Restorative Yoga For Lower Back Pain

Yoga Poses And Modifications To Avoid Back Injury

Bruce ChungYoga Teacher and Trainer

Yoga Teacher World Traveler Proud Canadian View more

Back pain is fairly common and can result from injury such as a sprain or a strain. It can be brought on by simple movements or more strenuous actions, like lifting heavy objects. Physical exercise such as weight lifting and yoga can also result in back injury when not performed properly.

As practitioners of yoga, we want to create a practice that is safe and sustainable ensuring longevity. The following are 5 yoga poses and modifications that will help to keep the back safe , preventing injury.

NB: If you already experience back pain or have an existing, specific back injury, please work closely with an experienced yoga teacher or better yet, consult your physician before practicing the following postures.

+ Restorative Yoga Poses Lower Back Pain

11+ Restorative Yoga Poses Lower Back Pain. Yoga could be the answer to your back pain relief. This is a backbend and inversion that can be stimulating or restorative.

It also lengthens the hamstrings and promotes blood circulation. Lower back pain is a severe mood dampener and can lessen your productivity. Even standing or sitting for too long causes pain.

Yoga Poses For Back Pain

Even the simple poses described below can help you reap the benefits of yoga. However, these poses and the number of times you do them every day are general guidelines for how to maintain a healthy spine. Talk to your doctor before incorporating these yoga poses into your routine.

Cat/Cow Stretch

• Start on all fourson your hands and knees. Your hands and arms should be shoulder-distance apart and your knees should be hip-distance apart.
• Inhale, and then as you exhale, slowly start to draw your navel toward your spine and gently tuck your tailbone.
• As you inhale again, repeat the pose. Be sure to link your breath to your movement.
• Repeat the cat/cow stretch 5 to 10 times once a day.

Yoga Cat Pose. Photo Source: 123RF.com. Standing Forward Fold

Bridge Pose

• Start by lying on your back with your feet flat on the floor and your knees bent. Your feet should be hip-distance apart.
• With your arms straight by the sides of your body and your palms on the ground, slowly start to lift your hips off the floor. Hold this for 3 seconds.
• Slowly roll back down to the floor, vertebra by vertebra.
• Repeat the bridge pose 3 times once a day.

Yoga Bridge Pose. Photo Source: 123RF.com.In addition, with back pain, your abdominal muscles may be weak, so while its important to choose yoga poses that lengthen and strengthen your spine, you should also do poses that develop strong abdominals, such as opposite hands and knees balance.

Opposite Hands and Knees Balance

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Restorative Yoga For Lower Back Pain

Restorative Yoga For Lower Back Pain. There are different theories about the point at the rear of Yoga poses these types of theories depend a great deal on the Yoga approach and reason behind doing Yoga that the student brings. Today Yoga is utilized mainly for fitness also it works perfectly too level. Though the original function of Yoga was included in several things the actual yogis and also monks did to help these organizations achieve self concept.

Though the point from the yoga poses additionally varies in accordance with what the teacher or student want from the practice. It is true that fitness is a strong driver nowadays as we get more info plus more about what the body needs to keep well as well as strong into senior years. But also for many students it is more the capacity of yoga exercise to supply a peaceful mind and reduced anxiety that is why fascination.

Yoga poses are becoming very popular and they are being incorporated in to other daily physical fitness routines and also bootcamps! While learning yoga it is best to begin with the basic beginner poses including downward facing dog, naja, kids pose, plus more. The essential foundation poses often include a much better knowledge of yoga, and educate you on how you can advance towards the harder harder poses.

must know restorative yoga for lower back pain photo

How To Approach A Yin Yoga Practice

The three principles of Yin are:

1) To benefit from the acupressure-like effects of the pose on the connective tissue by finding the sensation of stretch, not pain .

2) To become stillno fidgeting! Becoming still applies to the mind as well, and the mind can benefit from the stillness of Yin. But be aware that deliberate movement to find your edge or move away from pain is not fidgeting and is absolutely appropriate.

3) To hold each pose for a time. Different poses have different recommended hold times, but the minimum for a lower-body focused pose is usually three minutes. Ive suggested specific hold times below, but every body is different. It may feel appropriate for you to come out of a pose earlier than Ive recommended, or to stay for slightly longer.

Ive also offered some counterposes. But remember, Yin isnt a race: Come out of each pose slowly and wait for the sensations to wash over your body. Then pause in this neutral space before moving into a brief counterpose, which is held for less time and will generally be more active, or yang-like.

This sequence takes about an hour, but can be trimmed or extended slightlyjust use your yinstincts.

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Restorative Yoga For Chronic Pain

Chronic pain is different for everyone. It can disrupt sleep, sap energy, complicate personal and work relationships, and interfere with even the simplest tasks.

Chronic pain is multi-dimensional, writes Nandini Vallath in the Indian Journal of Palliative Care. The experience of chronic pain, in other words, isnt just in the body. It can radiate through all aspects of a persons life. For some, yoga offers relief as part of a pain management strategy because it addresses the physical and emotional dimensions of chronic pain.

Restorative And Standing Yoga Sequences

There are two parts to the sequence of yoga poses below.

One part can be done as a restorative sequence. It will help address issues around fatigue, bloating, sore breasts, headaches, mood swings, insomnia, tension, and irritability.

The other sequence has standing poses along with restorative poses. The standing poses will help to keep the mind quiet, as well as feel grounded when feeling agitated.

The milder standing poses also help premenstrual-lower-back-pain.

When unable to settle and find quietness, just do the supine poses, and forward bends. This will help shift blood into the pelvic area. It will also help with stiffness in the hips. The supports used will also help to keep the abdomen in a soft state.

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Supported Forward Fold Recommended Pose Duration: 10 Minutes

• Place a folded blanket underneath your seat to help tilt the pelvis forward and create length in the spine.

• Stretch the legs out in front of you, and place your bolster resting on the tops of your legs
• Place a block on top of your bolster. Let the legs completely relax, and the feet splay out to the sides of your mat.
• On an exhale breath, let the chest meltdown and the forehead rest on the block. Invite the tops of the shoulders to soften and lengthen down as the back opens and relaxes. *As the back body opens, feel free to lower or remove the block.

I Developed This Sequence Of Yoga Poses To Help Relax And Relieve Pain In The Sacrum And Low Back

In all likelihood, if you have any kind of chronic back or neck pain, you will benefit from releasing the muscles around your sacrum. My husband has found it really helpful, so I hope you do, too!

Hold each of these poses for about 1 minute . Remember, go slow. Listen to your body. Breathe deeply and try to soften into each asana . The goal, as always with yoga, is to move mindfully so you can feel better.

Grab a mat and lets get started!

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Yoga Changes How The Brain Perceives Pain

Researchers have discovered that mind-body practices like yoga and meditation can affect how a person perceives pain by improving the health of the brain.

In simple terms, yoga protects the brain from the natural age-related decline in grey matter volume. It can also improve neuroplasticity, which is how well the brain can form new internal connections and reorganize itself.

These changes increase the size and connectivity of the insular cortex, which affects a persons pain tolerance and pain threshold levels. In other words, those who practice yoga regularly experience less chronic pain compared to other people.

Supported Wide Leg Forward Fold Recommended Duration: 5 Minutes

• Find a seat on your blanket this is especially important if you lack hip mobility and flexibility. By elevating the backside, your pelvis can find a natural tilt, which lengthens the lower back, and in turn, helps open your hips to new possibilities.
• Place a bolster between your legs, connecting with your midline, and vertically facing. Place a block on top of the bolster either second to lowest or lowest height. On an inhale breath sit up tall and find length in the back body. On an exhale breath let your chest soften over the bolster and forehead connect with the block. Stay for 5 minutes. Feel free to lower or remove the block as the hips soften and open.

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Restorative Yoga Poses For Lower Back Pain

Lower back pain is a common complaint that affects people of all ages. According to statistics, an estimated 80% of adults experience low back pain at some point in their lifetimes.

Low back pain is also the most common cause of job-related disability, according to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.

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 backs 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. There are specific yoga poses that help to alleviate back pain more than others, and they have been outlined below. Do the following pain-relieving yoga sequence two to three times a week to start feeling back pain relief.

Related: The Power of Choosing Exercise to Treat Back Pain

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Strong Abs Will Help Protect The Lower Back

Yoga poses to avoid with lower back pain. Childs pose- For individuals with a more exaggerated lower back curve I have seen this help by working gently against the curve. If you have a hard time transferring weight or you have an issue with bulging disks in your lower back stay away from any type of twist. Hinge back without rounding in the lower back as you lift your legs out in front of you at a 45-degree angle.

Yogas benefits are multiple. In most yoga poses and throughout your day whether sitting or standing its important to maintain the natural inward curve in your lower back to keep the back of your head lined up with the back of your pelvis not dropping the head forward or back and to keep your shoulders broad and stacked right over your hips. This can cause problems if you have low back.

If this is too much for you try resting your palms on a yoga block or a chunky book. If you already experience back pain or have an existing specific back injury please work closely with an experienced yoga teacher or better yet consult your physician before practicing the following postures. This pose makes for an effective psoas muscle stretch.

While there can be a ton of causes of lower back pain a weak core and poor posture from sitting all day and consequently shortening the hip. Whether you have low back pain or are just trying to keep your spine feeing great here are five poses for you. Turn your right toes to face forward and your left toes out at an angle.

This Home Yoga Practice Is Beginner

Welcome to this gentle restorative yoga practice for deep hip, spine and lower back opening. This routine can be done from the comfort of your own home, lead by a certified personal trainer and seasoned yoga instructor.

This restorative yoga routine is one of the many full-length workouts Ive created for members in my

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Jump ahead to:

If you dont currently have some of these items on hands, you can substitute

• A soft towel or blanket on the floor in place of a yoga mat
• A homemade yoga bolster
• A household item in place of the strap
• A folded up sheet or blanket in place of a yoga blanket

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Benefits Of Restorative Yoga

As expected, restorative yoga comes with benefits or we wont even be featuring it here. Some of those benefits are as follows:

• Reduces Stress

This is about the most obvious of the benefits of restorative yoga poses. Think of the last time you heaved a sigh of relief that you could not help but follow up with a smile.

That is what you can expect from practicing restorative yoga poses.

According to recent research, practicing yoga and meditation improve mind-body health and stress resilience

• It can Help Prevent Ailments

Most of our active hours are either spent standing or sitting. In this position, gravity pulls blood and lymph towards our lower body.

Restorative yoga poses such as legs up the wall can help reverse this effect. This will help adjust our blood pressure, brain activity, and hormone levels.

• Strengthens the Spine

From the twists, bends, and stretches that you do with restorative yoga poses you give your spine the workout it needs.

These poses can also help relieve pains in the spine and help it heal.

• Balance Energy

Restorative yoga can balance the upward flow of energy and the downward flow of energy .

These energies also act to affect our internal organs. Therefore, balancing them creates positive impacts for our innards.

Now that weve gotten some fundamental knowledge wrapped up, let us get on with actually doing the restorative yoga poses. Whos with us?

Daily Yoga Nidra Practice Helps Ease Back Pain

Firstly, I recommend a daily Yoga Nidra practice when the body is in spasm and pain. Lie down with legs over bolster, a flat block or pillow under your head and a blanket. Put on a pre recorded Yoga Nidra that you can follow and relax. It is a deeply healing practice on many levels. You can find Yoga Nidra on Spotify, Itunes, You Tube and the various online yoga websites. I recommend Rod Stryker and Uma Dinsmore-Tuli

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Engage Your Inner Thighs

In plank position, upward facing dog, mountain pose, and many other poses, squeezing the inner thighs towards each other can be a cue thats overlooked or not stated. Whether your inner thighs are touching or not, intentionally squeezing them towards the midline of your body is important to keep the core and centerline tight. This can help prevent low back pain and even help improve posture.

Restorative Yoga For Hip And Back Pain Often Focus On Twists Which Are An Excellent Way To Open The Lower Back And The Hip Area

Return to a staff pose or seated crisscrossed leg position, whichever is most comfortable. Continue to breathe in and out, bringing your attention and focus to the breath. If it feels comfortable, close your eyes and continue breathing at an average pace.

• With the eyes closed, use your 3rd eye or imagination to picture 5 scenes that bring you joy.
• Next, bring your attention to your surroundings. Identify four sounds you can hear at this moment.
• Now focus on three things you can feel perhaps the ground supporting you, the clothes against your skin, the wind or sun on your face.
• Notice any scents around you and identify two things you can smell.
• Finally, bring awareness to your taste. What is one thing you can taste at this moment?

Allow the eyes to flutter open. Notice if there has been any tension released from the lower back or hip area. The warm-up for this sequence is now complete.

As we move to the sequence of restorative yoga for hip and back pain, it may be wise to grab a timer and set it for the recommended duration of the asana.

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