What stretches/things can I do to help the pain in my lower back?

Take a long hot bath. Lie down on the floor for about ½ hour. Get at least 8 hours sleep.

Lie on your back on the floor with your knees bent. Lift up your lower back off the floor so you ae at an angle (shoulders and head still down), hold for 30 seconds, and lower. Do about 5–10 times. This really helps.

Also, stand straight with your arms at your side. Rotate them out from the shoulders, hold briefly and then bring them back to your sides. This is a nice stretch for your whole back, too.

These are two that help me. If you google “lower back exercises”, you’ll get many more.

The position that @janbb is great for low back pain. Knees bent is essential. Is there someone who can rub your back for you? If not, you can put a tennis ball between your back and the wall and roll it around. Drink plenty of water after rubbing on your muscles. Heat also helps greatly with sore muscles. Heating pad, rice pouch, bath, water bottle, etc. Take an anti-inflammatory such as ibuprofen. As far as exercises or anything for your back… I wouldn’t recommend you do any while you’re sore. Maintain your normal activities and normal range of motion so you don’t get stiff, but nothing additional. Your muscles are inflamed and have lots of lactic acid in them which is what’s causing the pain, and you don’t want to add to that. Good luck!

Lay flat on the floor, put your right hand on your left knee and bring that leg kind of up and over to the right side. Hold for awhile. Do the opposite with the right leg over to the left. I try to do that almost every morning to help my lower back.

To deal with the immediate discomfort, lie on the floor, knees bent, feet flat on the floor. Slide your knees up until your spine is as straight as possible and flat against the floor. I believe that this is called the “flat back” position. Other exercises for the lower back are preventative, but this one actually alleviates the pain.
When you are sleeping, keep a pillow under your knees (if you sleep on your back) or between your knees (if on your side).

@stranger_in_a_strange_land ; why between my knees?

@troubleinharlem I don’t really know why, but a doctor advised me to do it about 15 years ago. It works.

I was told that was only for people with small testicles.

ooOOOOooohhhh

@filmfann ; I’m a girl.

@troubleinharlem (remark aimed at @stranger_in_a_strange_land )

@filmfann It may have a side benefit for large testicles, keeps then from getting accidentally squeezed.
My lady found the pillow between the knees helpful also for back pain.