Back problems can often be very uncomfortable, making it difficult to bend down, lift objects, sit on a soft sofa ” common things that many people take for granted. GPs advise you to go on diets, take medications, and follow special treatments to deal with the more painful symptoms, but in recent years there has been an upsurge of interest in non-western solutions to psychical problems. And apparently, they work. One eastern alternative has been particularly helpful for dealing with back pain: yoga.

How it works

Yoga comes in many different forms, some of which are more of a workout and others which soothe the mind and body. Through a combination of poses and breathing exercises, yoga aims to help your body get aligned, improve you posture, and make you more aware of what your body is doing.

Osteopaths and yoga experts recommend a gentle yoga style called hatha for back patients, as opposed to the more challenging types such as Bikram and Ashtanga. Hatha involves careful stretches, basic yoga poses, and slow breathing exercises that not only makes a stiff back more flexible, but stronger as well. Hatha yoga also tends to speed up the recovery of back problems such as Sciatica, Osteoarthritis and Fibromyalgia, and can help prevent these from developing in the first place.

What you can do

Here are some hatha exercises you can follow to increase your backs strength and flexibility, while soothing some of the worst pain:

1) Before going in to the exercises, its good to stretch first. Begin with the Mountain Pose: stand up straight with your feet together, place the weight of your body evenly over the feet, while slightly pressing your arms into the sides of your body. Keep a firm posture by tightening your stomach muscles and buttocks, and breathe in slowly through your nose, out through your mouth.

2) The Crescent Moon Pose: this pose strengthens the legs, the shoulders, and the back, giving you extra stamina. It is best carried out in 2 steps:

Keep your back straight and kneel to your knees. Step forward with your right foot so that your foot is a little past your right knee, and keep your leg parallel to the floor.

Hook your thumbs together and stretch your arms high above your head. Then lift your left leg off the floor, stretch it, and divide your weight between the front and back legs. Also be sure not to lift your chest too much ” you dont want to have a completely hollow back.

3) The Child Pose: this pose helps you stretch your spine, hips, and thighs, and should help alleviate the psychical and emotional stresses in your body. Carry it out in three steps:

Kneel down to your knees, with the legs slightly parted, and your feet pointing outwards in opposite directions.

Now, carefully place your forehead on the floor and swing both arms forward, around the head at the height of the ears.

With your head still touching the floor, bring your arms around to your sides, palms facing upwards.

These traditional ways of healing the body can therefore be a great supplement or alternative to western back treatments. As long as each pose is exercised with caution, hatha yoga can ensure that your mind and body feel better and refreshed.