Yoga for Back Pain: 4 Poses That Have a Healing Effect

You’ll have to agree, back pain is one of the most common health complaints. If you look at how most of us spend our day, it is easy to see why. We’re spend our time sitting at home, in the car or at work with minimal physical activity. Sitting or sleeping in the wrong posture, improper distribution of body weight or skeletal imbalances can trigger back pain.

“The muscles between your shoulder blades, the Rhomboid and Trapezius muscles, work hard to keep your head straight in line with the centre of gravity.  When these are stressed, you need to soothe them. If they’re overworked, it make lead to knots which are caused by the lactic acid deposit and they need to be massaged to release tension. Similarly, when you use one of your arms more often than the other to do day to day chores, your body weight tends to shift and it becomes less flexible. Such skeletal imbalances can affect your spine muscles and nerves,” explains Zubin Atré, founder of AtréYoga Studio in ..

Looking for a better way to relieve back soreness than popping pills? Give yoga a go. There are six basic actions that you need to perform to rejuvenate your muscles. These are  - bending forward, bending backwards, twisting to the right, twisting to the left, tilting to the right and tilting to the left, shares Zubin.

You don’t naturally experience these movements daily and therefore, you need to move your body in certain ways to revive tired muscles that are working constantly.  But before you do, you must note that these poses help in relieving muscular back pain. If you are suffering from pain related to spine ailments, degenerative disc disease or arthritis, please consult a doctor.


1. Bhujangasana (Cobra Pose)
This pose will strengthen the lower back muscles while cushioning the spine. “It brings a uniform arch in the spine, increases blood circulation to the spine, boosts muscle quality and flexibility,” says Zubin.

Lie on your stomach with your feet together and toes flat. Place your hands downwards below your shoulders on the mat, lift your waist and raise your head while inhaling in. Pull your torso back with the support of your hands. Keep your elbows straight and make sure you put equal pressure on both palms.  Tilt your head back and make sure your shoulders are away from your ears. Exhale while coming back to the ground.