Many people experience lower back pain at some point in their lives. Whether it’s from a car accident, sitting too long, or just aging, this can be an uncomfortable and difficult condition to deal with. If you are experiencing lower back pain and want to find relief without resorting to medication or surgery, then our special edition of Intuitive Yoga for Everyone is the perfect solution. In this blog post we will discuss how yoga has been proven to effectively treat lower back pain as well as provide you with 11 helpful poses that will help relieve your discomfort!
Lower back pain is the most common type of chronic pain in adults, with about 80% of us experiencing it at some point.
Yoga has been proven to be one way to effectively treat lower back pain because it allows you to stretch and strengthen your muscles while providing balance through your whole body.
These can all help relieve physical tension that contributes significantly to a person’s discomfort.
The following are 11 poses that will aid in relieving lower back pain: – Twisting Chair Pose (Utkatasana) — Saves energy by stretching each side of the waistline; strengthens core as well - Butterfly Pose (Baddha Konasana) — Helps relaxes tight hips, groin, and adductors - Seated Spinal Twist (Ardha Matsyendrasana) — Relieves lower back pain by stretching the spine; strengthens core muscles
Cat/Cow Stretch (Marjariasana/Bitilasana) – Improves range of motion in spine; helps to release tension from neck and shoulder area
Warrior II Pose (Virabhadra asana) — Strengthens legs while elongating torso for minimal curvature - Half Forward Bend Pose or Hero’s Pose (Utthita Urdhva Prasarita Padottanasana)– Opens chest, stretches hamstrings, lengthens hip flexor muscles.
“i can lift you up”
e (Utkatasana) — Saves energy by stretching each side of the waistline; strengthens core as well - Butterfly Pose (Baddha Konasana) — Helps relaxes tight hips, groin, and adductors - Seated Spinal Twist (Ardha Matsyendrasana) — Relieves lower back pain by stretching the spine; strengthens core muscles. – Cat/Cow Stretch (Marjariasana/Bitilasana) – Improves range of motion in spine; helps to release tension from neck and shoulder area. Warrior II Pose (Virabhadra asana) — Strengthens legs while elongating spine - Kneeling Lunge Pose (Anjaneyasana) — Strengthens thighs and stretches hamstrings
; strengthens core muscles.
Cobra Pose (Bhujangasana) — Stretches back and chest while strengthening lower body
Bridge Pose (Setu Bandha Sarvangasana) — Strengthens spine, opens pelvis; stretches hamstrings and quads
Half Forward Bend or Pigeon Stretch from All Fours (Parshva Konasana/Kapotaskar Paschimottanasana)- Opens hips and groin area with a focus on the adductors; lengthens quadriceps muscles. – Seated Twist or Spinal Twist in Chair (Ardha Matsyendrasana) – Helps to release tension by stretching spinal vertebrae; strengthens abdomen and stretches lower back muscles.
Side Stretch or Supta Padangusthasana (Reclining Hand to Big Toe) – Stretches hamstrings, groin, and back; strengthens legs and core muscles.
Happy Baby Pose with Feet on Floor (Ananda Balasana)– Opens hips while strengthening abdominals and stretching shoulders.
Bridge Pose Variation w/ Legs in a V Position Behind the Torso (Viparita Setu Bandha Sarvangasana) — Strengthens glutes by engaging them more in this pose than other bridge variations do; lengthens spine without curving it too much.
There are some beginner-level yoga poses that can be helpful for people with lower back pain. It’s important to note, however, that everyone is different and these may not work as well or at all for individuals who have more serious conditions like sciatica.
Mostly I am talking about chronic pain in the sacroiliac joint (SIJ) because it has been my experience–and I teach a lot of beginners so this might apply to many others too–that very few people know how to position their pelvis properly when they do yoga postures on the floor, which means tightness builds up quickly in muscles where it shouldn’t. When you don’t place your SIJ correctly during certain movements like Uttanasana (forward bend) or Padangustasana (big toe pose), the muscles of your low back are not well supported.
For anyone at any level, proper alignment is key to preventing injury and for getting more out of yoga as a practice. So here are two simple ways you can work with your pelvis while doing those poses on the floor:
Kneel on the ground first and then place one foot in front of you so that it’s parallel to an imaginary line about 18 inches away from where your other leg will go when you extend it backwards behind you. Then just sit down onto that heel until there’s a slight stretch in your low back.
Place a yoga block between the two feet, and then sit down onto the heel of one foot with that leg extended behind you so it’s on top of the block. It should feel like there is some space between your pelvis and tailbone. Hold this pose for 20 to 30 seconds before switching sides by moving your standing leg forward towards where your other thigh will go when you extend it backwards behind her knees are bent at a 90 degree angle). Remain mindful of how each position feels – if any discomfort arises or if something doesn’t seem right, just stop doing anything until the pain goes away.
