Yoga for Lower Back Pain

Yoga has a history spanning up to five millennia, when yoga poses were carved in stone by ancient civilizations. Now, yoga is everywhere, from community yoga studios to outdoor classes and even online instruction from expert yogis. Alongside its benefits for mental health, balance, and flexibility, is yoga for lower back pain a good idea?

If you suffer from lower back pain, as tens of millions of Americans do, yoga is a great way to regain mobility, improve your posture, and work toward relief. Keep reading to learn more!

Is Yoga Good for Lower Back Pain?

Yes, yoga is good for lower back pain because it boosts core strength, promotes flexibility, and improves posture. 

  • Core strength

Many cases of lower back pain result from excessive impact on the spinal structures, including the spinal discs, joints, and nerves. Strong lower back and core muscles alleviate impact on the spine with various day-to-day movements, helping to reduce pain over time. 

Yoga improves lower back and core strength through a series of poses that challenge your balance and encourage muscle activation. 

  • Flexibility

Tense lower back muscles and poor range of motion can exacerbate lower back pain. Limited mobility can also make it difficult to stay active – given that gentle physical activity is essential to back pain recovery, this can be detrimental to your healing journey. 

Yoga is one of the best low-impact modes of exercise to improve flexibility. It requires you to slowly move through various stretches and breathe into each pose. This allows you to safely deepen your stretches and gain flexibility over time. 

  • Posture

Good posture is a cornerstone of back pain prevention. It keeps your spine in proper alignment, preventing excess stress on the discs, joints, and ligaments. But, with tight back muscles and a weak core, it can be difficult to have good posture when you sit, stand, and exercise.

Yoga can help improve your posture by building core strength and increasing your range of motion. This gives you the tools to maintain good posture throughout your daily activities. 

How Long Does Yoga Take To Fix Back Pain?

Yoga can take six to 12 months to improve back pain. While yoga alone may fix some back pain cases, it often needs to be combined with other treatments, like physical therapy and lifestyle changes. 

For yoga to have a fighting chance of fixing your back pain, consistency is key. Try to practice once daily, focusing on poses known to be safe and effective for back pain, such as:

  • Cat Cow

In cat-cow pose, you’ll get on your hands and knees and breathe through gentle spinal curves. As you inhale, you slowly drop your belly toward the floor and bring your face toward the ceiling. On the exhale, you’ll arch your back, drawing your belly inward and bringing your head toward your chest. 

Cat-cow pose gently stretches the back to release tension and promote mobility, making it one of the best yoga poses for lower back pain. 

  • Downward Dog

Downward dog is a full-body stretch commonly used to transition between other yoga poses. You begin on all fours, then lift your hips upward while straightening your knees. This promotes arm, shoulder, upper back, and core strength. It also inverts your spine, reversing the typical downward stress on your spine. This can help release lower back tension and promote better posture. 

  • Cobra

Cobra pose involves lying on your stomach with your hands flat on the ground at chest level. Then, press into your hands and engage your core to lift your upper body off the floor. This helps strengthen the back muscles that support your spine and improves back flexibility. Done correctly, cobra pose also builds core strength to protect your spine. 

  • Sphinx

Sphinx pose is a gentler version of cobra pose – you use your forearms to support your weight rather than your hands. It’s a great option if you need to gently stretch your back, hips, and spine, but want a more relaxing pose than cobra. 

  • Bridge

In bridge pose, you lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the ground. Engage your core to lift your hips upward, pressing your feet into the ground. This pose strengthens the glutes and hamstrings, improving muscular support for the spine. It can also improve your posture by gently stretching the spine and hip flexors.  

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Which Yoga Should Not Be Done in Back Pain?

Yoga poses that shouldn’t be done if you have back pain include camel, full wheel, boat, and lunge twist. 

  • Camel pose involves a deep backbend that can exacerbate lower back pain, especially for people with conditions like a lumbar herniated disc. 
  • Full wheel pose is another deep backbend that places pressure on the spine and back. Your weight is fully supported by your hands and feet, which can be unstable for people with back problems. 
  • Boat pose involves balancing on your tailbone and sitting bone to engage the core muscles. However, it can create an uncomfortable tilt in the lumbar spine for people with back pain. 
  • Lunge twist (or any twisting yoga pose) can place excessive pressure on the spinal discs, leading to worsened back pain. 

Is Yoga Bad for a Herniated Disc?

Yoga usually isn’t bad for a herniated disc, if it’s done safely. This means that you’ll need to avoid deep spinal twists and arches. 

So long as you stick to poses that are safe for the spine, yoga can help with a herniated disc by:

  • Boosting blood flow to the spinal discs, providing the oxygen and nutrients they need to regenerate
  • Reducing excessive pressure on the spine from muscle tension and poor posture
  • Helping to lower stress levels, preventing increased pain and inflammation

If you have a herniated disc or back pain of any kind, take the following precautions while doing yoga:

  • Begin slowly and gradually. 
  • Breathe deeply, moving through the poses slowly and mindfully. 
  • Stop if you experience any pain, tingling, weakness, or numbness. 
  • If you’ve been diagnosed with a spinal condition or back injury, talk to your doctor before starting yoga to ensure it’s safe for you.