Yoga is the ideal way to deal with upper back pain, as there are many yoga poses, which strengthens and stretches the back muscles, and improves blood circulation to your spine and nerves. Although Yoga Poses gives us overall good health, but some Yoga poses are particularly good for a specific medical condition like back pain etc.
Below here are some of the best Yoga poses for upper back pain.
- Salabhasana or Locust Pose Yoga: This is an effective yoga pose to get relief from upper back pain. To do this yoga pose, lie on your stomach on the floor or on the yoga mat. Place your arms besides your body. With deep inhalation, raise your head, torso, arms and legs off the ground. With Exhalation, draw your shoulders back. Try to stay in this position for 30-40 seconds. Maintain your breath while being in this position. Come back into original position with a deep exhale. While drawing the shoulders back, do not put pressure on the back.
- Marjariasana and Bitilasana for Upper Back Pain: One needs to come on knees and hands on the floor or on the yoga mat to practice Marjariasana or Bitilasana. Then, keep your knees directly under your hips and palms directly under your shoulders. Now, keep your hands straight, do not fold them. Your toes can rest on the ground backward while practicing these asanas. Do make sure your wrists, elbows and shoulders are in line and perpendicular to the floor . During inhalation, draw your navel towards the ground and arch your spine towards the sky and gaze upwards. This is called Marjariasana. While exhaling, draw your navel towards your spine and bring your chin towards your chest while practicing it. Stay in this position for 15 to 20 seconds.
- Bhujangasana or the Cobra Pose for Upper Back Pain: For this yoga pose, lie completely prone on your stomach on the floor or on the yoga mat and place your forehead on the floor. You can place your both feet hip width apart or together. Then, fold your arms and place your elbows besides your torso and palms on the floor. While inhaling raise your head and upper body in such a way that the weight of the body is borne by your arms. Raise your head while your torso is raised. You need to look up and focus your gaze on a point upwards. Hold this position for 5 to 10 breaths. Come down to the original position while exhaling.
- Gomukhasana or Cow Faced Yoga Pose for Upper Back Pain: First sit in Dandasana with your legs outstretched in front of your torso on the floor. Slide your left foot in such a way that the heel of your foot touches the right hip. Now, bend the right leg in such a way that the right knee comes to rest directly over the left knee. Breathing pattern for this pose, raise your right arm up with elbow point to sky. Now, exhale and bend your elbow and place your right hand between your shoulder blades, palm flat to your back. Then, take your left arm to your back with your palm facing upwards and try to get hold of your right hand with the left hand. Be sure while you are doing this process, your back is straight and not bent. Stay in this pose for 10 to 12 breaths while breathing normally. Release and repeat the pose on the other side.
- Purvottanasana or Upward Plank Yoga Pose for Upper Back Pain: To do this pose, initially sit in Dandasana on floor mat with both legs outstretched to full extent. Now, place your palms on the floor with the fingers facing inwards. Next, slowly raise your body off from the floor in such a way that your body is supported by your arms and heels on the floor. Straighten your legs so that there is a distance of nearly one feet between your feet and hips. Then, raise your head in such a way that top of the head points to the floor perpendicularly such that you are looking behind on the other side of the body. Stay in this position for few breaths. Release this pose without compressing the back of your neck. Exhale and come back to Dandasana.
- Balasana or Child Pose for Upper Back Pain: Sit in Vajrasana. Move your both arms to rest backward in such a way that the arms are lying on either side of the thighs. Then, bend forward and move your forehead to touch the floor. Stay in this position for a few breaths. Release the pose and slowly get back into the Vajrasana.
- Pranayamas for Upper Back Pain: To begin with Pranayamas, first sit in Padmasana. Now, close your right nostril with the right thumb and inhale deeply from the left nostril. Next, close the left nostril with the ring finger and little finger of the right hand and exhale deeply from the right nostril. Then, inhale deeply from the right nostril and after inhalation closes the right nostril with the right thumb and exhales deeply from the left nostril. Repeat this for 7-8 breaths. You can practice this Pranayama for 5-7 minutes every day.