If you’re dealing with back pain, adding a yoga practice to your day is essential to feeling better! Incorporating these 12 best yoga poses for back pain will help reduce pain as well as stress.
Back pain affects all ages and, unfortunately, 85 percent of the US population suffers from back pain. It’s the second most common reason for seeing a doctor in the United States, and that’s exactly why I have an entire guide dedicated to back pain exercises.
What you may not know, is that he is consistent yoga practice it can reduce your back pain and prevent additional future injuries.
Incorporate the following 12 yoga poses for back pain into your weekly exercise routine and enjoy the benefits!
Yoga routine instructions for back pain:
- Start with some deep breathing exercises called pranayama. Think of a slight lengthening as you inhale and a release as you exhale.
- Complete each of the 12 movements for 3-5 rounds (depending on your individual needs) while continuing this breath awareness practice in each.
- Do the following pain relief yoga sequence two to three times a week to start feeling relief from back pain.
Grab your yoga mat and let’s go!
1. Child’s pose
Child’s pose lengthens and stretches the spine while relieving tension in the neck and shoulders.
Start on hands and knees and bring hips back toward heels. Bring the big toes together and keep the knees together to create support to round the back over the legs and into the thoracic spine.
You can also try using a block under the forehead for more relief. You can come back here as often as needed.
2. Cat and cow pose
From child’s pose, rise to your hands and knees. For the cow: Lift the chin up and drop the belly to the mat as you look up curving the tailbone up, then round the spine up dropping the tail down as you look back at the thighs, like a cat’s back.
Try this a few times slowly, rocking through each pose to feel the stretch, then move with the breath a few times: inhale as you move into cow pose with chin and tailbone up, exhale into cat pose.
The movement with the breath is called vinyasa and this will create some synovial fluid along the spine that will lubricate the back, making it feel more supple.
3. Downward Dog
Downward dog posture lengthens and strengthens at the same time. It’s also a great stretch for the hamstrings which can be the root of back pain.
Come onto the balls of the feet and lift the hips up, then drop the heels down toward the mat. This is another option to get back to stopovers.
Take some time here to pedal your feet, twist your hips and rock with each other.
4. Crescent Lunge On One Knee
The crescent lunge helps open the hips which can significantly affect the back. It is a great pose for relieving sciatica pain.
Step the right foot forward between the hands. Aim to place the foot just below the knee so that the shin is vertical. You can keep your hands on the mat for balance or raise your arms above your head to lengthen the spine and open the chest.
Add a twist: lift your right arm up, with the left hand from the right leg and rotate the chest to the thigh or up. Twists are great for improving spinal range of motion. Repeat on the left side and return to child’s or downward dog pose.
5. Warrior 1
Warrior 1 pose is an energizing movement that builds stability and improves balance. Better posture can significantly affect and relieve back pain.
Bring the right foot between the hands and bend the right knee, place the back foot down on the mat and lift the body and arms up. Consider bringing the back hip forward so that the hips are aligned.
This creates some twists in the lower back.
6. Triangle
This triangle pose engages the spinal nerves and strengthens the lower back.
Straighten the right leg and reach the right hand forward and down to the right leg. You can make contact above the knee, on the shin, on the foot, on the floor, or use a block and place the hand on the block near the front foot.
The left arm is raised and the chest is open to the side.
7. Rotating triangle
The rotating triangle is another pose that improves balance with the help of internal and external obliques. This pose activates the spine!
Legs remain the same, switch hands so that the left hand is down towards the right leg and the right hand is reaching up. Repeat on the left side.
8. Locust Pose
The grasshopper pose will strengthen and lengthen all the muscles along the spine.
Lie face down on your stomach and lift your chest and legs off the mat. You can take the arms at your side, reaching the fingers behind you.
This is full activation of the entire back of the body.
9. One foot forward
This posture will get into the hip and psoas which when inflamed can put a lot of stress on the back.
Sitting, extend the left leg in front of you and bend the right knee, letting it fall open to the side like half a butterfly. Reach forward and gently fold over the legs.
Switch sides after three breaths. Try not to force it, but just relax into the pose for optimal release in the spine.
10. Knees To Chest
The knee-to-chest movement has the same effects as the child’s pose without the impact on the knees.
Lie on your back and hug your knees to your chest. It rounds and releases.
You can gently rock right to left for a gentle spine massage.
11. Twisting
The Twists movement relieves pressure on the lower back and encourages a range of motion of the spine.
Keep the knees bent and drop them to the right as you turn your head to the left. Switch sides after three to five breaths.
12. Corpse pose supported
This final pose, or savasana, allows the body to absorb the practice.
Place a pillow or blanket under the knees and lie with your arms by your side.
Always try to take a few breaths in stillness to let the breathing practice be the focus to relax the mind.
Short time?
If you don’t have time and want a quick and efficient one yoga flow to relieve your back pain, try this 4 minute flow below.
You can do it in the morning before starting your day or in the evening to relax, stretch your back and relax.
The power of yoga to treat back pain
While severe back pain due to a recent injury should always be addressed by a doctor, chronic and moderate back pain can often be supported with the power of yoga.
Yoga naturally helps to strengthen and lengthen your spine, stretch your muscles and correct your back alignment, which can often be the root cause of persistent back pain for those of us who sit at a desk all day.
In fact, according to a study in Archives of Pathology, chronic back pain sufferers who practiced yoga on a regular basis they were half as likely to need painkillers or over-the-counter treatments for their pain than non-yogis.
Yoga is great for improved flexibility and range of motion, as well as injury prevention. I recommend starting a daily yoga practice to enjoy all the benefits!
