7 yoga poses for lower back pain

When your lower back pain is related to the muscular issues, using yoga for lower back pain may be a very effective treatment method. The poses outlined below can be used independently or together as a practice. Even carving just 15 minutes from your day to move and breathe could help you reduce your lower back pain.

Why Does Lower Back Pain Occur?

The muscles in your lower back flex and rotate your hips while you walk and support your spinal column. The lower back helps in everyday motions like bending and twisting. It also supports the weight of your upper body.

Yoga for Back Pain

Boat Pose

1) Sit upright on a Yoga Mat while pulling your heels in towards your hip

2) Extend your arms forward so they are parallel with the floor

3) Stretch out your legs and feet together so they form a 45-degree angle with the floor

The boat pose that can help strengthen the abdomen, hip flexors, and spine. Do not round your back as complete this pose.

Downward Facing Dog

It's the most well-known yoga pose out there and for good reason. Downward dog elongates the cervical spine and strengthens the core, hamstrings and lower back. Start on your hands and knees, tuck your toes, lift your hips and bring your heels toward the ground. Hold for five breaths.

Bridge Pose

Roll over and lie on your back. Bend your legs and press your feet into the floor, keeping your upper body still. Press into your feet and lift your tailbone, curving your back as much as feels comfortable. Clasp your hands under your back, pressing them into the ground. If you have a yoga block available, try placing it at the base of your spine for support. Stay here, breathing, for about one minute.

Forward Bend

There are many different types of forwarding bends, but the seated forward bend allows for a lot of control and can easily be regressed depending on your flexibility. For example, I’m bending my legs at about a 20-degree angle, which makes the pose easier while someone more advanced could have the legs completely extended. Someone who is less advanced would bend the legs even more. Be careful with the forward bend in particular because if done incorrectly, it can put pressure on your intervertebral disks.

Supine Twist

A twist to the spine offers a great tension reliever for the entire back, as well as the neck. You get to lay down, relax and let the gravity help you.

Lay on your back, bring your arms to a T-shape on the floor and bring your knees towards your chest. Slowly lower both knees to the left, keeping the neck neutral or turning the gaze away from the knees. Try to keep both shoulders on the floor, and if the top knee lifts too much, you can place a block or a bolster between the knees. Stay anywhere between 1-4 minutes, and repeat on the other side.

Child's Pose

It may look like you’re resting, but child’s pose is an active stretch that helps elongate the back. It’s also a great de-stressor before bed at the end of a long, exhausting day.

Thread the Needle Pose

To start, lay on the floor, and bring the soles of the feet on the ground, feet hip-distance apart. Place your right ankle on the left thigh, and keep the foot flexed throughout the pose. Take your right arm in between the space of the legs, and the left arm outside the left thigh.

Interlace the fingers either behind your knee or on top of the shin, depending on the space available to you. Keep the back and shoulders relaxed. Stay anywhere between 1-3 minutes and change sides.