Lower back pain seems to be an affliction that every second person you meet seems to be living with. There are so many reasons why lower back pain is such a common condition among the general populace: there are of course genetic factors, certain injuries or diseases that could result in this debilitating pain; but our lifestyles and daily stresses also account for many of the reasons. At times it is athletes who suffer from back pain. Even though one may be very active and fit back pain could occur. While severe persistent pain in the lower back should be investigated thoroughly and dealt with under the directions of a doctor, yoga can help significantly with lower back soreness, chronic aches and pains.
A bit about lower back pain
Lower back pain can severely restrict your range of activities and hamper your general enjoyment of life. It could be bone pain, nerve pain or muscle pain that you or a loved one may be feeling. The most common type of lower back pain comes from our sedentary lifestyles that don’t let our spines go through the required range of motions to remain healthy.
To maintain proper spine health and to keep pain at bay, the spine needs regular and adequate stretching, the muscles supporting the area need to be strong and supportive and your back needs to be properly aligned. Sitting for long hours in a day, poor posture, repetitive stress and not getting enough exercise can all take a toll on the back, giving rise to back pain.
Yoga aasans to help you with back pain
Keeping your back strong, supple and limber is important. So yoga positions that stretch the back, improve flexibility, and enhance strength will help. Studies have found that proper yoga practice can help lower pain and reduce the amount of pain medication one needs to take and these are some of the recommended aasans:
Padahastasana – This pose requires you to stand up straight and then lower your body from the waist to touch your toes; thus getting a palpable spinal stretch. While some of us may not be able to touch our toes, others can lay their palms flat on the ground and yet others may be able achieve greater difficulty levels.
Marjaryasana aasan or cat pose and Balaasana or the child pose – You need to be on your hands and knees and then arch your spine upward in an arc while tucking in the tail bone. Do this in a way that you feel the stretch in your back and then slowly lower your body in the way that your buttocks rest on your feet with your arms outstretched above your head to assume the child pose to give the whole body a nice relaxed stretch.
Setu Bandha aasan – Another spine stretching pose is the bridge pose that requires you to lie with your shoulders and feet flat on the ground while arching your body up off the ground so your hips come in line with your knees. This stretches the spine in the opposite direction from the cat pose and you will feel the contraction as you curl your body upward.
Adho Mukha Shvanasana – or the downward facing dog also helps stretch the spine and strengthen the spinal muscles. The inverted V position require you to place your feet and palms flat on the ground with the buttocks at the apex of the inverted V.
Kapotasana or Pigeon pose – This requires you to sit with one leg stretched out behind the body and the other one folded with the foot tucked below the pelvis, or calf parallel to the pelvis. You will feel the stretch in the pelvic area and down your legs as well.
If yoga does not seem to help with your lower back pain it is important to stop and get a medical investigation so that you don’t exacerbate the problem.