5 Poses to Ease Lower Back Pain
The reason you experience lower back pain
Do you suffer from lower back pain? Do you want to learn how to ease lower back pain and tension through yoga? If you answered yes to the questions above, keep reading further in order to find out which yoga poses you can practice in order to relieve lower back pain and tension. Lower back pain may be caused by many reasons. Here are a few reasons for lower back pain according to Mayo Clinic (2018):
- Muscle or ligament strain – strain happens by repeated heavy lifting or sudden movements. Subsequently, constant strain also contributes to painful muscle spasms.
- Bulging or ruptured disks – disks are like cushions between the bones in our spine. When the soft part of a disk ruptures, it presses on the nerve, hence causing pain and discomfort in the lower back
- Arthritis
- Skeletal irregularities – this is when your spine curves to the side and may lead to back pains
- Osteoporosis – when spine develops compression fractures due to brittle bones
For more scientific and clinical research for causes of lower back pain, please click on the link in the following citation:
“Back Pain”.(2018). Mayo Clinic. Retrieved from: https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/back-pain/symptoms-causes/syc-20369906
How to prevent lower back pain
According to Mayo Clinic, one way to prevent lower back pain is through exercising. It is stated that exercises that don’t strain your back can “increase strength and endurance in your back and allow your muscles to function better”. Similarly, another way to prevent lower back pain according to Mayo Clinic is through building muscle strength and flexibility. To further expand, engaging in abdominal and back muscle exercises, “help condition these muscles so that they work together like a natural corset for your back. Flexibility in your hips and upper legs aligns your pelvic bones to improve how your back feels”.
Similar to many of you, I suffer from severe and chronic low back pain (especially after a car accident in 2017). For the most part, the pain is chronic and something I struggle with daily. Incidentally, doing yoga for my lower back helps immensely to manage the pain and relieve tension and stiffness. Scientific research has shown a direct and positive correlation to reducing lower back pain through flexibility and strength. Yoga is a great way to help reduce back pain and a prevention method for future aches. Keep on reading to see which poses you can practice from the comfort of your own home on a regular basis in order to prevent or reduce lower back pain.
Yoga Poses for Lower Back Pain
Plow Pose: Stretches your spine, reduces lower backaches, opens up shoulders, soothes nervous system, and stimulates thyroid.
How to Get Into Pose:
Begin by laying on your back. Extend both legs out towards the ceiling. Press your palms into the ground and lift your legs up and over head. Straight away, bring the palms of your hands on your lower back for support. Keep bringing the knees back towards the floor.
Modification:
Bring a bolster, pillow or chair right above your head. Follow the steps above, and rest your legs on either one of the options listed above. Using props will help to provide extra elevation, hence reducing the intensity of the pose.
Coming out of this pose:
Come out of this pose the same way you got into but in opposite order. Use your hands to support you, and slowly one vertebrae at a time, lower your hips on the ground, keeping the legs extended towards the ceiling. When your hips are firmly grounded on the floor, bend your knees and bring them to your chest. Hugging them close and adding a gentle rock from side to side to massage the lower back.
Extended Head to knee Pose: Decompresses the spine, improves digestion, and stretches the low back and shoulders.
How to Get Into Pose:
Start in a comfortable seated position. Keep your back straight and extend your right leg out. Point your toes upward, in order to keep the knees protected. Bring your right palm to rest on the inside of the extended leg. Take a deep inhale and raise your left palm up. On your exhale, reach your left palm over towards the right toe. Keep your chest facing forward. Stay here for a few deeps breaths, return back to center and repeat the same steps on the other side. Make sure to keep your chest facing forward and up as opposed to inward and down.
Modification:
Place a pillow, block or yoga bolster underneath your forearm. Rest your forearm or hand on top of the prop. This will provide you with extra elevation, while keeping you in proper alignment.
Supported Child’s Pose: Stretches the lower back, hips, and thighs while reducing fatigue.
How to Get into this Pose:
Start at table top on all fours. Bring your big toes to touch, heels are apart. Begin to bring your hip back towards the heels. Open up your knees mat distance apart. Take a deep inhale and lengthen through the back, and on your exhale begin to walk your finger tips towards the top of your mat. Lowering your chest as low as you can, aiming to bring the forehead down. Breathe here for a few deeps breaths and gently push into palms and walk yourself back into a seated position.
Modification:
Place a rolled up towel or blanket at the back of your mat. Rest your ankles on top of the blanket. This variation will help to support your ankles. Place a yoga bolster or pillow in between your legs and rest your chest on top of the prop. This will provide extra support for your back.
In Conclusion
Finally, practicing yoga on a regular basis has proven to be beneficial in reducing bodily aches. As we engage in yoga postures and stretches that decompress the spine, we enable to release accumulated tension in the spine and back which cause pain. I hope you find this article useful and feel inspired to practice regularly. Lastly, I am sending much healing energy your way and hope these exercises help to relieve tension, pain and stiffness from your lower back.
As a side note, we have a full online yoga series dedicated to lower back pain and tension relief. Please feel free to join our free online yoga community by clicking on the link below!