Yoga and Back-Pain (Backache)

Introduction

Yoga proved to be more beneficial in alleviating back pain symptoms and improving function. Yoga appears to be more effective for low back pain than conventional exercise. Yoga helps alleviate lower back pain by strengthening and stretching the muscles of the lower back, reducing inflammation and increasing circulation of blood and prana. Regular yoga practice also improves posture and body mechanics, relieving pain and preventing injury by keeping the spine in proper alignment

An acute strain can be caused by a trauma, an injury, or by overstressing or overstretching the muscles. A strain produces symptoms of mild to moderate pain, muscle spasms, decreased muscle strength, and reduced range of motion. Chronic strains are usually the result of overuse--prolonged, repetitive movement of the muscles and tendons, and can lead to tendonitis. A gentle practice of spinal lengthening, forward folding and back bending poses will circulate prana and blood to help and heal a strained back and alleviate pain. Yoga poses that promote good posture strengthen the abdominals and stretch the hamstrings will also be helpful.

Many other conditions can cause back pain like accidents, upper disc displacement and many more, and most of these can be helped and treated with a conscious and gentle yoga practice. All cases of moderate to severe back pain need to be evaluated by a medical professional for a correct diagnosis and proper treatment plan. There is a great deal of stability and less motion in the upper back, which is thoracic spine region. So, spinal disorders are not very common.

Conditions like herniated disc, spinal stenosis (Abnormal narrowing of a bodily canal or passageway), degenerative disc disease and spinal disability can cause upper back pain, but such cases are few. It is difficult to identify the causes for the upper back pain, precisely. Even an MRI Scan or CT scan will not be of much help. So, it is not easy for the doctor to find a surgical solution, if the pain persists for a long period.

Modern amenities (Things that make you comfortable and at ease) are not without the accompanying problems. A poor posture over a period of time creates strain in a particular region and that region happens to be your upper back, in case you are a computer operator and work throughout the day in front of your PC.

Common Causes

• Lack of strength in the particular region can be the cause of back pain.
• Muscle strains and sports injuries.
• Injuries and damage to the muscles of the region caused through repetitive motions i.e. working in a particular machine in a particular manner, i.e. hand molding machines. On an average a person do 1500 hand-operated motions in a working schedule of 8 hours.

Important Asanas for Back-Pain

• Prishth-Naukasana
• Dhanurasana
• Chakrasana
• Bhujangasana
• Majrasana

Caution

Patients who have been diagnosed with advanced spinal stenosis should avoid extreme extension of the spine such as back bends in yoga and those who have advanced cervical spine disease should avoid doing headstands and shoulder stands in yoga.

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