12 Best Yoga Poses for Back Pain
If you are experiencing back pain, adding a yoga practice into your day is essential to feel better! By incorporating these 12 best yoga poses for back pain will help reduce pain as well as stress.
Back pain affects all ages and sadly, 85 percent of the U.S. population suffers from back pain. It’s the second most common reason for seeing a doctor in the United States, and exactly why I have a whole guide dedicated to back pain exercises.
What you may not know, is that a consistent yoga practice may reduce your back pain and prevent additional future injuries as well.
Incorporate the following 12 yoga poses for back pain into your weekly exercise routine, and enjoy the benefits!
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Yoga for Back Pain Routine Instructions:
Start with some deep breathing exercises in and out of the nose called pranayama. Think of a slight lengthening as you inhale and a releasing as you exhale.
Complete each of the 12 moves for 3-5 rounds (depending on your individual needs) while continuing this practice of breath awareness throughout each.
Do the following pain-relieving yoga sequence two to three times a week to start feeling back pain relief.
Grab your yoga mat and let’s go!
1. Child’s Pose
The child’s pose lengthens and stretches the spine while relieving tension in the neck and shoulders.
Start on the hands and knees and sit hips back towards the heels. Bring the big toes together and keep the knees together to create support to round the back over the legs and get into the thoracic spine.
You can also try using a block under the forehead for more relief. You can come back here as often as needed.
2. Cat and Cow Pose
From child’s pose, rise up to hands and knees. For Cow: Lift the chin up and drop the belly to the mat as you look up arching the tail bone upward, then round the spine upward dropping the tailbone down as you look back to the thighs, like a cat-back.
Try this a couple of times slowly, wallowing in each pose to feel the stretch, then move with the breath for a few times: inhaling as you move into Cow Pose with the chin and tail bone up, exhale into Cat Pose.
Movement with the breath is called vinyasa and this will create some synovial fluid along the spine which will lubricate the back, making it feel more supple.
3. Downward Dog
The Downward dog pose lengthens and strengthens at the same time. It’s also a big stretch for the hamstrings which can be the root of back pain.
Come on to the balls of the feet and lift the hips up, then release the heels down toward the mat. This is another option to come back to in between poses.
Take some time here to pedal the feet, twist the hips, and rock side to side.
Down Dog
4. Crescent Lunge On One Knee
Crescent lunge helps open up the hips which can significantly impact the back. It’s a great pose for sciatica pain relief.
Step right foot forward between the hands. Aim to place the foot right below the knee so the shin is vertical. You can keep your hands on the mat for balance or reach the arms up over your head to lengthen the spine and open the chest.
Add a twist: lift your right hand up, with the left hand by the right foot, and rotate the chest into the thigh or upwards. Twists are great for improving spinal range of motion. Repeat on the left side and come back child pose or down dog.
5. Warrior 1
The Warrior 1 pose is an energizing move that creates stability and improves balance. Having better posture can significantly impact and alleviate back pain.
Bring the right foot between the hands and bend the right knee, release the back foot down to the mat and lift the body and arms up. Think of bringing the back hip forward so that the hips are aligned.
This creates some twists in the low back.
Warrior One
6. Triangle
This Triangle pose gets into the spinal nerves and strengthens the lower back.
Straighten the right leg and reach the right hand forward and down to the right leg. You can make contact above the knee, on the shin, foot, floor, or use a block and place the hand on the block near the front foot.
Left-arm is up and the chest is open to the side.
7. Revolved Triangle
Revolved triangle is another pose that improves balance with the help of the internal and external obliques. This pose activates the spine!
Legs stay the same, switch the arms so the left hand is down toward the right leg and the right arm is reaching up. Repeat on left side.
8. Locust Pose
Locust pose will strengthen and elongate all the muscles along the spine.
Lie face down on your belly and lift the chest and legs up off the mat. You can take arms by your side, reaching fingers behind you.
This is complete activation of the entire back of the body.
9. One Leg Forward Fold
This pose will get into the hip and psoas which when inflamed can significantly stress the back.
Seated, extend the left leg out in front of you and bend the right knee, letting it fall open to the side like a half butterfly. Reach forward and fold softly over the legs.
Switch sides after three breaths. Try not to force this, but just relax in the pose for optimal release in the spine.
10. Knees To Chest
The knees to chest move has the same effects as child’s pose without the impact on the knees.
Lie down on your back and hug your knees up into your chest. It rounds and releases.
You can gently rock right to left for a gentle massage on the spine.
11. Twist
The Twists move relieves pressure in the low back and encourages a spinal range of motion.
Keep the knees bent and drop them to the right as you turn your head to the left. Switch sides after three to five breaths.
12. Supported Corpse Pose
This final pose, or savasana, allows the body to absorb the practice.
Place a pillow or blanket under the knees and lie down with arms by side.
Always try to take a few breaths in stillness to let the breath practice be the focus to relax the mind.
Short on Time?
If you’re short on time and want a quick and effective yoga flow to relieve your back pain, try this 4-minute flow below.
You can do it in the morning before you start your day, or at night to unwind, stretch out your back, and relax.
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The Power Of Yoga To Treat Back Pain
While severe back pain due to a recent injury should always be examined by a doctor, chronic and moderate-level back pain can often be assisted with the power of yoga.
Yoga naturally helps strengthen and lengthen your spine, stretch your muscles, and fix your back’s alignment, which can often be at the root cause of persistent back pain for those of us who sit at a desk all day.
In fact, according to a study in the Archives of Internal Medicine, chronic back pain sufferers who practiced yoga on a regular basis were half as likely to need pain pills or over-the-counter treatments for their pain as non-yogis.
Yoga is great for improved flexibility and range of motion, but also for injury prevention. I recommend starting a daily yoga practice to experience all of the benefits!