Yoga can help reduce pain and improve overall health. Yoga strengthens and stretches your body, while increasing awareness. A herniated disc is a serious injury. It is crucial to follow the instructions of a qualified yoga instructor and get permission from your doctor before you attempt any pose. Find out more about yoga and herniated discs, including how yoga can help reduce pain and which poses are best.
Yoga Can Help a Herniated Disc
Yoga is slow and controlled movement that involves gentle stretching and strengthening poses. This promotes good posture and core strength. This can be used to treat lower back pain due to a herniated disc and prevent future injury.
Yoga poses that target the lower back can reduce back pain from a herniated disc. This will improve blood flow and reduce the healing time. Yoga practice can help you be more aware of your body, and how it feels in various poses.
Yoga can be used to treat a herniated disc.
- Core strength increases
- Better posture and alignment
- Promotes body awareness
- Reduces muscle tension
The Best Yoga Poses
If you have back pain due to a herniated disc, it is important to pay attention to your body while practising yoga. Tadasana, or Mountain pose, is a great way to get in touch with your inner self. You will be standing up on your heels, with your feet just touching the yoga mat. Your hands should be at your sides and your eyes on the object in front. Your core muscles should be engaged and your posture should be maintained. This will prepare you for the other yoga poses that can be used to slip discs.
You should take your time and do these recommended poses slowly. Ask a certified yoga instructor to show you these sequences if you’re not familiar with them.
Cat and Cow
The Cat and Cow yoga position opens the spine and allows spinal fluid to freely move around the spinal cord. This is how you can perform this yoga position:
- Begin by laying on your back on your yoga mat.
- Your shoulders should be over your wrists, and your knees below your hips.
- Inhale and move into Cow Pose by dropping your stomach towards the ground, raising your tailbone toward the ceiling and inhaling.
- Inhale, bring your stomach in, and then bring your navel up to your spine.
For the best results, slowly increase your strength so you can perform this sequence several times.
Locust
Locust poses strengthen your lower back while opening your chest. To get the best out of your back extension, slow and carefully control it.
- Place your hands on your stomach and face the ceiling.
- Inhale and lift your head from the mat. Lift your chest, arms, and legs off the ground.
- Your legs should be straight and your feet together. Keep your hands just a few inches above the ground.
- If you find this pose too difficult, lift one leg off the mat and place the other on the mat. Repeat the motion with your other leg.
For several deep breaths, hold this pose.
Cobra
Bhujangasana (or Cobra pose) is very similar to the Locust position. You should keep your hands and feet on the ground in this position.
- Place your hands on either side of you chest on the mat and lay on your stomach.
- Place your feet on the mat. Bring your elbows to your body, and then squeeze your shoulders together.
- Inhale and push your hands off the ground.
- Relax your shoulders and allow plenty of space between your ears.
As you learn Cobra, don’t raise your chest too high off the ground. As you gain strength, flexibility, and more distance, you will gradually increase it.
Dog that is downward facing
This yoga pose is great for relaxing your spine. This pose helps to strengthen the upper body and stretch your hamstrings. This is how you can turn your dog downward facing.
- Place your hands flat on the mat on each side.
- You can push up on all fours without having to move your hands or feet.
- You can transition into a downward-facing dog by placing your toes under the feet and raising your hips to the ceiling.
- Place your hands on the mat and straighten your knees. Most yogis can’t get their heels flat on the mat.
- Place your fingers in a way that allows them to spread out and your elbows to be straight.
- Lower your knees towards the mat to release the pose.
Slowly and deeply breathe in this pose. To get a deeper stretch, raise your hips to the ceiling.
This video will show you how to add a resistance band to strengthen this pose. The resistance band should be placed around the legs at about mid-calf. Gently lift one leg and pulse the other while keeping tension in your resistance band. Continue with the second leg.
Triangle Pose
Trikonasana (or Triangle pose) is a stretchy back position that strengthens the legs. Continue reading to find out more.
- Place your feet wider than your hips on a yoga mat.
- Straighten your elbows and raise your arms out straight from your sides.
- To face your mat, turn your forward foot 90°. Turn your back foot slightly.
- Place your hands on your front legs and lean forward. If you are unable to reach your foot, use a yoga block.
- Keep your arms straight and gently gaze upwards towards the ceiling.
- Slowly raise your body back to its original position by taking a few deep breaths.
You can increase the strength of this yoga movement by adding wrist weights.
Camel Pose
This pose will help you to increase flexibility in your upper back, lumbar spine, and upper back.
- Place your knees on a mat and place your top feet on it. Keep your hips apart.
- Place your hands on the lower back, with your palms facing downward.
- Inhale, and then slowly move your hips forward. Keep looking up.
- Take a deep breath and then exhale. Continue this motion until you feel comfortable and have a deeper backbend.
- Once you feel comfortable with the stretch, you can transition to full Camel pose.
- When you have gotten back to the original position, move your hips forward using your hands.
- Reach your arms out and extend your back.
- Inhale deeply and gently lift your head.
Yoga Poses to Avoid
Yoga poses can help with sciatica and back pain caused by bulging discs. There are certain poses you should avoid. Avoid movements or poses that are too round or involve a forward bend or cause pain, numbness or tingling.
This is a list that you should avoid when suffering from back pain due to disc herniation.
- The pose of a child
- Sage’s pose
- Standing forward bend
- Pose from the head to the knee
- Wide angle forward bend
- Big toe pose
Here are some tips to help you do yoga safely
It is important to be careful when doing yoga therapy for a back injury. Each sequence should be done slowly and carefully. Before you begin, consult your doctor. Ask him or her about any movements you should avoid. Continue reading to find out more about yoga safety.
- Start your yoga practice slowly.
- If you feel pain or numbness, stop.
- Avoid bending forward poses. This can cause nerve damage and pinching.
- Look for a yoga instructor who is familiar with back injuries.
- Do not bend forward with straight legs.
- For the best results, practice yoga often
Practice Yoga Mindfully
Yoga can be an excellent addition to treatment for a herniated disc. It’s low-cost, non-medicinal, and can help improve your overall health. Talk to your doctor about your symptoms and make sure you’re not putting your health at risk. If not treated promptly, a herniated disc could cause severe damage.