# Tennis Ball Trick Cuts Lower Back Pain by 55 Percent > Tennis ball massage reduces lower back pain by 55 percent in five minutes. - Title: Tennis Ball Trick Cuts Lower Back Pain by 55 Percent - Summary: Tennis ball massage reduces lower back pain by 55 percent in five minutes. A small study shows tennis ball massage cuts lower back pain by 55 percent after… - Keywords: lower back pain, tennis ball massage, physical therapy, sean t lordan, dpt, cureus, muscle tension, glute relaxation, quadratus lumborum, Tennis, Ball, Trick - Source: Woman's World — https://womansworld.com/wellness/pain-management/this-five-minute-tennis-ball-trick-curbs-lower-back-pain-fast - Author: Cailey Griffin - Published: 2026-10-15T00:00:25+00:00 - Read time: 1 min - Topics: lower back pain, tennis ball massage, physical therapy, sean t lordan, dpt, cureus, muscle tension, glute relaxation, quadratus lumborum ## Lower Back Pain Causes Lower back pain often stems from sitting too long, weak core muscles, tight hips, or improper lifting. > It’s years of small stuff adding up, like sitting too much, weak core and hip muscles, tight hips and lifting the wrong way ## Tennis Ball Study Results A small study found a 55 percent drop in lower back pain after six days of tennis ball massage. > After six days, those who massage their lower back with a tennis ball saw their pain scores drop 55 percent ## How to Do Tennis Ball Massage Place the tennis ball under your lower back, bend your knees, raise one arm, and slowly lower it while holding the position. > Researchers instructed participants to position the tennis ball beneath their lower backs, against the muscles alongside the spine, while lying on the floor with their knees bent. They then raised both arms toward the ceiling before slowly lowering either their right or left arm toward their head, holding the position for a few seconds and returning to the starting position ## Why It Works The ball releases tight muscles that protect the spine, improving blood flow and reducing pain. > The ball puts steady pressure on the long muscles that run along either side of your spine. When your back hurts, those muscles tend to clench up to protect the area, and they can stay that way for weeks. Pressure helps them let go and gets more blood flowing to the area ## Glute Relaxation Technique Sit on the floor with knees bent, place the ball under one buttock, and roll in small circles for 30 to 60 seconds. > Put the ball under one side of your buttock, right in the meaty part. Lean into it and roll in small circles until you find a sore spot, then hold there for 30 to 60 seconds and breathe ## Quadratus Lumborum Stretch Stand sideways to a wall, place the ball between the wall and soft spot above your hip bone, and make slow circles. > Stand sideways to a wall and put the ball between the wall and the soft spot just above your hip bone, below your bottom rib. Lean in gently and make slow little circles. Hold any sore spots for 20 to 30 seconds and switch sides ## When to Seek Medical Help Severe pain, fever, nerve pain, incontinence, or unexplained weight loss require immediate medical attention. > Lower back pain accompanied with severe pain (such as feeling like your back is broken), fever, nerve pain running down your leg, incontinence or unexplained weight loss require immediate medical evaluation ## Expert Recommendations Do the massage once or twice daily for best results, especially after long periods of sitting. > Lordan calls the results encouraging, but notes that more research is needed on long-term benefits. If you want to give it a try, he suggests doing it for five minutes once or twice a day ## Why Women Are More Affected Women’s wider pelvises and looser ligaments increase stress on sacroiliac joints, leading to more back pain. > Our pelvises are built wider than men’s and the ligaments surrounding the pelvis are a bit looser. That can put extra stress on the sacroiliac joints, or SI joints, which are where your pelvis connects to the base of your spine ## Menopause Impact Lower estrogen levels during menopause can cause bone density loss and weight gain, increasing back pain risk. > Menopause plays a part in low back pain due to the normal drop in estrogen. When estrogen drops, our bone density decreases, we can start to lose muscle faster and weight gain shifts toward our abdomen ## Key takeaway A small study shows tennis ball massage cuts lower back pain by 55 percent after six days of use.