Need Lower Back Pain Relief? Just Say ‘Om’ 6 Yoga Exercises for Stiff Spines

Is your aching back making even the simplest movement difficult and painful? Yoga exercises offer lower back pain relief through the perfect blend of stretching, strengthening and de-stressing. Here are 6 gentle ways to use yoga for back pain. The key? Go slowly and breathe deeply. Chronic back pain may be partly in your head. "Back pain is a classic mind-body problem,” says Vijay Vad, M.D., sports medicine specialist at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York City, author of Back Rx (Gotham), and host of the PBS special "Stop Back Pain." That's why it’s so hard to get lower back pain relief through conventional medicine – typically a combination of physical therapy, anti-inflammatory medications and/or narcotics. It's also what makes yoga, which uses deep breathing to reduce stress, such a powerful back-healing tool. "For every 10 people I treat for chronic back pain, only one or two of them have a purely physical issue, such as a damaged disk, pinched nerve or spasming muscle," he says. Besides those two, he adds, a couple more have a purely psychological issue, such as stress, triggering their chronic low back pain, and the rest have a combination of the two. Yoga can work on all three, according to a 2009 randomized control study at West Virginia University. Researchers found that bi-weekly yoga sessions resulted in significant reductions in pain, use of pain medication, functional disability, and depression – and these benefits lasted up to six months after classes ended. To use yoga to treat your back pain, Vad recommends doing the following six exercises three times a week for 15-20 minutes, breathing deeply – so that the belly expands with each inhale – as you do them. "Exercise and deep breathing increase blood flow, delivering oxygen and nutrients to discs, which helps them heal," Vad says. Consult your physician before starting and expect soreness in the first 2-3 weeks. That's because the muscles in your back have likely been frozen in a perpetual spasm, and these exercises call on those muscles to release and start working again. Don't walk in to any yoga class during a flare-up and expect to keep up with a vigorous sequence of poses. But by week 8, you should see noticeable lower back pain relief, Vad says. "If you stick to it, the long-term benefits far outweigh the early discomfort," he says. The first week, start by doing any three of the following poses in each of your sessions, making sure to incorporate the two reclined poses included here. The second week, do all six poses in each session. Try to hold each stretch for 5-7 breaths, breathing slowly and fully through the nose. Lower back pain relief pose #1: Lumbar Rotation with Leg Crossed What it does: Stretches the outer leg and muscles that support the lower spine. How to do it: Lie on your back with legs straight and arms outstretched in a T. Slowly bend your left leg and drag the left foot along the floor until it rests next to your right knee. Inhale and allow your left knee to fall across your body to the right. With each exhale, let gravity pull your left knee closer to the floor. Hold for 4-6 more breaths. Return to the starting position, then repeat with the right leg bent. Lower back pain relief pose #2: Seated Forward Bend with Straight Legs What it does: Stretches the hamstrings and lower back muscles. How to do it: Sit on the floor with legs outstretched. Inhale and lengthen and lift up the spine gently. Exhale and bend forward at the hips, reaching fingers toward your toes. Hold 4-6 more breaths, gradually reaching your fingers closer to your toes. Only go as far as feels comfortable. Return to sitting up straight on an inhale. Lower back pain relief pose #3: Seated Twist with One Knee Bent What it does: Stretches the outer hip and muscles that support the lower and middle spine. How to do it: Sit on the floor with both legs straight. Bend the right knee and place your right foot on the floor outside the left knee. Place your right hand on the floor behind your right hip for support. Inhale and lift the spine tall. Exhale and rotate your torso to the right, placing your left elbow on the outside of your right knee. Place your right hand on the floor for a deeper twist. Turn your head to look over your right shoulder. Hold 4-6 breaths. Return to the starting position, then switch legs and twist to the left. Lower back pain relief pose #4: Seated Bound Angle What it does: Stretches the hips and inner thighs. How to do it: Sit upright with both legs straight. Bend both knees and bring the soles of your feet together. Gently grasp your ankles with your hands. Inhale and lift the chest. Exhale and round forward over the legs. Hold 4-6 more breaths. Return to sitting on an inhale. Lower back pain relief pose #5: Cross-Legged Seated Forward Bend What it does: Stretches the hips and lower back. How to do it: Sit on the floor in a comfortable cross-legged position. Inhale and lift up your spine tall. Exhale and fold your torso forward over your hips, walking your hands out as far as you can comfortably reach. Keep your spine extended to minimize hunching the shoulders. Hold 4-6 more breaths. Inhale to return to the starting position. Change the cross of your legs so that the opposite leg is in front and repeat. Lower back pain relief pose #6: Reclined No. 4 Stretch What it does: Stretches the outer hips and hamstrings. How to do it: Lie on your back with both knees bent, feet on the floor. Rest your right ankle on your left knee as you inhale. Grasp the back of your left thigh and gently draw the left knee in toward your chest as you exhale. Hold 4-6 more breaths, then repeat with the left ankle resting on the right knee. How Bad Is Your Back Pain? So your back hurts? Take our back pain quiz to see how severe it really is. You may need to see a doctor but have just been avoiding it, thinking it will get better. On the other hand, your back pain may be more normal than you suspect.