Do you have an achy back? In the majority of cases, if you have back pain it’s because one or more of your vertebrae are misaligned. This can put pressure on nerves that run through the spine and cause sciatica nerve pain to radiate down into your legs. Back pain can be a great source of discomfort if not attended to immediately.
Yoga is a great way to stretch and strengthen back muscles, and it can help to relieve tension and pain from your lower back. In this blog post, we will discuss some of the best yoga poses for relieving back pain. We will also provide a few tips on how to get started with yoga if you are new to the practice.
According to research published in July 2017 in the Annals of Internal Medicine,
Yoga may be more effective than physical therapy at reducing back pain, and it may even help reduce the need for pain medication.
A study was conducted for three months on patients with back pain. At the start of the three-month study, one group was assigned to physical therapy for their back pain, a second to yoga, and a third to reading about pain management strategies.
70 percent of the subjects were taking medication. By the end of the third month, the number of people taking medication in the reading group stayed the same, whereas 50 percent of the yoga patients in yoga therapy stopped taking medication.
What are the main causes of back pain?
There can be many reasons why your back is paining, it can be muscular pain, it can be due to pressing of nerves, etc, twisting the spinal disc, issue in the lumbar disc, etc. Some of the most common reasons for backaches are uncomfortable sitting position, long hours of sitting, standing for a long duration, improper sleeping position, etc.
How does yoga help to reduce back pain?
Yoga provides great strength to the back muscles and also, brings flexibility and mobility in the joints which can help to perform day-to-day activities easily. Yoga is also a great stress buster, it helps to relax and calm down our mind. Stress can be one of the biggest reasons for leading a sedentary lifestyle where we tend not to work out much or exercise at all. Yoga includes asanas that are effective in reducing muscle tension from different parts of the body including back pain.
Tips for doing yoga for beginners:
If you are new to yoga and want to cure back pain with yoga therapy, start under the guidance of an experienced yoga practitioner.
When choosing a yoga class, make sure that it is tailored for people with back pain. There are many yoga classes that focus on healing and relaxation, which can be helpful if you are struggling with back pain.
Start slowly and don’t push yourself too hard. Yoga should be comfortable and relaxing, not painful. If a pose feels uncomfortable or too challenging, skip it and try another pose instead.
Focus on your breath throughout your yoga practice.
– Start with easy yoga asanas first like shavasana (corpse pose), tadasana (mountain pose), etc., do not push yourself too hard
Practice these asanas to get relief from your lower back pain.
This set of asanas will relax the back muscles and release tension from the particular area. Practicing yoga will also increase body awareness and help you mentally connect with the body parts. This will help you understand which part of the body is holding tension and how to release those tension.
Downward Facing Dog (Adho Mukh Svanasana)
Marjari Asana (Cat-Cow Pose)
Ardh Matsyendra Asana (Half Lord of the Fishes)
Balasana (Child’s Pose)
Setu Asana (Bridge Pose)
Supta Udrakarshan Asana (Lying Abdominal Stretch)
Shava Udrakarshan Asana (Supine Spinal Twist)
Saral Bhujangasana (Sphinx Pose)
Markat Asana 3 (Monkey Spiral Twist)
Salbhasana (Locust Pose)
1. Downward Facing Dog (Adho Mukh Svanasana)
This asana is a great way to stretch the entire back, including the hamstrings, calves, and spine. It also opens up the chest and shoulders.
How to do it:
Come onto all fours with your hands shoulder-width apart and knees hip-width apart.
Spread your fingers wide and press down into the mat as you lift your hips up a