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Back pain is one of the most common aliments affecting peoples daily lives. A study has shown that 'lower back pain accounts for 11% of the total disabilities in the UK.'
While the pain in your lower spine (lumbar spine) could be due to an accident, or something outside your control; a herniated disc or spinal stenosis for example, it is more likely that it is due to one of these:
poor posture
muscle strain
weak core muscles
not being a healthy weight
Poor Posture
Harvard Health explain that good posture is where, 'the bones of the spine - the vertebrae - are correctly aligned'. The vertebrae are designed to all stack on top of one another, creating a soft 'S' shape in the spine.
If you are looking from the side, 'your ear, shoulder top, hip, knee, and ankle should line up vertically when you're standing'.
Poor posture can be impacted by sitting too much, an injury that creates muscle guarding through muscle spasm, hunching over your laptop/mobile phone or ineffective breath.
Check out my FREE 'Improve your Posture' Yoga Class on my YouTube Channel.
Weak Core Muscles
When we talk about the core, we don't just refer to our abdominal muscles. The core muscles also include the muscles of the pelvic floor, hips and spine.
Because you cannot see these muscles, it can be easy to forget to work on them, therefore allowing them to grow weak.
Yoga is the perfect way to target the whole of the core. Through your asana (physical) practice, all of these muscles will be strengthened through different poses. Poses such as High Plank, Boat Pose and Locust Pose.
...and PRANAYAMA! Pranayama refers to our life force; our breath is our life force. By regulating and focusing on your breath, you can move away from the state of 'fight and flight' and move into 'rest and digest'.
Also, through breath work, you can strengthen your abdominal muscles without even breaking a sweat!
...but I'll talk more about this later.
Try this FREE Pranayama Session on my YouTube Channel NOW.
Not Being a Healthy Weight
A study by Rahman Shiri et al. confirmed the correlation between obesity and increased risk of lower back pain.
This is due to the fact that being overweight puts stress on your joints; especially your pelvis, knees and spine.
The risk of succumbing to sciatica, a herniated disc, or an excessive anterior tilt is higher with obese people.
Want to start Yoga but not sure how? Check out my FREE Chair Yoga Classes. Perfect for those who are less mobile.
OK, so finally...What's the Secret?
...Breathing!
Seriously, it's as simple as that.
More specifically, strengthening your diaphragm through specific breathing techniques.
...No fancy tricks needed, no huge chiropractor bills, no more agonizing pain.
A recent study from the Journal of Orthopaedic & Sports Physical Therapy has proven the relationship between a weak diaphragm and lower back pain.
The diaphragm is key to respiration; when you breathe in, your belly softens and your diaphragm drops to create space for your lungs to expand. It sounds like it should be simple, but unfortunately we aren't taught how to breathe correctly.
There is constant influence from the media to 'breathe in', to look slimmer. Therefore, growing up, we are conditioned to suck our stomachs in when we breathe in. The opposite of how our respiration system should be working.
Just look at children and how they breathe, to see how it should be done.
Your diaphragm is also a trunk stabiliser, this helps to support your spine. It has been found that people 'suffering from chronic low back pain often have instability in the lower spine.'
So, What Should I do?
Check that you are breathing correctly...
When you breathe in, does your belly expand or just your chest?
If you can feel only your chest rising and falling, you should give these breathing techniques a go.
Deep Yogic Breathing
Start by either sitting or lying down, and place one hand on your chest and one on your belly.
Inhale through your nose for 3 breaths.
First allow the oxygen to fill up your belly, then your rib cage, then moving to your chest and finally all the way to your collarbone.
Exhale through your nose for 4 breaths.
First expel the breath from your collarbone, then your chest, moving on to your ribcage and finally all the air from your belly.
Repeat
Try it now, and breath along with my Deep Yogic Breathing session.
Other pranayama (breathing) techniques you could try is Rapid Breathing or Alternate Nostril Breathing. Click to give these sessions a go!
Final Words
So now you know the BIG lower back pain relief secret, what are you going to do about it?
I encourage you to take 10mins out of your busy day, to just breathe. I am not asking you to do anything difficult or complicated.
It is something we all know how to do, but maybe just not quite in the most effective way. So start today to improve your overall core stability and work towards a life without back pain!
Please remember to seek the advice of a medical professional. This advice is just recommended for people with mild lower back pain, who haven't experienced any trauma or have a congenial condition.
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