If you’re one of the 31 million Americans suffering from an aching back, consider yoga for back pain (in addition to seeing your doc). An Archives of Internal Medicine study found that the ancient practice alleviates chronic lower-back pain. Here, my favorite poses to help ease the ouch. Buh-bye, back problems.
Yoga for Back Pain: Static Back
This pose uses gravity to put your hip and trunk on the same plane, which helps your lower back. Lie down on your back with your arms relaxed at your sides and the backs of your knees resting on a cushion or couch that enables your shins to be parallel with the ground. Your knees should make a 90-degree angle with your torso, and your neck should be relaxed. Hold for at least five minutes.
Yoga for Back Pain: Bridge Pose
This exercise forces the spine and the hips to find their fullest extension. Lie down on your back with your feet about a palm’s-width distance away from your seat. Keep your feet inner-hip-width distance apart and place a block or pillow between your knees. Squeeze the pillow as you press down into your feet, lifting your hips up. Keep your neck long.
Yoga for Back Pain: Supported Legs Up the Wall
To loosen up your shoulders, lie down and place a yoga block under the sacrum at the wall. Lift your legs up so your heels are resting against the wall. Keep your arms open and relaxed at your sides. Transition to the pose on the next slide..
Yoga for Back Pain: Supported Shoulder Stand
While in the previous pose, remove the block out to the side and press the soles of your feet into the wall. Use your feet to bring your hips toward your face. Eventually there will be a completely straight line from your knees to your shoulders. This relieves the lower back from carrying the weight of your body.
Yoga for Back Pain: Supported Child’s Pose
Child’s pose opens up the sacrum and the lower back while slowing your heart rate. Place a bolster or pillow between your knees and widen them, toes touching each other. Sit your hips back toward your feet and relax your chest onto the bolster for support. Let your head relax to one side and breathe deeply. Stay for as long as you’d like, switching the direction of your head halfway through.
Yoga for Back Pain: Hero Pose
Sit on a pillow or block, knees touching and feet apart. Flare out your toes, so even your pinkie toes touch the ground. Sit upright and lift your arms, grabbing opposite elbows.
Yoga for Back Pain: Cat Cow (with and without flipped wrists)
This pose promotes bilateral spinal flexion and extension while gravity loads the shoulder and hip joints. Come into a tabletop position and place your hands directly beneath your shoulders and your knees directly beneath your hips. Breathe in and look forward, dropping your belly. When you exhale, draw your belly in and up, head down. Do the same with your wrists flipped inward to work on broadening across the collarbones. When you flip your fingers you open up the space of the collarbones so that eventually the shoulders find their place in the shoulder socket.
Conclusion
Although these asanas are very effective for lower back pain, you can make some lifestyle changes to reduce lower back pain. Maintain good posture even when sitting for long periods of time. It is also recommended that you exercise regularly to keep your back muscles strong and flexible and continue practicing yoga for lower back pain.
However, if performing these yoga poses on your back causes more pain and interferes with your normal activities, consult your doctor. To avoid further complications, always have your back pain evaluated by a professional before practicing any yoga poses. Additionally, when tackling yoga poses for lower back pain, it’s best to start with small, low-intensity poses and slowly increase your pace. This will give your body enough time to recover.
