Yoga For Back Pain: A 9-Pose Sequence | Yoga 15

Yoga is remarkably effective at relieving lower back pain. In fact, it’s the most consistently reported benefit that I hear. And although there are many different types and causes of lower back pain, the most common form stems from our repetitive movement patterns and postural habits-like sitting at a desk for 8 hours a day, putting in 60-mile bike rides at the weekend or surfing every morning before work. We’re likely to experience lower back pain if we’re too sedentary but equally if we’re dedicated to demanding sports that take a toll on our bodies.

There are other types of back pain that don’t respond as well to yoga so please check with your doctor that you have the all clear to practice these poses if you have any concerns. In yoga, pain is always a sign that you need to back off. Not push through.

WHAT CAUSES LOWER BACK PAIN?

“Pain is typically a good thing as it can help us identify something in our lives that is not good for our long term health.” Dr Mercola

Pain is a signal that something is going on in our body that our central nervous system has concerns about. Incidentally, it doesn’t always mean that damage has occurred. The role of the central nervous system is to protect us from injury and help us to avoid future threats.

Here are some common causes of the type of lower back pain that is related to our daily movement and postural habits:

1. A lack of preparedness, for example, as experienced by mountain bikers riding up steep hills without first strengthening their lower backs.
2. Weakness in surrounding musculature, such as an under-developed core, can force the lower back muscles to work harder to compensate.
3. Muscular imbalances, for example, when the hip flexors are tight and the glutes are weak it can de-stabilise the lower back.
4. The repetition of movement patterns, which is typical in all endurance sports, including running, swimming, climbing and surfing.
5. The repetition of asymmetric movements and postures, as we see in sports including tennis, baseball, golf and hockey.
6. Compensation patterns, for example, after injury or resulting from a muscle so tight…