Yoga for Back Pain: The Complete Guide

Back pain, whether chronic or not, is the main enemy for many of us when it comes to everyday health and well-being. Yoga for back pain has been proven in numerous studies to not only help you stretch and relax your muscles, but in some cases, it has even eliminated the need for medication altogether, such as painkillers and anti-inflammatory pills.

While acute and severe pain might not be recommended for treatment through yoga or any fitness regimen, it is always a good starting point to ask your doctor if they believe it is safe for you to try.

Sporadic back pain and aches could, however, be efficiently treated through various yoga poses by stretching and arching your back muscles, and in doing so, relaxing and strengthening them. Yoga not only treats the body, but also the mind, helping you to relieve your worries and daily stress.

The following list of poses can be practiced in any order, and they will teach you more about your body and where the pain originates. Check out the Yoga Burn website for more information on yoga and its health benefits. But for now, keep reading to find out how to relieve your back pain through these yoga poses:

Stretching the Hamstrings

One of the mainstream yoga poses is the downward-facing dog pose which helps relieve pain, stretches your lower back and strengthens the spine.

• Sit on your hands and knees, with the hands ahead of your shoulders.
• Slowly raise your knees from the ground, pressing back with your hands and lift the tailbone.

Sciatica can also be targeted through the triangle pose. In addition, this pose can help with neck pain and associated stress and anxiety.

• Standing, spread your feet so they are about three feet apart.
• Place one foot forward, while the other one faces out.
• Lift your arms with hands facing down, tilt your body towards the foot facing out and slightly touch the floor with the palm of one hand.
• Extend your other arm upwards.
• While in this position, look forward, up and down.
• After one minute, repeat on the other side of your body.

Abs, shoulders, and chest can be worked out during this following pose, strengthening your spine.

In order to relieve stress and back pain, lay down on your yoga mat facing the floor, placing your hands under your shoulders. Apply pressure into your hands so that you gently lift your shoulders and chest from the floor, keeping your elbows slightly flexed. When you come back to your mat, slowly exhale.

Relaxing Your Back Muscles

Some poses might seem like resting; however, the next steps are helping you to stretch your back muscles, eliminate fatigue and relieve stress. These poses are perfect after a long day at work.

Pose 1: First, sit on your hands and knees. Stretch your arms ahead of you, while sitting back so that you come close, but do not touch your heels. Maintain this pose for 8-10 seconds and repeat as many times as necessary to disconnect from the daily routine.

Pose 2: The next pose is great for an achy back, as it stretches and relaxes your back muscles. From the the knees and hands position in Pose 1, slowly stretch your back upwards by arching your spine towards the ceiling. Hold it for a few breaths, then relax your back muscles, pull back your head and your shoulders. This sequence of poses is great for relieving stress and tension in your back muscles.

Ahhhh!

Improving Movement and Mobility

More yoga poses can be practiced by those with limited mobility in their backs and hips. The twist pose starts with laying down on your yoga mat, with your legs touching each other and stretched. Bring your knees to your chest and spread your arms parallel with the floor. Gently swing your legs to the right side, making sure that your knees are close to each other.

Maintain your neck straight or turn it to each side to relieve neck pain. This pose works wonders for 30-40 seconds. Repeat on both sides.

Another energizing pose is the fish. Sitting down on your mat, bring your left foot towards the back, close to the body.

Bring the right foot slightly outside, facing forwards. Make sure your back is straight during the entire time. In this position, put your right elbow around your knee and place the other hand on the floor. Keep this pose for at least one minute, while turning your neck so that you can look over your shoulder.

 

Main Poses for Different Body Parts

• Hamstrings – Downward Facing Dog
• Back – Child’s Pose (it also decreases your stress levels)
• Hips – Pigeon Pose (it stretches your rotators)
• Torso – Triangle Pose (it also increases core strength)
• Back – Cat and Cow Pose (also warms up your muscles)
• Hamstrings and Back – Upward Forward Bend (releases tight muscles)
• Back, Abdominal Muscles, Chest – Upward Facing Dog (stretch and engages all your key muscles)

Final Thoughts

Try these great yoga poses to relieve back pain, stress, and fatigue. They might not be suitable for everyone, so make sure you consult your doctor before attempting them if you are prone to pain. Your doctor might be able to help you monitor your health condition and mitigate any possible risks. However, if you do not suffer from a chronic disease, these poses will definitely help you improve your health status and the quality of life by relaxing, stretching and improving the mobility of your back.

So, the bottom line is that these yoga poses are great for home practice after a long day at work. Stretch your back muscles, relax your body and relieve neck pain in only ten minutes a day. Practicing will definitely teach you the basics of yoga and help you treat not only the backache, but also stress and fatigue. Check out the Yoga Burn website for more ideas and motivation.