A thrownout back really just means that your back muscles are seized up, you're in a lot of pain, and it hurts to move.

In this video, Dr. O'Guin, a St. Louis chiropractor, discusses strategies to help relax muscle spasms in the lower back. One tip is to relax your body in general. Mental stress or tension is stored in the body and makes it hard for the reflexive muscle spasm to release.

The stretches that are demonstrated include:
Piriformis stretch, happy baby, hip switches, hip flexor stretch, cat/cow, cobra pose, and low back twist stretches.