Yoga for Lower and Upper Back Pain: Back-ache or Back pain occurs mainly in the back portion of the human body. Our back is divided into three parts mainly: 1. Neck region 2. Upper back 3. Lower back.

Causes of Back Pain:

Back pain is mostly common nowadays due to changed lifestyles. According to the research done by the scientist, they say ‘at an average about 95% of adults experienced severe or less severe back pains at some point in life’.

That maybe because of prolonged working hours, unproper sitting postures, obesity, lack of exercise.

Studies show that problem of back pain is found more in smokers.

Pregnancy is also the reason for backpain in womens. To reduce it you can learn prenatal yoga.

Heavy back pain can lead to weakness in arms, legs and hands also.

To get relief from this and to stay fit you can opt yoga for lower and upper Back Pain

How Yoga can help in Relieving Lower and Upper Back Pain?

Yoga is a set of various exercises which includes many poses for Lower and Upper Back Pain

Simple stretching exercises in yoga can help you relieve stress in the whole back region, by improving blood circulation in the spine and nerves area.

Yoga helps in getting your body properly aligned and balanced, which helps in strengthening of the body.

Yoga improves flexibility and stability of the body which is necessary for the back muscles.

Some of the yoga poses focuses mainly on improving the core back strength. Such poses will reduce the problem of lower and Upper back pain.

Prevention is better than cure.

So start with simple yoga practices, rather than waiting for the back pain to happen and then starting, to cure it.

Yoga is not the medicine that you take after falling ill, It is the elixir of life, take it day by day for the better health.

Also Read: Yoga for Immunity

Yoga Poses for Back Pain

Yoga for Lower and Upper Back Pain:

1. Cat-cow pose
2. Downward dog pose
3. Trikonasana or triangle pose
4. Sphinx pose
5. Cobra pose
6. Half lord of fish pose
7. Standing forward bend pose
8. Wide leg forward bend pose
9. Plough pose or Halasna
10. Hastauttanasana (Raised Arms Pose)
11. Knees to chest with slow rock
12. Bow pose
13. Eagle pose
14. Seated forward fold
15. Spinal twist
16. Warrior pose
17. Angle Pose

Trikonasana or Triangle pose

It is performed in 2 parts. Facing left and right.
>>Stand on the feet apart from each other.
>>Knees should be unbent.
>>Turn your right foot to 90degree and left to 45degree. Keeping the heels in line with hips.
>> As you inhale stand tall and as you exhale try to reach the right side foot with the left hand. And the right hand should face towards the ceiling.
>>Breath in hold this for 20 seconds and repeat the same with other hands.

(A perfect Diet for Health)- Must See.

Cobra Pose

As you inhale, you may keep your elbows bent in this pose with the shoulders away from the ears, make a gentle effort to push the chest forward and try to look towards the sky. The navel should touch the ground and legs should be straight. Stretch as much as you can do not try to force the body.

Warrior Pose

It helps in shaping your arms, legs, and lower back. Helps in increasing overall stamina which will help in doing yoga and will ultimately lead to relieve in back ache.

Step your left foot toward the back. Now bring your left foot toes in a 45-degree angle. Start to bend your right knee so it comes over the ankle. Widen your stance so it helps in increasing the stability of your posture. Arm position may vary according to your flexibility. Make sure your hips pointing forward not twisted to the side.

Downward Dog Pose

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j97SSGsnCAQ

Arm’s should be kept shoulder width distance. In this we will try to push the floor away from ourselves.

Straighten the legs and start raising you hip from the ground. Palms should be placed flat on the floor , fingers spread wide apart for proper balance.

Shift the weight on the legs.

Bow Pose

It leads to a stretch in the abdominal region which helps in reducing the fat. leading to weight loss.

>Lie on your stomach with your arms by the side of the body.

>Now fold both the knees and taking your hands backward hold the ankles.

>Start breathing in ,lift the chest up form the ground and pull the legs.

>Look forward keep the pose stable, while focusing on your breath. The body is now curved like a bow. Bend only as possible as it is for you do not overdo it. Continue to take deep breaths while in the posture.

>Hold the posture for 20-25 seconds and as you exhale bring the legs to the normal position. relax.

Halasna or Plough Pose

>while lying on the mat let your arms face downwards .

>lift your legs upwards with the help of abdominal muscles they should be perpendicular to ground.

>Now with the help of your hands lift the hip up from the floor.

>Bring the feet in a 180-degree angle such that they are placed beyond your head.

>Back should be perpendicular to ground

>be in this state for as long as it is possible for you. Exhale, and gently bring down your legs. Avoid jerking your legs while releasing the pose.

Hastauttanasana (Raised Arms Pose)

Take the breath-in and lift both arms up and back, make sure your both the arms are in close contact with ears. The main focus is to stretch the body as far as you can from the heels to the tip of the finger.

Standing Forward Bend

While exhaling through the nose, bend forward from the waist, keeping your spine erect. On exhaling completely bring your hands on the floor besides feet.
For beginners – they can bend the knees slightly if they want to bring the palms to touch the floor. With regular practice of this asana, they will be able to do it perfectly without bending knees. (so relax) .

Wide leg forward bend

Be in Tadasana. Now Spread your legs wide apart.

>Inner feet be parallel to each other.

>Feet and big toes should be firm on ground.

>Place your hands on the hip. inhale.

>Now start bending forward from the hip, exhale. Go down towards the floor.

>Now there are two variations either you can keep your hands on the hips or else you can make palms of your hands touch the ground.

Stay in this position for few seconds.

If you can go further down, i mean if its comfortable for you, release you head down so the crown of your head touches the ground.

>maintaining a straight back is very important, if you cannot go further respect your boundaries of body and come back a little.

Cat- Cow pose

This pose makes the spine flexible.

>Be on your knees and hands.

>Your palms should be directly under your shoulders and knees under the hips.

>Hands should be shoulder apart and knees be hips apart from each other.

>inhale while moving your belly towards the ground. Open up the chest and look towards the ceiling.- Cow pose

>exhale while moving your belly towards Ceiling .Neck should be bend ,look towards the floor.

>repeat this Cat-Cow pose 3-4 times.

Sphinx Pose

Its similar to cobra pose even said as big brother of cobra Pose.

>Lie down on your stomach.

>Top of the feet must be firmly touching the ground.

>elbows should be under your shoulder and palms touching the ground.

> Chest should be open up forward. look forward like sphinx statute.

Remain in the position for about 1 minute.

Half Lord Of Fishes Pose

It increases the flexibility of spine.

Helps in relieving tension in mid spine.

>Sit with your legs straight in front of you.

>Bend your right knee and step out your right foot outside of the left leg. The right knee will point towards the ceiling. Bend the left knee in such a way that it touches the opposite hip.

>Right hand should be firmly placed on the ground behind the hip.

>inhale, start lifting your left arm and as you exhale twist yourselves towards right. Left arm elbow should be placed outside right thigh.

>Sit firmly on your sitting bones, give gentle twist towards right as you exhale everytime.

>For variation you can look above your shoulder. Hold this pose for a couple of breaths and then repeat this on the other side.

Eagle Pose

It helps in asthama and low back-ache.

>Stand firmly on your feet with hands on the side. Maintaining balance on the left leg bend your knees and lift your left leg up such as left thigh cross over the right thigh. Hook the left foot behind the right calf.

>Stretch your arms in front of your body.Cross the left arm over the right.

>Bend the arms from the elbows and raise them perpendicular to the floor. Bring your palms as close as possible to each other. The back of the hands should be facing each other.

>Raising the elbows ,fingers should be pointing towards the ceiling.

>Be in this pose for 15 seconds or as long as it is possible for you and then repeat the same for the other leg.

Seated forward fold

>Sit straight with your spine erect.Raise your hands up as you inhale, raise them above your head..

>as you exhale bend forward from the hip towards the legs, hands should be touching the feet or ankles.

>For more stretch pull the towards you and head closer to legs.

>Be in this pose for 5-6 breaths.

Slowly come back to normal position, with inhalation, hands above your head and then coming to the rest position.

Angle Pose

This bending posture helps in burning fat around the waistline.

>Stand straight with the feet apart from each other. arms alongside the body

>Breath in and raise the left arm up, pointing towards the sky. Breath out and bend the body first from the spine and then from pelvis towards the right side.

>Move the face to look up at the left palm.

>Breath in straighten the body back then breath out bring the left palm back to rest position. relax.

>repeat this 2-3 times

Spinal Twist

>lying on the back ,arms by the side touching the waist. palms of your hands be in touch with the ground. This the first step.

>bend the right from the knee, and place the right foot on the left knee.

>as you exhale drop the right knee to the left side ,twisting the spine.

>Shoulders be in touch with the ground. Left arm be over right knee.

>Look on the opposite side of the bended knee.

>Stay in this pose for 15-20seconds and then repeat the same for the other leg.

Knees to chest with slow rock

>lye down on your back with the hands on the side.

>Gently bend your one knee and bring it closer to your chest, do the same with the other knee.

>grasp both the knees with your hands.Try to pull them towards the chest.

>Now gently rock both the legs with the help of your hands on the left and right side.

Do this for 2-3 times

>return to normal position.

Bottom line

If you are dealing with severe back pain, i would suggest that do not totally rely on yoga ,Doctor’s attention is necessary,which will be beneficial for you to monitor your back pain.

You can also consult the yoga trainer or join the yoga classes side by side your medical medications also, which will give faster relief.

A proper trainer is required before starting any new yoga, so go for expert.

Be sure to seek the teachers of yoga for your need. As some of the poses may not be appropriate for the back pain.

Start by online classes, books, if it’s not possible for you to go outside and learn, hire a yoga teacher, it would just cost about 30-35$ but you will get personal assistance from him.

So here are some of the Yoga poses for Lower and Upper Back Pain.Give it a try and see the results for yourselves.

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