Calf stretches for back pain are brilliant.
This is my favourite calf stretch.
If you have back pain, especially low back
pain this may be one of the best things you ever learn to
eliminate or reduce and better manage it. But don't
take my word for it.
Do this stretch many times a day for a few days and see if
it helps. If it does, you're onto something really
useful, so make it a normal part of your life.
Hang on Always hang on to something when
you do this. It makes you much more stable so you can relax
more and get a better stretch.
Stand with your heels lined up with the edge of the step.
Slide your right foot back til 2/3 of your foot is off the
step.
Leg Straight Take a deep breath and
as you breathe out bend your left knee and push your right heel
down.
Start nice and light and slowly increase the pressure until
you can feel the stretch. You should feel it just below the
knee in your gastroc muscle.
Don’t bounce, just breathe. Each time
you breathe out put just a little bit more pressure on.
Hold this for 3-6 slow deep breaths. Slowly let the pressure
off.
Leg Bent Then take a deep breath and
as you breathe out bend both of your knees and push down on
right heel again.
Deeper, lower You should feel it
stretch deeper in and further down your calf. This is
stretching soleus muscle. It also puts more pressure on the
front of your ankle.
Nice and easy does it. Increase the pressure until you can
feel the stretch.
3-6 slow deep breaths, no bouncing. Slowly let the pressure
off and repeat on the left leg.
As with all stretching you always start and finish on the
tighter side.
Right is tight Most peoples’ right
calf is tighter than their left. So unless you're sure it's the
left, start and finish on the right calf.
Do it Twice When you stretch your
calves, always do it once with the leg straight, (or almost),
and once with the leg bent.
Straight gastroc, bent soleus
Straight leg stretches gastroc and bent leg stretches
soleus.
There are plenty of ways to stretch your calves but what
they all have in common is they get you to dorsiflex your foot,
that is moving the top of your foot and your toes closer to
your knee.