The Best Yoga Poses For Lower Back Pain

collaborative post // Yoga is a mind-body therapy often recommended by doctors to assist in treating back pain and any stress that may accompany it. Its various poses go a long way in relaxing and strengthening your whole body.

Photo by Matteo Di Iorio on Unsplash

Including yoga in your daily routine will enable you to understand your body better. With time, you’ll learn which areas of your body are holding tension and which are suffering from an imbalance.

Use the awareness you gain from practising yoga to bring your mind and body into balance and alignment. But before breaking out your yoga mat, you should take some time to understand which poses are best for treating back pain.

Downwards Facing Dog

There are instances when you’ll experience back pain because the back area of your legs has become too tight. Downwards facing dog is a classic yoga pose that assists in soothing back pain by stretching your hamstrings.

Try It:

Stand on your knees and hands, ensuring that your hands are placed slightly in front of your shoulders.

Slowly press back and raise your knees away from the floor. As you do so, lift your tailbone upwards towards the ceiling.

Consider pushing your heels downwards towards the floor for an added hamstring stretch. Try to hold this position for five to ten breaths.

Repeat this pose five to seven times per session.

Cat/Cow Pose

The cat/cow pose helps warm you up and loosen your back. It’s the ideal pose for any yogi dealing with an achy/sore back. The pose allows you to become familiar with your neutral spine position while promoting mobility.

Try It:

Go on all fours with your hips over your knees and your shoulders placed above your wrists

Inhale slowly, and as you begin to exhale, round your spine, taking care to gently drop your head to face the position (it’s known as the cat posture)

Inhale again and lift your tailbone, chest, and head towards the ceiling. Make sure to arch your back as you do so to allow you to get into the cow posture.

Repeat this pose for one to three minutes per session.

Child’s Pose

A child’s pose will make you appear as though you’re resting, but it’s known to do wonders for lower back pain by elongating the back and helping you relieve all accumulated stress. Consider practising it whenever you want to de-stress after a long, exhausting day at work.

Try It:

Start by going on all fours with the arms stretched out in front of you. Ensure that your arms are stretched straight.

Sit back so that your butt muscles (glutes) come to a rest position that places them above your heels (they should rest above the heels without touching them).

Continue to hold this position for five to ten breaths. Try to repeat this pose as many times as you want to help experience a soothing stretch that will relieve lower back pain.

Conclusion

Yoga might be the solution you have been looking for to assist in eliminating lower back pain. But before you find a yoga teacher, make sure to consult your doctor to know whether performing yoga will help alleviate the pain.

For each of the poses mentioned above, try to do each one of them to the best of your ability. While at it, don’t forget to listen to your body, as it will tell you when to stop. Consult your doctor if the pain worsens or refuses to go away.