Fix Straightening of Lumbar Lordosis, Follow These 5 Top Exercises

Last Updated on January 23, 2026 by Sunit. S. Ekka

Key Takeaways:
✔️ Lumbar lordosis is the spine’s natural inward curve.
✔️ Straightening causes pain, but can be fixed with exercises.
✔️ 5 proven exercises: Positioning, Quadruped Leg Lift, Side Bridge, Prone Leg/Trunk Lifts.

If you’ve been experiencing lower back pain and your MRI report mentions “straightening of lumbar spine” or “loss of lumbar lordosis,” you may get worried about what it is. How to fix it?

But worry not, as in this article, I will clarify everything regarding the loss of lumbar lordosis, sometimes referred to as the straightening of lumbar spine lordosis. We will also cover how one can fix it by just following the simple home exercise program.

What Is Straightening of Lumbar Lordosis? (Causes & Symptoms)

First, let’s discuss what “straightening of lumbar lordosis” means.

The lumbar region of your spine has natural inward (ventral) curvature formed by the wedging of lumbar vertebral bodies and the intervertebral disks¹. This natural curve is known as lumbar lordosis.

When this curve flattens or disappears, it’s the straightening of lumbar lordosis.

This abnormal straightening disturbs the normal biomechanics of our lower back, resulting in pain and disability of the lumbar spine. This can cause pain and disability in your lower back.

But don’t worry – there are exercises you can do at home to help manage this condition. We’ve compiled a list of the most effective straightening of lumbar spine exercises and loss of lumbar lordosis exercises to help get you started.

5 Best Exercises to Restore Lumbar Lordosis (Step-by-Step Guide)

Here’s the list of 5 exercises to fix the straightening of lumbar lordosis; most of them are strengthening exercises, but let us start with positioning.

Exercise 1: How to Use Positioning to Relieve Lumbar Lordosis Pain

When you have severe low backache, and your MRI report indicates loss of lordosis, positioning has a crucial role during this phase. So, how do we do it?

This positioning strategy can only be carried out in a prone position, i.e., lying on your back. For this:

1. You need a towel or a bedsheet. First, roll the towel to a sufficient thickness.
2. Next, lie prone and place this towel roll below the low back area. This supports the curve of the lower back and hence maintains the lordosis.
3. Practising this for a minimum of two weeks can tremendously affect your pain.

Exercise 2: Quadruped Leg Lifts to Strengthen Your Lower Back

Your severe pain should have been reduced when we performed this exercise. From here on, every exercise we are going to do is a strengthening exercise. This is important to strengthen the muscles around the lower back, which is crucial for lordosis.

1. To perform this exercise, get down on all fours with your hands shoulder-width apart and your knees hip-width apart. Make sure your wrists are stacked under your shoulders, and your knees are stacked under your hips.
2. From this position, lift one leg and the opposite hand off the ground, keeping your knee and elbow fully straightened. Keep your core engaged and your hips level throughout the exercise.
3. Hold this position for 5 to 10 seconds, then lower your leg and hand back to the starting position.
4. Repeat the same movement on the other side, lifting the opposite leg and hand and holding for 5 to 10 seconds.
5. Aim to complete at least 10 repetitions of this exercise during a single session.

Exercise 3: Side Bridge (Modified) for Lumbar Lordosis Support

Our next exercise for straightening the lumbar spine is side bridging. This exercise aims to strengthen muscles on the sides of the lower back. Unlike normal bridging exercises performed lying on our back, side bridging is done in a side-lying posture.

1. To perform this exercise, you must start by lying down on your side, with your elbow supporting your upper body. Ensure your hips are straight and your knees are bent at a 90-degree angle. You can place a pillow between your knees to make yourself more comfortable.
2. Next, slowly raise your hips until the sides of your lower back are straight while keeping your knees and feet together.
3. Hold this position for 5 to 10 seconds, then lower your hips back down slowly.
4. Repeat this process for a minimum of 10 repetitions in a single session, and aim to do this exercise twice to thrice daily.
5. Once you’ve completed the repetitions on one side, switch to the other and repeat the exercise.

Exercise 4: Prone Leg Lifts to Improve Spinal Alignment

The exercise that you can practice is called “Prone Leg Raises”. This exercise is beneficial for strengthening your lower back, glutes, and hamstrings muscles.

1. To begin with, lie down on your stomach on a flat surface such as a mat or a carpet. Keep your legs straight and arms by your side. This is your starting position.
2. Now, slowly lift one of your legs off the ground to a 30-degree angle. It is important to keep your leg straight and avoid bending your knee.
3. Hold this position for 5 seconds and then lower your leg back to the starting position.
4. Repeat this exercise with the other leg and continue alternating between legs for a minimum of 10 repetitions in a single session.
5. Alternatively, if you feel comfortable, you can lift both legs off the ground simultaneously for a more challenging workout.

Exercise 5: Prone Trunk Lifts to Rebuild Lumbar Curve

The prone trunk lift is the final exercise in our list of straightened lumbar lordosis that aims to strengthen the upper back muscles. To begin with, you need to assume the same starting position as the previous exercise, with a slight modification.

You should keep a pillow under your lower back to provide support and stability this time.

1. Once you are in position, keep both hands by your side and begin the exercise by slowly lifting your chest off the floor, as demonstrated in the figure. While lifting your chest, keep your neck and head aligned with your spine, and avoid straining your lower back.
2. Once you have lifted your chest, hold this position for 5 to 10 seconds, and then slowly lower yourself back down to the starting position. Controlling your movements and avoiding sudden or jerky motions that could lead to injury is essential.
3. For optimal results, it is recommended to perform 10 to 15 repetitions of this exercise in a single repetition twice daily.

Try these exercises daily for 2–4 weeks and share your progress in the comments! For personalized help, consult a physiotherapist.

Keep Reading: 7 Easy Exercises for Sciatica Nerve Pain Relief

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) on Loss of Lumbar Lordosis

Sunit. S. Ekka

The author is a physiotherapist who has been practising for the last 17 years. He holds a Bachelor's in Physiotherapy (BPT) from SVNIRTAR (Swami Vivekananda National Institute of Rehabilitation and Research), one of the prestigious physiotherapy schools in India.

Whatever he learns dealing with his patient, he shares it with the world through blogs and e-books. He also owns a YouTube channel, "Sunit Physiotherapist" with over 8 lakh active subscribers. Here, he shares everything he gets to learn serving the patient.