For those of you that are experiencing lower back pain and typically see a chiropractor for relief...active release with a softball can be just as effective.
I'm currently on a medical leave finally recovering from injuries from 2 car accidents over the past couple of years. I was already doing rehab...but my back got so badly out of alignment during the Feb long weekend and I couldn't get to my chiropractor for 5 days. I was visibly out of alignment, heavily drugged and immobile by the end of the day.
I was already doing active release therapy for my shoulder and hips/glutes (insert Tiger joke here...lol) and tried laying on the softball in my lower back to the left and right of my spine (do not attempt directly on the spine!) on a hard surface. After a few minutes of gently opening my thighs to facilitate a gentle rotation of my spine, I heard a loud "crack". After repositioning the ball and repeating I was able to crack my back again. The pain relief was instant.
I discussed this with my chiropractor when I finally got in to see him and he encouraged me to continue with the self manipulation. It was a game changer and I now find myself doing it almost daily and even mid-round if I'm tightening up.
The only part I can't adjust is my upper back which is much less problematic for me but my chiro takes care of that when needed.