Only do this one if your physician put a check next to it on your home exercise sheet. Do every checked exercise two times a day, each day, whether your back feels good or sore, unless your sheet gives other directions.

How do you do the bridge?

1. Start: Lie on your back, knees bent, feet flat and about hip width apart.
2. Move: Tighten your buttocks first, then push your hips up toward the ceiling until knees, hips and shoulders make one straight line. Come down slowly.
3. Repeat: Hold at the top for 5 seconds. Do 10.

How does the bridge help low back pain?

When the hip muscles are weak, the low back does the work every time you stand up, climb stairs or lift. Weak glutes are common in people with sacroiliac joint pain and in people who sit most of the day.

The bridge trains your hips to take that load back. It is one of the main ways to stop the low back from bending to do a job the hips should do.

Is it right for my kind of back pain?

It is a key exercise for sacroiliac joint pain and for disc backs learning to hinge at the hips. If you have facet pain, keep the top of the bridge flat, not arched. Our page on physical therapy for back pain explains why the direction of an exercise matters so much.

What mistakes should you avoid?

• Arching your back up past a straight line.
• Pushing up through your neck and shoulders.
• Letting your knees fall inward or flop outward.

When should you stop and call us?

Mild stretch, mild effort and a little stiffness the next morning are expected. Stop and call (314) 886-5904 if you notice any of these:

• Sharp or stabbing pain in the back
• Pain that spreads farther down the leg than it was before
• Pain 2 or more points higher than your starting number that lasts over an hour
• New numbness, tingling or weakness in a leg or foot

Go to the emergency room for new trouble controlling your bladder or bowels, or numbness in the groin or inner thighs. Our page on back pain red flags explains why.

Keep a log and bring it in

Each time you finish your exercises, check a box, and once a day jot down a single pain number. Your technician tallies your days at every visit and has you perform one exercise to check your form.

Other low back exercises in the program

• Pelvic tilt
• Knee to chest
• Cat and cow

This page is part of our physiotherapy program for back pain, where a physician orders, supervises and re-checks every step.