• Yoga strengthens muscle groups. Many postures in yoga strengthen the back and abdominal muscles and help the body maintain a proper upright posture and movement. Stretching and relaxation reduces tension in stress carrying muscles. When these muscles are well conditioned, it helps to offset back pain.
• Yoga eases lower back pain, by stretching and strengthening the muscles of the lower back. It increases blood circulation, which brings healing nutrients to the injured tissues. Yoga also helps maintain a natural curvature of the spine that is crucial in avoiding lower back pain.
• Thus, Yoga is an excellent therapy for healing injured and sore back muscles, speeding time to recover from an injury and preventing re injury. It also reduces the risk of disability due to back pain. In short, Yoga increases awareness of the body and keeps the body healthy and supple.

Know Thy Vertebra

To understand back pain, we need to know a little about the structure of our backbone. The backbone supports and keeps us erect. 33 vertebrae form the backbone. These vertebrae are further divided into 5 sections,

• Cervical region composed of 7 vertebrae
  
  
• Thoracic region that has 12 vertebrae
  
  
• Lumbar region containing 5 vertebrae
  
  
• Sacral region comprising 5 vertebrae, and,
  
  
• Coccyx region consisting of 4 vertebrae
  
  

Causes for Back Pain

• Acute strain is caused by over stressing or over stretching of muscles as happens in trauma or injury. Damage can occur in muscles, joints, ligaments or vertebrae.
• Chronic strain is usually the result of overuse or prolonged repetitive movement of muscles and tendons. Gentle yoga poses help to circulate blood and alleviate pain. Chronic pain can last for months or years. Severe pain lasting for more than a few days without improvement requires medical attention.
• Compressed nerves is a condition where numbness and weakness is experienced in the muscle of the nerves.
• Infection in the spinal cord or the nerves produces fever and lethargy. An infection in the vertebrae, the discs or meninges can compress the spinal cord and result in neurological deterioration.
• Sciatica involves inflammation of the sciatic nerve. Pain is felt along the sciatic nerve, from the lower back down to the back of the leg.
• Spinal tumor compresses the spine or nerve roots and cause pain.
• Herniated disc occurs in the lower two lumbar vertebrae causing nerve root compression.
• Congenital defect or fracture can lead to Spondylolisthesis that occurs due to an upper vertebra slip over a lower vertebra. It usually affects the lower back. This may lead to nerve root compression, back pain and numbness or weakness in the legs.

The Myth and Reality

Many people believe that rest is best for a painful back. On the contrary, what is needed is regular exercise. Yoga practice helps in relieving the stress and tension that cause back pain. Not all yoga poses relieve back pain; some even aggravate it. So, it is best to do yoga under an expert yoga instructor.

A word of caution: In case of acute pain, yoga practice should be avoided for 48 hours or until the period of pain passes. If a yoga posture causes pain, it is advised to avoid practice of the posture until absolute pain relief is achieved. Further, any movements that increase the symptoms of pain or discomfort should not be attempted.

Yoga's Play on the Mind

Yoga calms the mind of a practitioner, and is therefore a stress-buster. Meditation removes the perception of pain, which is indeed a boon to those with back pain.

Many believe that psychological and emotional factors influence the sensation of pain. High stress and negative emotions contribute to pain. Yoga helps people to concentrate their energy on breathing, posture and meditation. Controlled breathing, as in pranayama, increases oxygen flow to the brain and sets a rhythmic pattern within the body and mind. This dissipates stress and anxiety, thereby relieving back pain caused by psychological and emotional factors.

Yoga practice involves

• Body position or posture
• Breathing techniques or pranayama
• Meditation or control of mind

Body position or poses in yoga are a safe and effective form of exercise for all people. The gentle body exercises followed by deep relaxation practice helps to reduce the stress and tension that contribute to back pain. They are also useful in maintaining strength and flexibility of the spine. Regular yoga practice relieves back pain by strengthening the muscles that support the spine. In case of persistent back pain, you should not attempt to do yoga postures without expert guidance.

Stability and feeling of well-being are the results of asanas. So, it is imperative that asanas are performed with little effort, with the mind focused inward. Awareness of the body increases, greatly improving the ability to deal with back pain.

Asanas for Back Pain

The Corpse Pose or Savasana

This Asana is helpful in releasing tension and relieving pain in the muscles of the back. In this pose, the body gets complete rest and the mind is at peace. 'Sava' means a dead body in Sanskrit and it is also called the relaxation posture.

Steps

• Lie on your back with arms beside your body and palms facing up.
• Close your eyes and allow all the muscles to relax.
• Concentrate on each external limb of your body, starting from the toes till the head.
• Relax each and every part of the body and remain motionless.
• Remain in this position until you feel completely rested.
• Do this asana for 5-10 minutes.

Benefits

• This Asana takes away physical and mental stress and strain. It revitalizes the entire body.

Tad Asana

This Asana helps to stretch the spinal cord and is good for the muscles of the arms, shoulders and the neck.

Steps

• Stand with your feet apart. Keep the arms at your side.
  
• Inhale and lift the arms upward until the palms touch each other over the head.
  
• The arms must be held straight.
  
• Maintain this position for a few seconds.
  
• Exhale and bring the arms back to the original position.
  
• Repeat for a few times and relax.
  
  

Benefits

• The spine is stretched. It eases tension along the muscles of the back.
  
  

Fish Pose or Matsyasana

Steps

• Lie on your back on the floor. Inhale.
  
• Slowly tilt your head backwards until the back is arched and the crown of the head touches the floor.
  
• The forearms and elbows can be used as support to assume the posture.
  
• Breathing should be even.
  
• Hold this position for 2-5 minutes and relax.
  

Benefits

• This targets the cervical vertebrae and relieves stiffness in the neck.
  
  

The Locust or Shalabhasana

Steps

• Lie on the floor with the abdomen touching the floor and arms at the side; the chin should touch the floor.
  
• Keep the heels and toes together;the fists should touch the floor.
  
• Inhale slowly and lift the legs above the floor by applying pressure on the fists.
  
• Hold this position for a few seconds and exhale.
  
  

Benefits

• It targets the muscles of the back and helps to eliminate tension in the nerves.
  
  

Yoga Breathing Exercises or Pranayama

Yoga is an excellent therapy to relax. Yoga breathing exercises help to reduce the tension and stress that contribute to back pain. Breathing is considered very important while performing yoga. The breath should be rhythmic, deep and free during inhalation and exhalation. The breath determines the quality of yoga practice. When the breath is even, it relaxes the body and encourages strong circulation.

Deep Breathing Exercise - Brahmari (humming bee)

'Brahmari' means the bee. This Pranayama involves rapid inhalation and exhalation. The sounds produced during this exercise resemble that of a male bee during inhalation, and that of a female bee during exhalation.

Steps

• Sit in a cross- legged position and close your lips.
  
  
• Start with inhalation at a rapid pace producing the sound of a bee and exhale rapidly through the nostrils, again producing a snoring or buzzing sound.
  
  
• The vibration of the humming sound is felt in the throat and mouth. Inhalation and exhalation should be through both nostrils.
  
  

This Pranayama increases the heat and circulation of blood in the body. It also teaches how to control the breath. One enters into a meditative state of mind in this practice. This Pranayama can be done for 2-3 minutes.

Reference

The Science of Pranayama-Sri Swami Sivananda

Yoga for Every Athlete-Aladar Kogler

Yoga Abcofyoga.com

Yoga Infocenter in Holisticonline.com

Yoga and Back pain

www.asana-posture.in/type.htm

www.yoogawithateeka.com

Submitted by: Mrs. Uma

Edited by: Mrs. Savitha