6 Beginner-Friendly Yoga Poses for Back Pain
There are numerous reasons why people do yoga. From practicing mindfulness to toning muscles, yoga can offer many benefits for your mind and body. It can even be a simple way to reduce back pain. Learn how yoga for upper and lower back pain works and how you can get started.
How Yoga for Back Pain Relief Works
How can you relieve back pain with yoga? By doing yoga consistently, you can:
- Improve stretching: Having tight muscles in the back, or in parts of the body like the hamstrings, can contribute to pain in the lower and upper back. Most yoga poses emphasize stretching, helping to loosen up these tight muscles.
- Strengthen muscles: This dynamic exercise also focuses on building strength throughout the body, targeting muscle groups with different poses. Over time, stronger muscles can help prevent injury and alleviate back pain.
- Boost flexibility: Regularly practicing yoga helps you move more easily and comfortably in your body. When practiced often, yoga can improve back flexibility.
- Straighten posture: As you make yoga a regular part of your routine, it can help improve your body’s alignment and posture. When your body is trained to sit and stand taller and straighter, you may find that your improved posture reduces your back pain.
Simple Yoga Exercises for Back Pain
Whether you’re a beginner or a veteran of yoga, you can do many yoga positions with ease. All you’ll need is a soft surface. Get started with the following yoga positions for back pain:
1. Sphinx
This position — reminiscent of the Great Sphinx of Giza — gives your back a gentle bend, making it an effective yoga back stretch. To get into position, start by lying flat on your belly on the ground. Push yourself up by placing your forearms flat on the ground in front of you. Keep your legs straight behind you with the front of your feet resting on the ground. Lift your torso from the ground and look straight ahead, allowing your back to gently bend.
2. Cat-Cow
Many yoga poses borrow names from the animal kingdom — and the cat-cow is no exception. This pose involves moving your spine to give you a stretch through your neck, shoulders and back.
This pose is done while you rest on your hands and knees. Begin with your spine in a neutral position. To get into the cat part of the stretch, look down and arch your back upward. Hold the stretch for a few moments before transitioning to the cow part of the pose. Drop your stomach toward the floor and move your neck to allow yourself to look upward.
3. Downward-Facing Dog
The downward-facing dog is one of the best yoga poses for back pain. This pose gives you a hamstring stretch, which can relieve tension in the lower back, and it helps strengthen the muscles in your lower body. To get into downward-facing dog, begin by resting on all fours. Align your hands and wrists before you press into your feet and straighten your legs. In this position, your body will look like an inverted “V.” Tuck your chin and gaze at your legs behind you.
4. Modified Down Dog
If you can’t do the downward-facing dog, you can start with a modification. It may even help to start here before attempting the downward-facing dog altogether. Follow the same steps as listed above, but keep your knees bent rather than fully straightening your legs.
5. Child’s Pose
No back pain relief routine is complete without a common yoga pose called child’s pose. This position is considered a recovery position in yoga. Any time your body needs a break during your yoga practice, you can turn to child’s pose. It can also be a terrific pose on its own to stretch out your back.
Start on your knees. Place your toes together, spreading your knees apart. Lean your torso forward with your arms straight in front of you until you can rest your forehead on the floor in front of you. To increase the stretch, pull your rear down toward your heels.
6. Triangle Stretch
To stretch out your entire back, try a triangle stretch. Stand with your feet shoulder-length apart. Extend your arms horizontally on either side. Slowly tilt your body down to the right so your right hand touches your right foot. Hold this stretch for about 15 seconds. Repeat on the other side of your body.
Tips to Protect Your Back During Yoga
While yoga can be helpful for back pain, it’s possible that all of those different poses and movements may cause back discomfort. Fortunately, you can easily avoid these common pitfalls and relieve back pain with yoga by practicing yoga safely. These three tips will protect your body as you practice yoga:
- Learn how to do the poses correctly: Even small adjustments in your body can make a big difference. Ultimately, yoga is about proper body mechanics. Many stretches for back pain are simple — but if done incorrectly, they could cause you counterproductive discomfort. For example, it can be easy to allow the muscles of your lower back to tense up during upward facing dog. Concentrate on allowing your muscles to relax.
- Educate yourself about yoga: If you’re a beginner, education is key. Try reading descriptions of different poses and watching videos online to help you grasp the concept behind each move. It can also be beneficial to take a class so you can see an instructor demonstrate the movements, hear in-person direction and receive personalized feedback.
- Listen to your body: Everyone’s body is different — some people are naturally flexible, while others struggle to touch their toes. What you feel during a yoga pose is unique to you. Even though stretching can cause mild discomfort, you should never feel like a yoga pose is causing you pain. Listen to what your body is telling you. If you do feel pain, back off and reassess how to enter and hold that particular pose. If you need additional support, consider investing in equipment like a yoga strap or blocks.
Schedule an Appointment With Us
If you find that your back pain keeps coming back or won’t resolve with at-home remedies or exercises like yoga, it’s time to talk to a specialist. At Spine INA, our team is here to get to the root cause of your back pain and build a personalized plan for recovery. Contact us today to make an appointment.
