Yoga for Back PainNearly every has experienced low back pain at some point in their lifetime. Current estimates show that back pain is the #2 most common reason for visiting the doctor, #1 reason for visiting a chiropractor, and the #1 cause of disability for people under 45. You are not alone! A severe form of back pain is termed sciatica. It is usually caused when the shock-absorbing disk that separates two vertebrae bulges out. This compresses a nerve root in the spinal chord that causes pain that travels down the leg and even sometimes down to the foot. Bed rest was once thought to be the remedy for back pain but over the years, doctors found it to be counterproductive! The more time you are sitting or laying in bed, the more muscle mass you lose in your back. This causes you to overuse other muscles to compensate for the loss of muscle, making your pain worse. Right from the beginning of a back injury or condition being diagnosed, doctors recommend gentle activities such as stretching and you guessed it, yoga! Some of the causes of back pain are: ligament strain, arthritis, posture problems, scoliosis, stress or an injury. Due to the various causes, it is unlikely that the same set of exercises or medical treatment is going to help everyone. I would encourage you to try what feels good for you on this page and seek the assistance of a yoga therapist, to deepen your options for healing. There are some instances where back surgery is required, but back operations are and continue to be one of the most commonly unnecessary surgeries performed. Before considering surgery, I would suggest looking at other causes of pain such as posture, emotions, and your work and living environment. Go to the meditation for stress control and breathing for stress control pages if you have a feeling that stress is contributing to your back pain. When your stress is elevated, the body's stress system is activated, tension in the muscles increases, which can both cause pain by itself and perpetuate existing pain and injuries. Along with meditation and breathing exercises, some people suggest writing in a journal to remove the psychological burden of "carrying" all of your obligations and stresses. Once the stress is on the page and out of your head, muscle tension affected by stress may become less severe. In terms of yoga, posture, muscle tightness, muscle weakness, and a lack of body awareness affect back pain. If you are to truly address your serious back pain through yoga, a specific plan from a yoga instructor or yoga therapist would have to entail which specific muscles need strengthening and which need stretching. The information below is just a beginning to your healing process. Many times, doctors prescribe abdominal strengthening exercises that can tighten the psoas muscle that runs deep in your leg connecting your lower spine to the leg bone. Many people with back pain also have tight hip rotators, groins, hamstrings, and calves. Exercises explained on the bottom of the page work with these other muscles contributing to those other areas.
Body awareness is a crucial aspect of back pain that yoga can help you develop. Awareness of posture can lead to understanding what natural tendencies you have actually negatively affect your back pain. Be aware of your slouching posture in a chair at work, sofa at home, even how you are standing.
Some of the following poses may be similar to some of the PT exercises you have be given in the past. The difference between physical therapy and yoga is that in yoga, you attention is focused on what you are doing ad how it affects sensations in your body and mind. Awareness and focus on the breath are a large part of this. Regardless of the pose, maintain deep, slow breaths while performing these exercises. If you cannot maintain slow, deep breaths, back off from the pose until you are able to. Normal stretching stretches your body from the outside in where deep breathing while doing yoga strethces both from the outside in but also from the inside out. By breathing deeply you are expanding the inner portion of your muscles, getting more out of the exercise than shallow breathing or holding your breath (which you should never do!). Becoming aware of the breath is also a way to decrease stress. By simply taking slow, deep breaths we are calming down the nervous system and actively controlling our emotional stress levels.
Cat/Cow Series
Start in neutral table with a flat back. Your fingers wide and your middle finger pointing straight forward, pressing your thumb and index finger into the ground. Your hands should be directly beneath your shoulders and your knees should be directly beneath your hips.
Breath in deeply through your nose and as you breath, drop your belly, tilt your pelvis forward and raise your head up.
On the exhale, arch your spine, tilt your pelivs back and drop your head. Do 5-10 rounds of cat/cow coordinating the movemets with deep, slow breaths.
Happy Baby
Child's Pose
Legs-up-Wall
Legs-on-Chair
Reclining Spinal Twist
Gentle Seated Twist
Modified Seated Spinal Twist
Kneeling Lunge with Prayer Twist
Balancing the Cat
The next place to go with this pose is to reach behind you and grab your foot with your hand. If you do this, push your foot into your hand and arch your back. Keep breathing deeply. Hold the pose for 30 to 60 seconds while breathing long, deep breaths through your nose. You can always shorten the time if you are building strength and balance. Repeat with the left arm extended forward and right leg extended back. This pose improves balance, increases stamina, and strengthens the arms, back, and legs. Half Locust
Repeat with the same leg for 3 times. Place your leg down and rest with your hands making a pillow for your head that is turned to one side. Repeat with your right leg. This pose strengthens the lower back, buttocks, and hamstrings. For a more intense exercise, lift both legs at the same time for a count of five. Return from Yoga for Back Pain, to Self-Care Return to ReikiMindBodySoul Home
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There are two forms of bad posure. One is what is called the "C-shaped" spine where the head is forward relative to the spine, which causes greater strain on the neck and upper back. To address this, make sure your head is directly over your shoulders, broaden and pull your shoulders down your back. 
Another posture problem is when someone has an excessive lumbar curve sometimes called "swayback." This can occur during the hormonal changes during pregnancy as well as the weight of carrying a baby. By engaging the lower abdominal and tucking your tail bone, you can learn to flatten out some of the excess lower back curvature.
Good posture consists of the head directly over the shoulders, hips, and feet. Your chest is slightly lifted, shoulders are low and back, and you have a slight curve at the small of your back. When the head is balanced directly over an erect spine, there is much less stress placed on the neck and back muscles.
Neutral Table
Cow
Cat
Lie on your back with your head resting on the floor. Bend both knees, bringing them to your chest and wrap both arms around your shins grasping your forearms or wrists. You can always hold on to your knees if you are working on flexibility. Gently roll from side to side and even in small circles to give yourself a back massage. Allow the movements to be slow and gentle, all the while keeping your head on the ground and your breath deep and steady. This pose stretches your low back.
Similar to knees to chest but once you have both knees to your chest, interlace your hands on one knee pulling it to your chest and extend the other knee down on the ground. This pose both strengthens the abdominal and neck muscles as well as stretching the low back. After a few deep breaths, bring the extended leg back to your chest and switch legs and continue alternating for 10-12 repetitions.
Start the same way as knees to chest but extend your feet upward with your knees still bent. Ideally your low back should remain on the floor but it can be slightly lifted. Grab the soles of your feet with your hands either from the outside or inside of the feet. Gently pull your feet down while breathing deeply and enjoy the deep stretch in your low back.
Kneel with your legs slightly apart or with wide knees. Bend from the hips, folding your upper body onto your thighs. Place your forehead on the ground and your hands on the floor behind you with your palms up. You can also extend your arms forward, keeping your shoulders down your back away from your ears. Breath deeply and relax for several breaths or as long as it feels good. This pose releases your low back and is a great counter pose to any back bends.
This is a simple inversion that relieves swollen and tired feet as well as improves circulation in the legs and hips. It also has a calming effect on the nervous system which addresses the stress component of back pain. To get into the pose, lie on your right side with your knees bent and thighs to your chest. Position the upper body so it is perpendicular to the wall with the soles of the feet on the wall. Inhale and swing both legs so they rest on the wall and exhale. Your buttocks should be as close to the wall as possible. Arms are either at your sides in a "V" or straight out from the shoulders in a "T" with your palms up. You should not feel any pain or discomfort in your lower back so make adjustments or come down if and try legs-on-chair if you do. Stay in the pose for 5-10 minutes and if you feel like your feet are going to sleep, bend and straighten your legs a few times. If you still feel "pins and needles" in your feet, then come down and try legs-on-chair shown below.
This modification of legs-up-wall provides the same benefits but is easier to get into and places less strain on the back. If you are having back pain and laying on your back for relaxation is too much of a strain, even with a pillow or rolled up blanket under your knees, this pose is for you.
THE most important pose in yoga. After any amount of yoga, come into Shavasana at the end of your set for at least 5-10 minutes to allow the body to the assimilate the work you have just done. If you are looking for a stress reduction method, go into Shavasana and breath deep, long, belly breaths. Lay flat on your back with your hands in a "V" straight at your sides. To alleviate stress on your low back, place a pillow, bolster, or a rolled up blanket under your knees (pictured).
Lie on your back with your feet flat on the floor. Move your hips and bottom slightly to the left and bring your knees to your chest. Slowly lower your knees to the right and extend your arms out to a "T" position. If it feels OK, turn your head to the opposite side of your knees. Relax and breath deeply for 2-5 breaths. Bring your knees, hips, and bottom back to center and repeat on the other side.
Sit cross legged with your spine straight. Start by inhaling deeply and creating space in your spine and placing your left hand on right knee and right hand behind you. While exhaling, slowly twist to the right by pushing on your right knee with your left hand. With each in breath create more space by lengthening your spine and as you exhale, twist deeper. If you cannot continue slow deep breathing, do not twist any deeper. Remain twisting for 2-5 deep, slow, and controlled breaths. If your neck is healthy, continue looking around to the right to complete the twist from your lower spine to upper spine.
Extend left leg forward and right leg bent with your knee facing the sky. You can also place your right knee on the other side of your left leg for a deeper twist. Place your left hand on on the outside of your right knee and right hand behind you. Twist the same way you did on the gentle seated twist. Switch leg position and repeat on the other side.
Place your right foot forward in a lunge and place your left knee on the ground. Slowly twist to the right and hook your left elbow on the outside of your right knee. Place your right hand on top of your left hand in prayer position or Namaste. Press your left elbow into your right knee and right palm into your left palm until your hands are in the middle of your chest. Take deep slow breathes and feel the deep stretch in your low back. On an exhale, come out of the twist and repeat on the other side. To develop more strength in your legs, lift your back knee off the ground while twisted or before going into the twist.
Start in neutral table pose with your fingers spread wide with your hands below your shoulders and knees below your hips. Focus on a spot on the ground and extend your right arm forward and left leg back. Make sure your arm is in line with your shoulder and your left leg is even with your right hip. For a challenge in balance and strengthening, extend your right arm off to the right and the left leg off to the left. If you do this, bring the arm and leg back to center before placing them back on the ground.
Lie on your stomach with your chin on the floor, legs slightly apart, and your arms palm down alongside your body or underneath your thighs. Engage the abdominal muscles and extend your left big tow behind you and left the left leg 2 inches off the ground. Keep the top of the left thigh on the floor so the left hip is not above the right hip. With the leg raised, breath in through the nose to a count of five and while exhaling, slowly lower the leg for a count of 5. 
