21 Yoga Asanas For Back Pain (Relieve Lower Back Pain Quickly)

Yoga Asanas For Back Pain are very effective, and today I will guide you on how to practice these.

Almost everyone experiences back pain at one point or another in their life. It occurs mainly due to sitting all day in a bad posture or having a weak core.

By knowing and addressing the cause of the back pain, you can get relief from it and also prevent it from reoccurring ever again.

Article Information: This article is medically reviewed by Dr. Roderic Brooks Orthopedic Surgeon, and evidence checked by Nimish Deshpande, Certified Yoga Professional.

The ancient practice of yoga is still as effective and, therefore, can be used to treat less severe back pains (1).

Yoga helps your back by contributing to its core stability and flexibility. It also corrects your posture, and with the help of breathing, it internally supports your back to strengthen it.

By involving various body movements that engage your back muscles, yoga improves the blood circulation to your spine. Consequently, the pain alleviates and the chances of it to recur are considerably reduced (2) (3).

21 Yoga Asanas for Back Pain

Back pain can be divided into upper and lower back pain. We have listed asanas for both these body regions.

Yoga Poses for Lower Back Pain

You might experience stiffness or pain in the lower back because of the wrong sleeping posture. The lower back is an area below your ribcage.

Make sure the lower back pain is not in the very central area of your back i.e. near the spine or hip bone, if so do not try any asana and consult the orthopedic immediately.

1. Bhujangasana (Cobra Pose)

Have you seen king cobra and its movements? might not be in person but you would have seen in a wildlife program.

Cobra lifts its hood to show its power and the posture makes it’s body flexible.

Bhujangasana is a physical activity that strengthens your lumbar spine and stretches the core muscles. Various studies support that physical activities can help in reducing chronic lower back pain (4).

Cobra pose is one of the best yoga asanas for back pain.

How to do Bhujangasana

1. Lie down on your stomach. Stretch and join your legs.
2. Place your hands near the shoulder, with palms facing the ground.
3. Take a deep breath, place your weight on palms, and lift your upper body.
4. Your arms should now be straight.
5. Stretch and move your head backward as much possible.
6. Hold this asana for about 15-20 seconds.
7. Now, exhale and bring your upper body down to the ground.
8. Repeat for 4-5 times.

Benefits

The stretching of the upper body provides a stimulus to back muscles which helps in releasing the stiffness.

2. Ardh Matsendrasana (Half Spinal Twist)

This asana is also known as a half-fish pose.

Half spinal twist provides a stimulus to your spinal column and the nearby region.

US Department of Health n Human Services also recommends yoga asanas for back pain relief (5).

How to do Ardh Matsendrasana

1. Sit straight with your legs outstretched in front of you.
2. Bend your left leg and place its heel beside the right hip.
3. Now, lift and move your right leg over the left knee.
4. Place your left hand on your right knee. And then, bring your right hand behind you.
5. Now, start twisting your waist, then shoulders, and finally the neck towards the right.
6. Keep your spine erect. Hold this pose and take long breaths.
7. As you exhale, release your right hand, then waist, shoulders, neck, and finally sit relaxed.
8. Repeat the process for another side.

Benefits

It involves the lower back, upper back, and neck stretching. Many times the pain sensations are because of stiffness and some stretching provides relief.

Precautions

Make sure you don’t overstretch your back. The overstretching might cause muscle or spinal cord injury.

Further Reading:

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3. Marjariasana (Cat-Cow Pose)

Marjariasana involves movement of the spine,  and lumbar region (6).

It is simple to follow and a perfect yoga asana for beginners.

How to do Marjariasana

1. Lie down on your stomach.
2. Form a table with your body (your back is the tabletop. Hands, and feet are its legs).
3. Keep your arms directly under your shoulders and legs exactly beneath your hips.
4. Inhale, look ahead, and slightly move your spine downwards. Keep your hands straight.
5. Now exhale and lift your middle spine towards the ceiling, bring your head down and look at your knees.
6. Hold and then come back to the table pose while inhaling.
7. Repeat this process 10-12 times.

Benefits

The asana is simple and provides a good stretch to the neck, back, and lumbar region.

4. Bitilasana (Cow Pose)

This asana can be combined with Marjariasana, or it can be practiced on its own.

It stretches the neck and front torso. When we talk about the health of the spine, it involves flexibility in both up and down directions.

As per a study, Hatha yoga promotes good spinal health in women over 50 years of age (7).

How to do Bitilasana

1. Start the same as Marjariasana, make a ‘tabletop’ position.
2. Your hands and toes should be pointing outwards.
3. Adjust your wrists, elbows, and shoulders to make a 90° angle with the floor.
4. Inhale and raise your head and chest to create an arching spine, i.e., bring abdomen towards the floor.
5. Exhale and either continue with Marjariasana or come back to the tabletop position.

Further Reading:  Highly Effective Yoga Asanas for Weight Loss

5. Adho Mukha Svanasana (Downward-Facing Dog Pose)

Have you observed a dog just after it gets up from the sleep? The first thing it will do is stretching.

This pose lengthens the spine, tones, and strengthens your core muscles. The movement stretches the lumbar region and you experience the stiffness vanished (8).

It is also a yoga asana for sun salutation sequence which is a great yoga sequence for healthy living.

How to do Adho Mukha Svanasana

1. Start with the ‘tabletop’ position, your back is the tabletop, and your hands and feet are the legs of the table.
2. While breathing out, lift your hips and knees up and form an inverted V-shape.
3. Your hands and feet should be ‘shoulder’ and ‘hip’ width apart, respectively. Toes should point ahead.
4. Bring your head between your arms such that your ears touch to the inner arms. Look towards your navel.
5. Hold this position and take deep breaths.
6. Exhale and return the table pose, relax.

Benefits

Apart from providing a good stretch, this asana helps in better blood circulation.

6. Trikonasana (Triangle Pose)

As the name suggests, the triangle pose is about balancing your body in this geometric position.

It stretches your spine and actively engages your hips, groins, hamstrings, and calves.  In addition, it provides proper stretch to the spine, chest, and shoulders (9).

How to do Trikonasana

1. Start by standing straight with your feet wide apart 3-4 feet.
2. Adjust your right foot 90° outwards and left foot 15°inwards.
3. Bring the center of your right heel in alignment with the center of the arch of your left foot.
4. Take a deep breath and while you exhale bend towards the right (sideways, refer the above image) below your hips.
5. Keep your waist straight and let your left hand go upwards in the air and your right hand downwards toward the floor to your ankle or shin.
6. Make a straight line with both your hands.
7. Either keep your head neutral or move it left and gaze your palm.
8. Stretch and stabilize your body. Take deep breaths.
9. Breathe in and return to the starting position.
10. Repeat towards another side.

Benefits

Geometry is about balance, this yoga asana promotes balancing your body, provides a good stretch, and relieves any stiffness in the upper or lower back.

Read More: Yoga Asanas for Thyroid

7. Ustrasana (Camel Pose)

When a camel tries to get up from its sitting position, it uses its limbs to produce the momentum. Ustrasana resembles this action and named as camel pose.

This pose adds the flexibility and strengthens your back.

How to do Ustrasana

1. Kneel down. Place your hands on your hips.
2. Adjust your knees to be in line with your shoulders. Your feet sole should face the ceiling.
3. Inhale and draw your tailbone towards the navel and simultaneously make an arch with your spine and bring your palms over the feet and keep your arms straight.
4. Keep your neck in a neutral position.
5. Take a couple of deep breaths.
6. Breathing out, come back to the starting pose, and bring your hands back your hips.

Benefits

Along with relieving the back pain, Ustrasana is helpful to provide stimulus to the thorax region. It helps in keeping the endocrine system healthy and improve various aspects of health.

Here is an amazing video from Geethanjali Yoga on Yoga Asanas for Back Pain

 

8. Paschimottanasana (Seated Forward Bend)

Seated yoga asanas are equally good for stretching as the standing ones.

This pose efficiently stretches shoulders, spine, and hamstrings. You might not be able to touch your head to the knee first time, but with practice, you will achieve it.

How to do Paschimottanasana

1. Sit with your legs stretched in front of you.
2. Breathe in and simultaneously raise your arms above your head. Stretch them up.
3. Now, while breathing out, bend forward and bring your chin towards your toes. Keep your spine straight.
4. Now, place your hands on your legs.
5. Breathing in, slightly lift your head to lengthen your spine, and, breathing out, gently draw your navel towards your knees.
6. Repeat for 2-3 times.
7. Now, drop your head down and take deep breaths for 20-60 seconds.
8. Breathing in, return to your sitting position.
9. Breathing out, and lower your arms.

Benefits

It provides proper stretch to the waist region, so if you feel stiffness in the waist try this asana.

Read More: Facial Yoga Exercises to Get Glowing Skin

9. Rajakapotasana (Pigeon Pose)

Rajakapotasana helps you stretch your entire lower body and strengthen your back.

Though it is a tough yoga asana with practice you can master it.

How to do Rajakapotasana

1. Lie on your stomach and keep your legs straight and joined.
2. Lift your upper body using your arms to make an arch. Move your head backward.
3. Simultaneously, bend your knees so that your legs touch your head.
4. Stay in this position as long as you can.
5. Gradually, return to the starting position.

Benefits

The amount of stretching involved in pigeon pose helps in the good stomach and back health.

10. Naukasana (Boat Pose)

Naukasana is a yoga asana in which the posture resembles a boat. It strengthens your abdominal and back muscles.

How to do Naukasana

1. Lie on your back and keep your arms beside your body.
2. Take a deep breath and while breathing out, lift your feet and chest off the ground. Simultaneously, stretch your arms towards your feet.
3. Hold and take deep breaths.
4. Breathing out, return to the starting position.

Benefits

The boat pose strengthens the core muscle and helps to get rid of various body pains.

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11. Dhanurasana (Bow Pose)

The arc of a bow signifies stretch and strength, so does Dhanurasana. It actively engages and flexes the lower back muscles.

How to do Dhanurasana

1. Lie on your stomach. Place your arms beside your body with your feet hip-width apart.
2. Fold your knees, bring your hands back to hold your ankles.
3. Now, breathing in, raise your chest off the ground and also lift your legs up, backward.
4. Look straight ahead.
5. Hold this pose and take deep breaths for 15-20 seconds.
6. Breathing out, return to your starting position.

Benefits

Apart from helping to reduce back pain, bow pose yoga promotes good digestive health.

Yoga Poses for Upper Back Pain

In the previous section, we focused on yoga poses that help to relieve lower back pain. This section is targeted for providing relief to the upper back.

12. Purvottanasana

Purvottanasana stretches the upper back and shoulder muscles such as the anterior deltoids, pectoralis major, and the pectoralis minor.

How to do Purvottanasana

1. Sit with your legs stretched.
2. Place your palms beside your waist with fingertips pointing outwards.
3. Lean backward by supporting your body on your palms.
4. Breathing in, lift your pelvis to make the whole body straight.
5. Keep the feet flat on the floor. Let your head fall back.
6. Hold and continue breathing.
7. Breathing out, return to the starting position.

13. Halasana

Halasana involves your neck, abs, shoulders, and upper back muscles.

How to do Halasana

1. Lie on your back with your palms facing the ground and arms beside you.
2. Breathing in, lift the feet off the ground to make a 90° angle with the floor.
3. Now lift your hips also off the ground and move your legs over your head back until they touch the floor.
4. Hold and continue breathing for about a minute.
5. Breathing out, return to the starting position.

14.  Pawanmuktasana

Pawanmuktasana strengthens your arms, upper back, and leg muscles.

How to do Pawanmuktasana

1. Lie on your back with the arms to the sides of your body.
2. Breathing in, lift your legs off the ground to make a 90° angle with the floor.
3. Now, bend the knees and bring your thighs in contact with your abdomen while keeping your ankles and knees together.
4. Clasp your knees with both your arms.
5. Now, bend your neck and touch your chin to the knees.
6. Hold and breathe normally.
7. After 20-30 seconds, slowly return to the starting position.

15. Setu Bandhasana

Setu Bandhasana is extremely helpful for your upper, middle, and lower back portion and efficiently strengthens it.

How to do Setu Bandhasana

1. Lie on your back. Your arms beside you with the palms facing downward.
2. Fold your knees while keeping your feet hip-width apart.
3. Place your feet 10-12 inches from your hip.
4. Breathing in, lift your entire back off the floor and touch your chest to the chin.
5. Hold and keep breathing normally for a minute.
6. Breathing out, return to the starting position.

16. Shalabasana

Shalabasana is an excellent pose to strengthen your entire back and increase its flexibility.

How to do Shalabhasana

1. Lie on your stomach. Place your arms beside your body and palms facing the ground.
2. While inhaling, lift your right leg up while keeping it straight.
3. Hold for a few seconds.
4. While exhaling, bring your right leg down.
5. Repeat the process with the left leg.
6. While inhaling, lift both your legs as high as you can take them and then hold.
7. While exhaling, return to the starting position.

17. Vrikshasana

Vrikshasana is helpful to maintain neuro-muscular coordination and also strengthens your spine.

How to do Vrikshasana

1. Stand straight with your arms beside your body.
2. Bend your right knee and firmly place your right foot on your left thigh.
3. Keep your left leg erect.
4. Breathe and stay balanced.
5. Now, breathing in, move your arms above your head to form ‘namaste’ mudra.
6. Keep the spine erect.
7. Now slowly bring your hands down and release your right leg to return to the starting position.

18. Tadasana

Tadasana is an excellent asana to improve the nervous system. It improves body posture and tones your abdomen.

How to do Tadasana

1. Stand erect with your arms by your sides.
2. Distribute your weight evenly on your heels and feet arches.
3. Now, lift your kneecaps without hardening your lower belly. Strengthen the inner arches of your feet.
4. By turning your upper thighs inwards, extend your tailbone towards the floor and lift the pubis towards our navel.
5. Look slightly upwards.
6. Breathing in, stretch your arms, chest, and shoulders upwards. Raise your heels and bring your body weight to your toes.
7. Hold for a few seconds, and then relax while breathing out.

19. Shashankasana

Shashankasana stretches the upper body and relaxes it.

How to do Shashankasana

1. Sit in a kneeling pose. Place your hands on your thighs.
2. Raise your hands above the head. The palms should face forward and arms in line with the shoulders.
3. Breathing out, bend down while bringing your hands forwards. Touch your forehead and hands to the ground.
4. Stay in this position for 1 minute.
5. Breathing out, return to the starting position.

20. Garudasana

Garudasana works by stretching your upper back, thighs, hips, and shoulders.

How to do Garudasana

1. Starting by standing in Tadasana.
2. Slightly bend your knees. Now, lift and move your left foot to cross it over your right leg.
3. Your left thigh should now be over your right thigh, and the left foot should point downwards.
4. Lift your arms and cross your right arm over your left arm. Then, bend your elbows to make your arms perpendicular to the floor.
5. The back of your hands should now be facing each other. Then, turn your hands to make your palms facing each other.
6. Stretch the fingers upwards.
7. Hold this pose for about 25-30 seconds.
8. Gently, return to the starting position.

21. Virabhadrasana (Warrior Pose)

The yoga warrior pose strengthens legs, arms, lower and upper back. It also improves your posture.

How to do Virabhadrasana:

1. Stand erect with your legs 3-4 feet wide apart.
2. Turn your right foot 90° outwards and left foot 15° inwards. Also, align the right heel to the center of your left foot.
3. Breathing in, lift your arms sideways up to the shoulder level with palms facing upwards.
4. Bend your right knee to form a straight angle with your right ankle.
5. Turn your head rightwards and further stretch your arms.
6. Breathing out, return to the starting position.
7. Repeat on your left side.

Benefits of Yoga Asanas

1. Yoga makes your core muscles strong which allows you to be efficient at the physical tasks.
2. It establishes excellent neuro-muscular coordination and helps you in sports activities.
3. Yoga is a working stress-busting method which calms your brain and allows your body to relax.
4. It increases your concentration and focusing capabilities. Useful for students.
5. Yoga has proved to be beneficial in weight loss. It helps you to shed your extra fat off your body.

Yoga is an ancient technique that has been beneficial for humans for long. Not only it helps you relieve your back pain but it also creates a good posture of yours to keep you from such physical problems.

Yoga poses come at various complexity levels. Therefore, beginners should start with the basic ones and later move on to the advanced poses. So, try them and keep your back pain miles away.