If you are experiencing chronic back pain, it may be due to poor posture, injuries or muscle tension - all common contributors. Unfortunately, chronic back pain can profoundly impact your quality of life, and pharmaceutical painkillers and muscle relaxers are often the prescription given by doctors.
If you want to minimize the use of medications that may dull the pain while ignoring the underlying causes, consider yoga. It is a proactive approach that lessens the symptoms of back pain while preventing further injury. Yoga can:
- Engage your body, mind and spirit, which may lead to a feeling of self-reliance and control over your pain.
- Provide long-term preventive relief, through improved posture, breathing techniques, and stress reduction.
- Make you more aware of your body - balance, posture and proper alignment will be a renewed focus in your life.
- Strengthen your abdominal and leg muscles and increase blood flow - all of which can be beneficial for the back.
- Soothe your mind, which in turn can produce a relaxed, calm and meditative state that can lessen pain.
Visit the Exercise & Fitness section on DrWeil.com for more information on a variety of yoga poses, including how to perform them.
