Studies have shown that Yoga may be one of the most effective exercises for back pain relief. In fact Health-First reporter Leslie LoBue says twisting your body into those sometimes awkward positions may actually be just the thing for lower back pain. However, as effective as Yoga may be to reduce the pain of back problems, knowing exactly what poses to use, for how long, what to offset the poses with and in what sequence to execute them, are other factors that should be taken into consideration before using it as a therapeutic relief from back pain.
next time back pain sends you to the doctor; recent studies have indicated you may want to ask for a new prescription: Yoga. However, if you do so, make sure you know the right poses to use. Read more to know exactly which ones and why.
1)The Shoulder-stand (Savangasana) This, folks, is a noted panacea for near any human ailment. Dont panic, it is extremely easy to execute, however, depending on the severity of your case, use discretion in its use. -Spread a thick blanket on the floor and place your yoga mat on it. Lie on the back. -Slowly raise the legs. Lift the trunk, hips and legs to a vertical position. -Rest the elbows firmly on the floor and support the back with both hands. -Raise the legs till they become vertical. Press the chin against the chest.. -While performing this pose, the back of the neck, the posterior part of the head and the shoulders should touch the floor. (I can assure you that you will say Hey, Ive done this before as a kidthis is yoga?) -Breathe in counts of 5-5-5 (inhalation, retention and exhalation). -Dont allow the body to shake. Now for the counter poses to the Shoulder-Stand, try to incorporate the following:
2)Bridge Pose (Sethu Bhandasana): From the Shoulder Stand position, stretch the legs and slowly touch the floor with the feet. It is done to bend the spine in the opposite direction.
3)Fish Pose (Matsyasana): Lie on your back. Stretch the legs and keeps the hands palm down under the thighs. Raise the chest with the help of the elbows and, bending the neck as much as possible backwards, rest on the top of the head. Suggested Duration: Try to use the ratio below to time the execution of these three poses. 6:1:2 (meaning the fish pose is held for a third of the time spent in the shoulder stand and the bridge pose held for half the time spent in the fish pose (or a sixth of the time spent in the shoulder-stand) Or as an alternative, you could simply forego the bridge pose and apply a 2:1 ratio (shoulder-stand to fish pose) but this is only advised if you intend to do the parent pose (the shoulder-stand) for only a few seconds. Obviously a lot of detail has gone into the description of these poses, however, that is because my intention is for you to be well informed, but for the sake of time and space. I will briefly go over the other poses you could do well to include AFTER you try the sequence above.
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