The lower back is a sensitive spot for most people, especially if you are in your 30’s or have a hectic lifestyle. While there are several scientific causes for lower back pain, the most common is poor posture due to sitting on a chair al day.

Well, who’s to blame? Our jobs require us to sit for hours at a stretch and with our busy lifestyles, there is little to no time for any physical activity. However, if you’ve been dealing with back pain, you can try yoga asanas for back pain relief. Yoga is great as it works on your flexibility and core strength. It corrects posture and builds endurance. All of this is necessary for a healthy back. Besides, yoga is safe to do daily and a 30-minute session every day can do wonders for your back pain. 

If you have a history of injuries or back pain, your doctor or physical therapist may suggest doing yoga asanas for back pain relief. Since yoga is a mind and body therapy, it treats not only the physical symptoms but also relieves the stress that comes with it. Thus, practicing yoga every day and doing the appropriate postures can strengthen your back and improve your balance. In today’s article, we will walk you through the basics of the best yoga asanas for back pain relief. 

Yoga Asanas for Back Pain Relief

Here are the best yoga asanas for back pain relief:

1. Cat-cow Asana

This is a gentle yoga asana appropriate for beginners. The cat-cow asana helps in mobilizing the spine and practicing this every day helps in stretching your torso, shoulders, neck, and back. The cat-cow asana is known to target the triceps, gluteus maximus, rectus abdominis, and erector spinae muscle groups. 

How to do it: 

• Get on all fours and place your wrists underneath your shoulders and knees underneath your hips.
• Now, try to balance your weight evenly between the four points. Inhale while looking up and exhale while going down. You should arch your back towards the ceiling.
• Continue this movement for about one to two minutes.

2. Child’s pose

The child’s pose is one of the best yoga asanas for back pain relief. This yoga asana helps to relieve pain by taking the pressure off your lower back, elongating, and aligning the spine, as it decompresses and gives you a good stretch. 

How to do it: 

• Kneel on your yoga mat with your knees hip-width apart and your feet joined together behind you.
• Now take a deep breath in and as you exhale, lay your torso over your thighs.
• Next, try to lengthen your neck and spine by drawing your ribs away from your tailbone and keeping the crown of your head away from the shoulders.
• Now, rest your forehead on the ground with your arms extended out in front of you.
• Hold this pose for two to three minutes.

3. Bridge pose

The Bridge Pose is one of the most effective yoga asanas for back pain relief. It is a backbend and inversion exercise that targets the hamstrings, erector spinae, gluteus muscles and can be stimulating. A restorative exercise, the Bridge Pose yoga asana for back pain stretches the spine as it relieves the tension around the back muscles.

How to do it: 

• Lie on your back gently with your knees bent and heels drawn into your sitting bones.
• Now, rest your arms alongside your body.
• Press your feet and arms into the floor as you lift your tailbone up. Now, continue lifting until your thighs are parallel to the floor.
• Bring your palms together with interlocked fingers under your hips.
• Hold this pose for a minute and then release by rolling your spine back down to the floor.

4. Sphinx pose

The Sphinx pose is yet another great yoga asana for back pain relief. It helps in creating a gentle neutral curve along your spine while engaging your abs and supporting the lower back. 

How to do it: 

• Start by lying down gently on your stomach with your legs together straight out behind you.
• Now, place your elbows under your shoulders, your forearms on the floor as you lift your chest up off the floor.
• Press your hips and thighs into the ground and lengthen your spine keeping your shoulders relaxed.
• Sit up just enough to feel a stretch in your lower back.

If you feel any discomfort, stop immediately. If you don’t hold the pose for one to three minutes. 

5. Downward facing dog

Say hello to the best yoga asana for back pain relief, the Downward Facing Dog. If done rightly, this can do wonders. This pose stretches your legs around your hamstrings and calves. 

How to do it: 

• From the Child’s Pose, keep your hands on the floor while sitting up on the knees and then lift your butt and press back.
• Spread your fingers wide while straightening your legs and lowering your heels toward the ground.
• Now, relax your head and hold the pose for two to three minutes.

6. Standing forward bend

An extremely easy to do the pose, the Standing forward bend is one of the best yoga asanas for back pain relief. This stretches the back of your legs while strengthening the spine. 

How to do it: 

• From Downward Facing Dog, step forward to the top of your mat and stand with your feet shoulder-width apart.
• Now straighten your legs as much as you can and let your torso hang down.
• Tuck your chin in towards the chest as you relax the shoulders and extend the crown of your head toward the floor to create a long spine.
• Hold on for two to three minutes.

7. Knees to chest with slow rock

Last but not the least, we have the Knees to chest with slow rock which is one of the best yoga asanas for back pain relief. 

How to do it: 

• Lie on your back and hug your knees into your chest.
• Now, slowly rock your torso back and forth while firmly holding your legs. Continue this fluid movement for one to two minutes.

Also, read: Suffering From Back Pain

These were all the yoga asanas for back pain relief. Remember to take it slow and if you feel any discomfort, stop immediately.