Spinal Decompression for the Low Back: 5 Ways to Do It at Home

Five simple ways to decompress your lower spine at home — a gentle way to relieve back pain — demonstrated by a chiropractor with over 24 years of clinical experience, using just everyday items.

Spinal decompression gently stretches and lengthens the spine, which changes the pressure within the discs — the gel-like cushions between the bones of your spine. The aim is to create a gentle negative pressure in the disc, which is thought to help take pressure off the spinal nerves (and may encourage a bulging or herniated disc to retract), relieving back pain and any associated leg symptoms.

Our chiropractor Jasper Hulscher demonstrates five variations, so there’s one to suit most people and most homes: two floor-based versions, one using two chairs, one using a yoga/exercise ball, and one using just a rolled towel. Each works by using your own body position and gravity to gently open up the lower back.

Note: decompression should feel like a gentle, relieving stretch. Ease off if any exercise increases your pain or sends symptoms further down the leg, and get persistent or severe back pain professionally assessed.

Related Reading:

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[00:00] What decompression does — gently stretches the spine to create negative pressure in the discs, which is thought to ease pressure off the spinal nerves and may help a bulging/herniated disc retract, relieving back pain.

[00:54] Variant 1 (floor) — a floor-based position using body weight and leverage to gently lengthen and open up the lower back.

[02:53] Variant 2 (floor) — a second floor version, a progression or alternative depending on what feels most comfortable.

[04:02] Using two chairs — supporting the upper body and legs on two chairs so the pelvis hangs, gently decompressing the lower spine.

[05:20] Using a yoga/exercise ball — draping the lower back over a ball to open up the spine through a comfortable range.

[06:45] Using a towel — a rolled towel placed under the back to create a gentle decompressing stretch with minimal equipment.

Throughout — it should feel like a relieving stretch; ease off if pain increases or travels further down the leg.

Spinal decompression is a gentle way to relieve lower back pain by lengthening the spine and changing the pressure within the discs — the gel-like cushions between the vertebrae. By creating a gentle negative pressure in the disc, decompression is thought to take pressure off the spinal nerves, and may encourage a bulging or herniated disc to retract, easing back pain and any leg symptoms it causes. This video demonstrates five ways to do it at home using body position and gravity, so there’s an option for most people and most homes: two floor-based variations, one using two chairs (letting the pelvis hang to open the lower spine), one draping the lower back over a yoga or exercise ball, and one using just a rolled towel. Each should feel like a gentle, relieving stretch rather than anything forced. It’s important to ease off if an exercise increases pain or sends symptoms further down the leg, and to have persistent or severe back pain professionally assessed. Used sensibly, these decompression exercises complement the stretching, mobility, and core-strengthening approaches to back pain.