How to Resolve Back Pain with Yoga

Yoga is a relaxing exercise that helps build and maintain the strength and flexibility of your back muscles. It's especially beneficial for seniors, as it can help to reduce lower-back pain–something which tends to be very common in older adults. Through its series of poses, yoga for back pain encourages proper breathing techniques while stretching and strengthening the body, promoting muscle relaxation and improved balance as well as bone health. With regular practice incorporating these postures into your routine, you'll be able to enjoy gradual improvements in mobility with time.

 

How does yoga for back pain work?

 

Yoga helps to strengthen the muscles that support your spine and lower back. This includes the par spinal muscles, which help you bend your spine, the multifidus muscles, which stabilize each vertebra in place and also exercising transverse abdominals (TrA) located in the abdomen. All of these contribute to a stable spinal column.

 

The advantages of yoga extend beyond its physical benefits. The relaxed motions and mindful focus on proper respiration have been proven to diminish feelings of stress, anxiety, and depression associated with back pain while also boosting one's emotional health.

 

Precautions to keep in mind

 

Yoga, like any form of physical exercise, can cause injuries if done improperly. Many times, injuries occur when people move quickly into poses without taking their time to slowly stretch into them. This is the same as lifting a dumbbell with abrupt movements or running on the treadmill at high speeds immediately without gradually increasing the tempo.

 

The key to effective yoga for back pain is to first focus on developing a strong muscle foundation and then execute movements using the right technique, gently lengthening and stretching your body.

 

For instance, when executing a seated spinal twist (which can be exceptionally beneficial for low back pain), resist the urge to rotate your body as quickly and far as possible. Instead, activate your core muscles first and imagine your spine stretching outwards. Then slowly turn until you experience resistance, maintaining this pose for as long as it's comfortable.

 

Refrain from extending and twisting simultaneously. Use blocks or bolsters as needed. Additionally, if your feet feel too far away to reach comfortably with your hands, use a yoga belt looped around them.

 

Instead of standing, do forward bends while seated and brace your abdomen as you slowly rise. And finally, never hesitate to ask for help in modifying a pose if needed, and always stop when something doesn't feel right.