Around 8/10 individuals will suffer from back discomfort at some moment in their lives as per the National Library of Medicine. The conclusion is that practicing yoga to relieve back discomfort can ease this ailment that is sadly common.
When you move your body into specific yoga postures that you perform, you will increase circulation, increase flexibility, ease tension and increase strength in important areas. And the best part is that you don’t need to have a yoga studio membership in order to reap these benefits. There are a myriad of yoga exercises that you can perform at home at your own pace without any equipment.
We tapped Candace Harding, DPT, an integrative physical therapist and registered yoga teacher in Arlington, Virginia, to learn more about the benefits of yoga for back pain as well as dos and don’ts for adding yoga poses for back pain to your routine. Harding also shared with SELF 12 awesome yoga moves you can try today for a less achy backside, including yoga for upper back pain and yoga stretches for lower back pain.
Keep scrolling for all you need to know!
What are the advantages of yoga in back discomfort?
Are you interested in how yoga can ease lower back discomfort, and also lower back pain? Let us explain it in a minute however, first let’s understand the root of back pain in the first place.
Many people find that back discomfort is caused by the fact that their core muscles are fragile, Harding tells SELF. If your core muscles, which includes all of the muscles within your torso, from the diaphragm’s top to your pelvic floor –aren’t functioning as they are supposed to then your back could be under excessive strain in an attempt to compensate. The stress may result in pain.
“It’s something like working in an office where one worker isn’t doing their job and, for a time, someone else will pick up the slack” Harding tells SELF. “But at some point, they become annoyed that their colleague hasn’t shown up.”
The tightness of muscles like hip flexors (a set of muscles located along to the top of your upper thigh which can flex your hips) could also cause back discomfort. This is because the hip flexors can become tight, as a result of excessive sitting and also from overuse during certain sports, such as running. They pull your lower back to a reverse in its normal curvature says Harding. This unnatural position may cause pain and discomfort.
Quick note: When people discuss back pain, they’re usually referring to lower back pain, according to Harding. The low back discomfort, as she says is a condition that tends to center on the lumbar spine and is more prevalent as opposed to upper back pain and upper back pain, which is more interchangeable and is associated with shoulder pain and neck pain.
No matter what kind of back discomfort you suffer from (lower back or upper back) A regular practice of yoga can help ease the pain. Yoga is a way to challenge your muscles with a variety of positions such as bends and twists. By doing it in a myriad of ways, you’ll aid in keeping your muscles active and keep them from becoming weaker, and also increase energy and blood flow to all of the joints, muscles and tissues throughout your body. This will aid in healing, according to Harding.
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