In today’s fast-moving world, lower back pain is one of the most common problems many people are experiencing. Back pain is something of a modern plague, caused by hours of sedentary activities as we watch television, surf the internet and spend eight-hour long shifts at desk jobs. Our skeletons are not designed to be stationary for so long, and they thank us for it with niggling aches and pains, most usually in the small of the back.

There was a time when yoga may have been dismissed, but the physical and mental benefits of yoga are now acknowledged by medical professionals across the globe, including the NHS. Yoga is mostly linked to relaxation of the mind, but it is an effective practice to improve body posture and improve your bone density. If you have back pain and wonder how to fix it, try yoga postures with the help of an instructor to target the problem areas in your back. You can prepare yourself by getting yoga mats online and finding professional yoga instructors near your hometown. 

Top 5 Yoga Postures to Relieve Back Pain

There are different types of yoga, and each one of them comes with different postures. This is why you should consider seeking advice from professionals to ensure that the yoga posture you are doing targets the right places. When it comes to back pain, there are more than 20 yoga postures that can help you deal with the pain, but in this article, we will only focus on the top five that you can practice while at home. They include;

1. Cat-Cow

The cat-cow yoga pose is easy to do and practiced by many yogis to stretch the spine. This is a very easy routine that almost anyone can perform, even with some mobility issues. It works on the neck, shoulder, and torso. With this pose, you can target different muscles, e.g., the triceps, gluteus maximus, etc. 

The pose is usually done using all your fours. First, you will need to place your knees below your hips and your wrist under the shoulders. Ensure you balance your weight and then from a neutral pose, arch your back, rounding it up into cat pose before returning to the neutral, flat back position and dropping even further into a convex formation, known as cow pose, almost as though you are shaking out your spine in gentle slow-motion. Repeat this sequence ten or so times, slowly and allowing your spine to feel the stretch in both positions.

2. Cobra Pose 

This yoga pose is done by lifting your head, shoulders, and chest while lying flat on your stomach. You first have to ensure your arms are placed correctly for the exercise to be effective. Your arms should be placed tightly to the chest and under the shoulder, then your finger pointing forward so that you can manage to lift the upper part of your body. 

The cobra pose helps relieve the stress in your back by working on the muscles around the back areas. It also strengthens your spine while soothing the pain you are feeling. 

3. Sphinx Pose 

Lying on your front, raise your torso sufficiently to allow your elbows to support your weight. Your forearms should extend in front of you, while your spine curves evenly between your neck and your waist. This exercise targets the area between your shoulder blades and neck – exactly the place where tension can pinch the muscles together, causing knots and aches.

4. Two Knee Spinal Twist 

This exercise feels dramatic and can be quite blissful when your back is aching and niggling. Lie flat on your back, on your yoga mat or any reasonably padded surface and raise your knees to your chest. Then slowly lower them to the left or the right, feeling the pull on your spine in the small of your back. Repeat to both sides for ten repetitions to reap the maximum benefit of this spine lengthening, knot removing exercise.

5. Downward-Facing Dog

Form a triangle with your hands and feet on the ground, aiming to create a right-angle at your hips. The pose works by pulling your leg and back muscles. While doing it, you will feel some strain and pain around the back muscles, but it will help to lengthen your hamstrings, glutes, and calves. Apart from that, the tension in your back area will be smoothened. 

This bottom-high pose is often a source of chuckling, partially from the name and partially from the unfortunate effect that the position can have on the digestion. But it is a shame to dismiss the pose because of the name – or even the flatulence that can result from properly achieving the pose! The right-angled position opens out the hips and stretches and straightens the spine, easing cramped backs and releasing the tensions that have built up during the day.

Other yoga poses you can do to fix your back pain naturally include child pose, leg up the wall, extended triangle, spinal twist, etc.

6. Child Pose 

Finish your back relieving workout by adopting child pose for five minutes – or longer if you have the time. Get into the position by kneeling on your mat, then folding yourself forwards gently until your forehead touches the mat. Your arms can be down by your sides or, for maximum stretch and opening out your lungs as well as your spine, you can extend them in front of you. 

Relax as completely as you can and let your own bodyweight stretch and realign your spine, remaining in that pose for as long as you like.

Do These Poses Really Work? 

Many yoga studies show that yoga poses significantly help stretch body muscles and improve flexibility. The effectiveness of yoga poses in relieving back pain can be realized if you give it a try and be consistent about the whole thing. 

You will feel rejuvenated after working through these poses, and your niggling back pain will be a thing of the past, even if the fix is temporary and only lasts until your next eight-hour shift at work!

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