5 Yoga Poses for Back Pain

Try these simple yoga poses if you suffer from back pain.

(photo: iStock)

Back pain is a common ailment, especially if you spend half your day at the desk with no breaks and a bad posture. Yoga can be effective in getting rid of back pain. Yoga is a mind-body therapy that even doctors recommend to alleviate back pain and stress. The right yoga poses, when practised the right way, can relax and strengthen your body.

Yoga should be practised every day and can help you heal and prevent health complications. Yoga will help you become more aware of your body and notice the tension points in it.

Here are a few yoga poses that you can practise every day to get rid of back pain.

Cat-Cow Pose

The cat-cow pose is a gentle, simple pose that includes backbend stretches and helps mobilise the spine. This pose helps stretch your torso, shoulders, and neck.

This yoga pose focuses on various muscle groups like erector spinae, rectus abdominis, triceps, serratus anterior, and gluteus maximus.

You can follow these steps:

• Go on all fours.

• Your wrists go underneath your shoulders, and your knees will be placed underneath your hips.

• Make sure you balance your weight evenly on all fours.

• Breathe in and look up, let your stomach drop down toward the mat.

• Breathe out and tuck your chin into your chest, draw your navel toward your spine, and your spine should be arched towards the ceiling.

• Maintain focus while you practise this pose.

• Focus on releasing tension in your body.

• Hold the pose for at least 1 minute.

Downward Facing Dog Pose

This is one of the traditional yoga poses in which you bend forward. It can be restful and rejuvenating. This pose can help relieve back pain and sciatica. It helps manage imbalances and improves strength.

The pose focuses on muscles like hamstrings, deltoids, gluteus maximus, triceps, and quadriceps. You should:

• Get on all fours.

• Your hands should be aligned under your wrists and your knees under your hips.

• Press into your hands, tuck your toes, and lift up your knees.

• Move your sitting bones slowly up toward the ceiling.

• Slightly bend your knees and lengthen your spine and tailbone.

• Your heels should be slightly off the ground.

• Press firmly into your hands and distribute the weight on both sides of the body.

• Pay attention to the position of your hips and shoulders.

• Your head should be in line with your upper arms and your chin tucked in slightly.

• Hold this pose for at least 1 minute.

Extended Triangle Pose

This is a classic standing posture that may not require a yoga mat. It may help alleviate backache, sciatica, and neck pain. It helps relax your spine, hips, and groin while strengthening your shoulders, chest, and legs. It may also help manage stress and anxiety.

This pose focuses on muscles like latissimus dorsi, internal oblique, gluteus maximus, and medius, hamstrings, and quadriceps.

• Stand straight, place your feet about 4 feet apart.

• Your right toes should face forward, and your left toes should be placed out at an angle.

• Lift your arms parallel to the floor and place your palms downward.

• Tilt slightly forward and hinge at your right hip to come forward with your arm and torso.

• Bring your hand to your leg, a yoga block, or onto the floor.

• Now slowly extend your left arm towards the ceiling.

• Look up, forward, or down.

• Repeat the pose on both sides and hold it for a minute.

Sphinx Pose 

This gentle backbend pose strengthens the spine and buttocks. It helps relax your chest, shoulders, and abdomen.

It helps manage stress and focuses on muscles like erector spinal, gluteal muscles, pectoralis major, trapezius, and latissimus dorsi.

Follow the steps here:

Lie on your stomach and extend your legs behind you.

• Make sure the muscles of your lower back, buttocks, and thighs are well-engaged.

• Place your elbows under your shoulders and your forearms on the floor and your palms facing down.

• Now gently lift up your upper torso and head.

• Slowly lift and engage your lower abdominals to provide support to your back.

• Lift up through your spine and out through the crown of your head, do not collapse on your lower back.

• Relax in this pose fully, while you remain active and engaged.

• Hold this pose for up to 5 minutes.

Cobra Pose 

This stretches your abdomen, chest, and shoulders. It strengthens your spine and may soothe sciatica. It helps the muscle groups: hamstrings, gluteus maximus, deltoids, triceps, and serratus anterior.

Follow the steps:

• Lie on your stomach and place your hands under your shoulders and your fingers facing forward.

• Draw your arms to your chest and your elbows should not go out to the side.

• Press into your hands and slowly lift your head, chest, and shoulders.

• Lift partway, halfway, or all the way up.

• Slightly bend your elbows.

• Let your head drop back to deepen the pose.

• Release back down to your mat and breathe out.

• Bring your arms by your side and rest your head.

• Slowly move your hips from side to side to release tension from your lower back.