I'm not calling them exercises, to scare you off, just stretches. Kind of like cats do after they get up from a nap. It works for them, and also for us!
Here are the stretches I do, either before going to sleep, or in the morning, before getting up, sometimes both.
Lay totally flat, slowly raise one leg up, with foot pointed up. Then lower back down, as slow as you can. Do the same thing with the other leg. You can feel your lower back muscles stretching like a tight rubber band.
Another one I do is, while lying down, lift one leg, knee bent, as far up as you can towards your chin. Then repeat with the other one.
These save me alot of money on chiropractor visits!
I also use hot or cold therapy wraps for the lower back, and for the neck and shoulders, because of my back problems. They can be heated in the microwave for natural moist heat therapy, or chilled in the freezer for cold therapy. I designed them to conform to your lower back, or curve around the neck and shoulders, and added ties to keep them in place.
I found an article in AARP's magazine, www.aarpmagazine.org/health, that states "a general rule for acute pain is to ice the injured area for 20-minute intervals to reduce inflammation and swelling, Marilyn Moffat, D.P.T., Ph.D., professor of physical therapy at New York University. After 72 hours, switch to heat, which soothes muscles."
If you are interested in them, you can just click on: www.coolhotiestherapywraps.ecrater.com