Yoga Exercises As A Back Pain Treatment

By Christine Rodgers

To the extent that stretching and strengthening your body is helpful - and most back pain sufferers agree that it is - yoga exercises can be an excellent way to ease back pain. To the extent that stress contributes to back pain - and again, most back sufferers feel that it does - yoga exercise scores again.

Clearly there is value in the yoga philosophy that asks one to move in a manner that is meditative and never to force or strain. Yoga also speaks to the harmony of spirit, mind and body, which is an idea many find difficult to put into practice.

The persons suffering from back pain who are not injured permanently by pain and who are willing to receive favorably yoga's spiritual message, help the yoga instructors in achieving best results. These people, who work with yoga instructors, have been more beneficiary from yoga, than those who try to avoid philosophical concepts by studying yoga from books, tapes and articles.

Yoga particularly has offered relief from the minor aches and pains that occur with a main back problem. It can alter your mentality from "I can't do it" to "I can do it" and "I will do it".

I do yoga exercises regularly to strengthen my back and stomach muscles and try to listen to what my body says.

A word of warning: lots of yoga positions are very difficult and may be harmful for those who suffer from back pain and are not used to exercise. It is a good idea not to do yoga when you are suffering from back pain. Although, when you can do normal things again, yoga is great exercise that you can do for the rest of your life.

You should attempt to use this easy type of yoga therapy that most individuals find beneficial, especially for chronic back pain relief. All it is deep abdominal breathing that allows back pain sufferers to ease and strengthen abdominal muscles. Attempt it in the middle of your work day. You may choose to do it for five minutes for even just a few breaths is helpful. Keep in mind though that you will need to be careful not to breathe deeply for the full five minutes or you may hyperventilate.

To prevent this, you must alternate your deep breaths with your regular breaths. Sit, stand, or else lie down in a comfortable position. Begin by taking a deep breath from the abdomen (put your fingers on it first to be sure that it, not your chest, expands). Then inhale through the nose for six seconds, hold the breath for three seconds, and exhale through the mouth for seven seconds. When exhaling, allow yourself to go limp. A few minutes later, you will feel invigorated and relaxed too.

Even though there doesn't exist any official research evidence to prove that yoga can fix your backache problems if you aren't incapacitated, more than 75% of the people who attempt it have said that there are significant improvements in their long-term situations.

About the Author:

Back pain can be the most miserable, mysterious and painful problems of all. Where can you find healing back pain therapies that are effective and long lasting? Will back pain medication work? What about the many complementary therapies or alternative upper back pain treatment available? Or maybe a new diet or back pain exercise routine?