Prone Press-Up Stretch

About This Video

The prone press-up is the foundation of the McKenzie extension protocol, which is one of the most extensively studied and validated approaches for disc-related lower back pain. When intervertebral discs bulge or herniate, the disc material typically migrates posteriorly, pressing on the spinal nerves and producing pain that can radiate into the buttock and leg. Spinal extension through the press-up creates a biomechanical pumping effect that encourages the disc material to migrate back toward the center of the disc, reducing the pressure on the neural structures. At the same time, the position stretches the psoas major, iliacus, and rectus abdominis, which are the anterior muscles whose chronic shortening contributes to the spinal compression that aggravates disc pathology. For anyone whose lower back pain centralizes or decreases with gentle backward bending, the prone press-up is the single most important movement in their recovery program.

How to Perform This Technique

Benefits