Yoga Poses for Lower Back Pain Relief

Lower back pain can result from wear and tear and injury to the bones, muscles, ligaments, disks, and nerves in the lumbar spine, which are all very sensitive due to heavy use. Yoga poses for lower back pain aids in supporting the lower back muscles by strengthening them and making them flexible.

Lower back pain may sometimes develop gradually due to age-related degenerative changes in the spine, or it can occur as a result of fractures, injuries, heavy working out or engaging in sports activity, an accident, a fall, or carrying something heavy may also lead to lower back pain. 

How Yoga Helps

In modern times, pain in the lower back is quite frequent. Back pain affects people of all ages at some point in their lives. Many times, the precise source of the discomfort is unknown.

A sedentary lifestyle, in which one spends a lot of time sitting still or being inactive, can aggravate low back pain. The discomfort is less likely to be triggered by a single incident.

One may have spent an extended period engaging in a variety of tasks, like lifting incorrectly, reaching for something, or bending from the waist, which might cause pain all of a sudden. 

Yoga helps to stretch the back muscles and strengthen them to increase mobility. Lower back pain may be prevented by practicing safe lifting, being aware of your posture when standing, sitting, and sleeping, exercising on a regular basis, sustaining a healthy weight, and minimizing stress, which also leads to tense muscles.

Yoga Poses For Lower Back Pain Relief

The following are some of the best yoga poses for lower back pain.

Downward Dog

The downward dog helps to elongate the spine and strengthen the core muscles which leads to proper support for the lower back. 

Steps:

1. Come on all fours, place your hands under your shoulders and your knees under your hips. 
2. Raise your hips and straighten the legs, tuck your toes beneath, and push back through the hands.
3. Spread the fingers on the mat for support.
4. Move your shoulder blades from the ears toward your hips.
5. Sink your heels toward the floor, rotate the thighs inward, and maintain a high tail.
6. The space between the hands and feet should be the same
7. Hold the pose for 30 seconds.

Bridge Pose

In the Bridge pose, the chest expands in the mild inversion which improves blood circulation and relaxes the lower back muscles.

Steps:

1. Lie on the back. Bend your knees.
2. Spread your legs with your feet flat on the ground.
3. Stretch your arms out to each side of your body to touch the back of the heels
4. Gently raise your hips up 
5. Tuck your chin in slightly toward your chest, which helps lengthen the back of your neck.
6. Put your hands under the back in an interlace
7. Engage your inner thighs and relax your glutes.
8. Hold for 30 seconds.

Sphinx Pose

This pose consists of a gentle backbend which offers a mild bend to the lower back which reduces the strain and offers support to the lower back muscles. 

Steps:

1. Lie down on your abdomen
2. Place the forearms in front on the mat parallel to each other
3. Place the elbows beneath your shoulders.
4. Inhale, raise your head and upper body off the ground and gently bend your back. 
5. Feel a gentle lift of the breast bones. 
6. Hold the pose for 10 breaths.

Cobra Pose

The cobra pose stretches the abdominal muscles and the hip flexors promote spinal flexibility and the range of motion.

Steps:

1. Lie face down on the mat. Bring your legs to a hip-width distance by firmly pressing your legs and the tops of your feet on the yoga mat.
2. Place your hands, palms down, just below your shoulder blades. Stack your elbows and wrists on the floor next to your ribs while bending your elbows.
3. As you take a breath, start raising your spine into spinal extension by pulling your chest away from the floor.
4. To raise the upper body, press through the hands. Be careful not to put too much weight on your hands.
5. To lift higher, use your lower back muscles. Then, use your abdominal and back muscles to lift yourself into a deeper backbend as high as possible.
6. Maintain comfortable inhalation and exhalation and hold for 15-30 mins. 

Locust Pose

As you lift the upper body it strengthens the lower back muscles and offers stability to the spine. It also improves the posture.

Steps:

1. Lie down on your belly
2. Inhale and raise your legs with the support of the inner thighs
3. Lift your arms beside your body to reach your feet in the back
4. Raise the head and gaze forward 
5. Open up the chest as much as you can 
6. Hold the pose for 30 seconds

Half Lord of the Fish Pose

The seated twist helps to rotate the spine and increase mobility of the spine releasing the stiffness in the lower back.

Steps:

1. Take a seat with the legs out in front of you
2. Place the left foot on the outside of your right thigh and bend the left knee. 
3. Grasp your left knee with your right hand and turn your body slightly to the left, 
4. glancing over your left shoulder. 
5. Hold for a few breaths, then switch to the other side.

Cat and Cow stretch

The cat and cow stretch incorporates a gentle flexion and extension of the spine which engages the muscles of the abdomen and the lower back. 

Steps:

1. Starting on all fours, place your hands under your shoulders and your knees under your hips to perform the cat-cow stretch. 
2. Breathe in as you drop your belly, arch your back, and raise your head (Cow Pose). 
3. Breathe while bending your back and bringing your chin to your chest (Cat Pose). 
4. Perform the stretch for 5-8 rounds 

Child Pose

The child pose consists of a mild flexion of the spine. The stretch also helps to counteract extended hours of sitting and promotes gentle movement.

Steps:

1. Place your knees slightly apart on the ground.
2. Exhale and bend forward. Slightly tuck your chin.
3. Extend the arms on the ground in front or extend them back toward the feet, palms up.
4. Let the weight of the shoulders stretch the shoulder blades widely across the back.
5. Breathe gently and deeply for 30 seconds.

Standing Yoga Poses for Lower Back Pain

Forward Bend

The forward bend relieves the pressure from the discs and calms the nerves in the lower back.

Steps:

1. Stand on the mat with the spine lengthened
2. Inhale. Raise your arms.
3. Exhale, contract your belly and bend forward from the hips.
4. Flatten your palms on the mat or hold onto your ankles.
5. When you inhale, extend your back, and as you release the breath, go deeper into the position.
6. Hold the pose for 5 breaths.

Triangle Pose

The triangle pose tightens the hip muscles and builds a proper alignment to reduce the pressure on the lower back.

Steps:

1. Stand on the mat in Tadasana. Bring the right foot forward at 90 degrees and place the left foot at a 45-degree angle.
2. Inhale, extend the arms to the side in a T-shape
3. Breathe out to bend your body to the right from the hips 
4. Try to place the palms of the right hand on the mat or grab the ankle
5. Extend the left hand upwards toward the ceiling and look up.
6. Open up the chest and straighten the shoulder 
7. Hold the pose for 30 seconds. 
8. Repeat the same with the other side.

Yoga poses for lower back pain, incorporates a range of stretches with breathing exercises, which helps to soothe the affected body part.

It also builds flexibility, increases the range of motion, and reduces muscular tension. An injury or muscle spasm occurs when we forget to follow a proper form or speed to perform physical actions or exercise. 

It is essential to be aware and follow the correct form and steps to perform a pose or exercise. Use props like yoga belts, yoga blocks, chairs, cushions, and bolsters to perform the pose, which would ensure a safe practice.

In case of severe lower back pain conditions, consult a yoga teacher or a yoga school before starting any new exercise routine.