Simple Yoga Poses for Back Pain

A Pose to Warm up Your Spine

Cat/cow is a great warm-up pose because it gently massages your spine.

Start on hands and knees. Hands and arms are shoulder-distance apart and knees are hip-distance apart.

Slowly inhale, and slightly arch your back as you look up. Then as you exhale, draw your navel toward the spine and look toward your belly.

Repeat 5 to 10 times daily. Be sure to link your breath to your movement.

1. A Basic Yoga Pose

When you think of yoga, you most likely think of this pose. It helps lengthen and strengthen back and leg muscles.

Begin on hands and knees. Push your body up as if you were going into a push-up, and then push your hips up and angle them so they're facing the ceiling. It's as if your body is in an upside down V. Relax neck muscles, and gaze toward your thighs.

To come out of the pose, gently release to your starting position. Repeat 3 times, and do this pose daily.

2. Let Go of Tension and Relieve Your Pain

Standing forward fold helps stretch the hamstrings and release muscles in the low back.

Stand with feet hip-distance apart. Inhale arms out to your sides and up so palms are facing. Exhale and gently bend at the waist as you lower arms out to the side and then down toward the ground.

Grab onto opposite elbows and let your head hang. Hold for 2 minutes, and then bend knees slightly and place hands on hips to come up. Repeat 3 to 5 times once a day.

3. Lengthens and Strengthens Your Spine:

Triangle pose stretches the sides of the body and helps lengthen back muscles.

Start with your feet 4 feet apart. Angle left foot to 90 degrees and right foot to 15 degrees. Imagine drawing a line between the heel of the left foot and inner arch of the right foot.

Inhale arms out to sides, and as you exhale, bring left arm to the ground or your shin. The right arm shoots straight up.

4. A Gentle Pose to Quiet Your Mind:

Child's pose brings you back to when you were a kid—it's a playful, yet soothing pose that's good for low back pain.

Start on hands and knees. Bring hips toward heels as much as possible.

Stretch your arms out in front of you so that palms are resting gently on the floor.

Relax your forehead to the ground, and breathe deeply.

To come out, crawl your hands toward your legs and slowly sit up. Let the head be the last to come up. Repeat 3 time