Back pain is one of the most common physical ailments — and one of the main reasons people try yoga for the first time. Whether it stems from long days at a desk, poor posture, tight hips, or general stress, yoga offers simple and effective ways to find relief and build strength where it matters most.
Whether your back pain stems from long days at a desk (do these yoga poses at work), poor posture, tight hips, or general stress, yoga offers simple and effective ways to find relief and build strength where it matters most.
In this quick guide, we’ll explore the best yoga poses for back pain, each designed to help you gently stretch, activate important support muscles, and release tension in the spine and hips.
🧘♀️ Friendly reminder: Always consult your healthcare provider before beginning any new movement practice, especially if you’re dealing with ongoing or acute pain.
Find the Right Treatment for You
With the wide variety of effective, non-surgical treatments available, it’s important to keep in mind that what works for one person could be completely ineffective for another – and can sometimes even do more harm than good.
Oftentimes, a physician-approved fitness program is a key component of a back pain treatment plan. Targeted exercises can strengthen the back muscles, enhance flexibility, and promote relief. For these purposes, one option that is increasingly gaining acceptance within the medical community is yoga.
There are many yoga poses for back pain out there that can assist in alleviating and soothing even the worst of pains. In this article we will cover 6 all-levels yoga poses for general back pain relief.
Is Your Bad Back Bringing You Down? Practice These 12 Yoga Poses for Back Pain for Real Relief
How Yoga Can Help Back Pain
While not usually considered a main form of treatment for back-related issues, yoga is believed by many (including the experts at Laser Spine Institute) to be beneficial as a complementary therapy.
By seeking to create a sense of balance between the body, mind, and spirit, yoga aims to stimulate and amplify the body’s natural mending response. Its therapeutic effects can extend to virtually any ailment, and many people have found it to be helpful for alleviating back pain.
After you’ve received a go-ahead from a physician, one option worth exploring is restorative yoga – a simplified form of yoga created specifically for stress reduction and injury rehabilitation. Restorative yoga is particularly well-suited for individuals with back pain because it does not involve any complex or intimidating physical poses.
Instead, gentle movements and simple yoga poses for back pain are used to ease the body into comfortable positions, encourage relaxation, and ultimately provide lasting back pain relief.
Here Are 6 Beginner-Friendly Yoga Poses for Back Pain Relief:
To get started, here are six basic restorative yoga poses to help relieve your back pain:
1. Prone Leg Extensions
Why it helps: Strengthens the lower back and glutes to stabilize the spine.
How to do it:
– Lie on your stomach with your legs extended and arms out in front, palms down.
– Inhale to relax, then exhale and lift your right leg a few inches off the ground.
– Hold for 3 seconds, then lower and repeat on the left side.
Repeat for: A few rounds per leg, gradually increasing reps over time.
Try This Class to Help Relieve Your Chronic Back Pain
Yoga Class
With Allie Geer
Join YA Classes Allie Geer as she guides you through a slow, feel-good practice of restorative yoga poses to relieve your back pain, along with other techniques to help prevent it going forward.
2. Legs Up the Wall
Why it helps: A gentle inversion that relieves pressure in the lower back and promotes relaxation.
How to do it:
– Sit sideways next to a wall, then lie down and swing your legs up against it.
– Optionally, place a bolster or pillow under your hips for support.
– Extend your arms in a “T” position and let your body fully relax.
Stay for: 5 minutes, breathing slowly and deeply.
Through passive inversion, this restorative and very relaxing yoga pose can boost circulation in your upper body and head which, in turn, relieves tension and helps reduce back pain. It’s one of the best yoga poses for back pain.
3. Child’s Pose
Why it helps: Gently stretches the spine, hips, and thighs while calming the nervous system.
How to do it:
– Kneel on your mat with knees wide and big toes touching.
– Fold forward, resting your forehead on the mat and extending your arms forward.
– Let your hips sink back toward your heels.
– Exhale and allow your chest to relax toward the mat.
Hold for: 1–2 minutes allowing the tension in your neck, shoulders, and arms to drain away, continuing to breathe deeply. Feel free to hold this great yoga pose for back pain relief longer if comfortable.
4. Cat/Cow Pose
These two simple poses, when practiced together in a sequence, can help warm up the body, loosen the back muscles, improve posture, restore spinal alignment, and establish a sense of balance.
Why it helps: Improves spinal mobility and brings gentle movement to the lower back.
How to do it:
– Start in a tabletop position with hands under shoulders and knees under hips.
– Inhale to arch your back and lift your chest (Cow).
– Exhale to round your spine and tuck your chin (Cat).
Repeat for: 1 minute, flowing slowly with your breath, then finish with a Child’s Pose.
5. Two Knee Spinal Twist
This beginner’s yoga pose can help relieve muscle tightness throughout the shoulders, upper and lower back, hips, and spine.
Why it helps: Releases tightness in the low back and gently massages the spine.
How to do it:
– Lie on your back and hug your knees to your chest.
– Drop both knees to one side while extending your arms into a “T.”
– Turn your head in the opposite direction.
Hold for: 1–2 minutes per side. Keep shoulders grounded.
6. Downward Facing Dog
Downward Facing Dog elongates the spine, strengthens the core muscles, and promotes a full body stretch that specifically targets the back extensors (the large muscles in the lower back that support the spine and enable standing and lifting). Needless to say, it’s one of the perfect yoga poses for back pain.
Why it helps: Stretches and lengthens the spine while strengthening the muscles that support the low back.
How to do it:
– Start on hands and knees, then lift your hips to form an inverted “V.”
– Keep knees slightly bent and heels reaching toward the ground.
– Press evenly through hands and lengthen through the spine.
Hold for: 30 seconds to 1 minute, breathing steadily. Gently push your heels into the floor and hold the position for five breaths, and then repeat the sequence five to seven times.
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Best Beginner Friendly Yoga Poses for Chronic Back Pain: The Takeaway
Yoga is generally safe, but if you feel a sudden new pain or your existing pain worsens while practicing a pose, you should stop immediately and contact your physician. Also, if you don’t see any progress after a reasonable amount of time, you should discuss your experience with your physician and ask about altering your regimen.
These poses are more than just stretches — they help restore balance in the body. Low back pain often comes from a combination of weak core muscles, tight hips, and lack of mobility. Practicing these yoga poses regularly can improve posture, reduce tension, and help you feel more at ease in your body.
Many people find that just a few minutes of daily movement can lead to noticeable improvements — less tightness, better posture, and even deeper sleep. Over time, these simple poses can help support a healthier, more comfortable back and a greater sense of overall well-being.
The best yoga poses for back pain are the ones you actually do – and stick with. These simple, beginner-friendly postures can make a big difference in how you feel, especially when practiced consistently and mindfully.
Remember, therapeutic yoga is not a “one size fits all” treatment; rather, it is an ongoing process. To find the most effective approach for you, you must listen carefully to your body and respond accordingly by fine-tuning your routine.
Other Online Yoga Classes You May Enjoy
Check out these Yin Yoga classes on YA Classes.
All included information is not intended to treat or diagnose. The views expressed are those of the author and should be attributed solely to the author. For medical questions, please consult your healthcare provider.
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