Yoga Can Help Eliminate Low Back Pain
The majority of us today over eight hours. We sit at work at our desks. We sit in our cars, we get home and sit on our couches. This leads to a lot of people having low back pain. One of the best things you can do for your low back pain is to start doing some basic yoga poses, twists and seated spinal twists. This usually helps instantly with low back pain.
Yoga is very effective at helping you relieve low back pain. This is how I discovered yoga as I had hurt my back from snowboarding, snowmobiling, fencing and practicing the art of West African dancing. I was in absolute pain and couldn’t even walk without shooting low back pain in my early twenties. I had to literally crawl out of bed and crawl into the bathroom to use the restroom. I was determined to find a solution to my pain. Massage wasn’t helping, chiropractic appointments were not helping and I was desperate to get back to my active lifestyle. I searched the internet and found a DVD on Back Care and ordered it not thinking that it would change my life. Once it came, I opened it up and started doing the 30 minute workout and this was my first taste of yoga. I discovered that yoga helps to stretch and strengthen muscles that support the back and spine, such as the paraspinal muscles that help you bend your spine. Yoga also stretches and tones the transverse abdominis in the abdomen, which also helps stabilize your spine and the multifidus muscles utilized help stabilize your vertebrae. After doing the exercises for about a week I noticed that my back pain had almost gone away, after three weeks it was totally gone and I was hooked for life. I decided right there and then that I would become a Certified Yoga Teacher and wanted to bring my joy of yoga to the world. Long story short, I have been teaching yoga for over 18 years and helped thousands alleviate their back pain and discover yoga. I am on a mission to bring yoga to the masses. Yoga Fun Day is one way that I am achieving my goal of yoga for all. I want people to get off the green screen, take a break from the computer and move their bodies.
Yoga for back pain is effective and can help it go away completely like mine did after discovering yoga. I recommend that you start slow and gentle ease your body into a few gentle stretches and incorporate more into your daily lifestyle. Remember that the stretching and lengthening yoga movements are often what your low back needs to feel better, so don’t be afraid to try it. Start slow. Order a DVD or go to a local studio and try a beginner class. Although, sometimes just incorporating 3-5 new stretches into your daily routine is the best way to get started and listen to your own body. By mindfully practicing yoga, can safely improve your mobility and strength while stretching tight and aching back muscles. So, the question is this: how can you protect your back that hurts and benefit from a therapy that has the power to soothe it?
Correct Form Is Critical For People With Back Pain
The key to getting started is to start slow. Gradually ease your body with breathe into a pose and focus on your breathe and how your body feels and is stretching. Too many people try to go to fast or force their bodies into a post or think that using blocks and props makes them look like a beginner when in fact those tools help you go deeper into a pose and help you have correct form.
In yoga you want to take a mindful approach, go slow, with controlled movement. Imagine getting on a treadmill at top speed without steadily increasing the speed. You wouldn’t jump on a treadmill at full speed would you? If you did you probably would get hurt.
When you are just getting started with back care for yoga pain you want to create a strong foundation for movement. Follow proper form so you can use your breathe to go deeper and each and every day that you practice yoga more you will be able to feel the difference. You will feel that your range of motion has increased, you will feel less tightness on one side vs the other and you will see a difference in your posture. For example, when you perform a seated twist try to remember that the goal of the pose is not to twist as far as you can and force your body into a contorted and uncomfortable pose. Instead, you want to activate your core. Feel your spine lengthening and focus on your posture and breath. Then, start twisting slowly until you feel slight resistance and hold for five long breathes. Inhaling and exhaling through your nose and allowing the body to stretch and tension melt away.
Getting Started With Yoga for Back Pain
Talk to your doctor first about whether you can start doing yoga for back pain. If you suffer from low back pain going slow and starting out with gentle movements that stretch your body can greatly help you alleviate the pain.
Once you have the go ahead from your doctor, you can protect your back by talking to your yoga instructor beforehand about specific pain that you are having so they can guide you during your practice. He or she can give you specific modifications for certain poses, or help guide you through the pose correctly without hurting your back. Another option is to look for yoga studios or community centers that offer classes specifically designed for back pain relief.
