabilitation one rep at a time.

What this exercise is doing

The prone floor barbell drill lets you work on shoulder extension in a more controlled position. Because you’re on the floor, the movement stays more stable while you focus on the shoulder itself. 

That makes it a useful rehab-style drill for building mobility and control without unnecessary momentum.

If you want to explore other common contributors to shoulder tightness, read Why Your Shoulders Are Tight: The One-Directional Training Mistake and Banded Shoulder Distraction for Tight, Pinchy Shoulders.

When to get help

If shoulder pain keeps showing up during overhead pressing, benching, reaching, or daily movement, it may be worth getting a more personalized assessment.

A physical therapy consult can help identify what’s driving the stiffness or pinching and guide the next step.

👉 Click Here to Schedule Your Physical Therapy Assessment 

FAQ🤔❓

What is shoulder extension?

Shoulder extension is the movement of driving your upper arm backward behind your torso, such as when reaching behind your back or finishing a rowing stroke.

Why does lacking shoulder extension cause front-of-shoulder pain?

When extension is restricted, the head of the arm bone may drift forward in the socket, which can irritate the biceps tendon and the front of the shoulder joint.

Is barbell shoulder extension safe for sensitive shoulders?

Yes, when done on the floor in a prone position and performed with control. The floor limits excessive spinal arching and helps keep the drill submaximal.

🤔❓Not Sure Physio Is Right For You? 📞🖂Speak to a physiotherapist first or DM me.

Stay mobile,

Toni
tonithephysio™ 
Total Mobility.  Total Balance.  Zero Pain
Mend & Move|Pain-Free Movement Team

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🗣️📢Medical Disclaimer: This information is for general knowledge and is not medical advice.  Complete the free 2-min joint assessment before starting any new exercise routine.
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We would love to hear from you! Please share your thoughts or questions about movement and recovery below. While we can’t provide specific medical advice here, we welcome a healthy discussion. Let’s get moving together!

Medical Disclaimer: This information is for general knowledge and is not medical advice. Consult with a healthcare provider or physical therapist before starting any new exercise routine.

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