Yoga For Back Pain: 5 Movements To Reduce Discomfort

Five Yoga Postures For Back Pain

Yoga can be an effective form of back pain management, providing an array of stretches and poses that can provide both physical and mental relief from soreness and discomfort. Check out this guide to learn five yoga postures that could help reduce your back pain and improve your day-to-day quality of life. Long slow extended exhales will help you to gain the most relief from the stretches. Most importantly, consistency is key! The more frequently that you do these stretches the better your pain relief will be. Join us live for Yoga online! Check our current event schedule for classes!

Cat-Cow Pose

The Cat-Cow pose is a gentle, easy stretch that is great at helping to release tension in the spine and lower back area of the body. To begin, kneel on the ground into table top positon, in which your hands are planted directly below your shoulders and your knees are bent parallel to your hips with the shins on the mat. As you exhale, gently begin to round your spine and tuck your chin and tailbone into cat pose. Then, reversing the spinal bend as you inhale start to arch your spine, round your tailbone out/up, bringing the head/gaze upwards into a full cow pose. Repeat several times for relaxing relief.

Child's Pose

Child's Pose is a resting yoga pose that helps to lengthen the spine and stretch the lower back while calming the mind. To do it, start in an all-fours (table top) position, then widen the knees and slowly sit your hips back onto your heels. Extend your arms along the ground in front of you, alongside your body or in prayer hands above your head. Draw your forehead toward your mat and stay there, breathing deeply into any areas of discomfort. Use pillows under your bottom and/or under your head if desired for a more supported, restorative version.

Seated Forward Fold

Seated forward fold is a great pose for relieving tension in your shoulders, neck and entire back body. To perform this movement, sit with both legs extended out in front of you. Inhale as you sit up tall from the crown of the head and then begin to reach your arms up to the sky (shoulders down away from your ears), then exhale as you hinge at the hips over your legs. Keep your spine as straight as possible, chest facing forward and rest your head and neck wherever they reach. Feel free to bring in pilllows for support to increase the comfort. Also, remember that bending the knees will lessen the intensity if it becomes painful. Next, focus on mentally sofening the muscles around any areas of discomfort or tension as you move deeper into the pose. Hold the pose for a few breaths before releasing it and slowly walking your upper body back body upright.

Standing Forward fold

Standing forward fold is another pose with many potential benefits for those suffering from back pain. To get into this position, start from a standing posture and slowly hnge at hips over your legs, bending your legs and bringing your belly to meet your thighs. Allow the arms, neck and head to hang heavy and shake the head gently from side to side. To deepen the stretch, grab opposite elbows and hang freely over your legs, and rock gently from side to side. As with the seated forward fold, focus on relaxing into any tight or sore areas of your body as you soften into the pose. Gently hold it for a few breaths before returning upright very mindfully rolling up one vertibrae at a time.

Spinal Twist

Spinal twists are an effective yoga movement for back pain relief as it gently stretches the entire spine. To get into this position begin by laying flat on your back, tucking your knees in towards your body and gently rocking side to side to massage the back. Choose one side to allow your bent knees to drop over to, keeping the shoulders weighted equally on the floor or mat. Bring in a pillow under your knees for extra support or allow gravity to gently stretch your spine and hips. Stay for at least 1 minute breathing into the twisted spine, and then slowly make your way back to center, knees to chest once more. Maybe noticing one side of the spine is looser than the other? And once you are ready exhale and drop the knees to the opposite side again holding for the same amount of time (at least 1 minute). Then gently come back to center and extend the legs out straight once more. Allow the spine to settle before getting back up to standing. Roll to one side in a fetal position and gently use your upper body to help yourself upright.