Chronic Low back pain (CLBP) is perhaps one of the leading causes of visiting a physician today. From school going kids, to a middle aged professional, to a senior citizen, all have fallen victim to this condition. Revisiting my childhood, I can hardly recollect any such complaints from anyone at home in my own big joint family or from the neighbours.
This definitely calls for the question – What has happened in the last few decades that has changed the equation of the society in this way?
Increased Comfort = Increased STRESS = Decreased Wellness
Human brain has been able to reach the pinnacle of technology, to the extent, that the whole life can be comfortably spent by ‘just a press of a button’. This automatically applies that the movements in our day–to–day life too have reduced to just ‘a press of a button.’ (Note that CLBP is still a part of urban life. Rural areas, where activities and natural living make a predominant part of daily life, still remains untouched from this problem).
The Very First Task
Include versatility in your daily physical routine. No matter what exercise you chose to do to remain physically fit, make sure that your movements are varied in nature. There are two ways of approaching this:
- Perform different activities & different movements
- If you had been following a particular pattern for a while, change the sequence particularly every 3 months.
Five-spinal movement – Key to a supple back
One of the key reasons for backpain is a constantly misaligned spinal curve which stresses the other parts of the body to compensate for it, especially the lower back and the neck. Working on your spine from five different directions will squeeze, stretch, contract, expand, lengthen & strengthen your spine, in a way, that the vertebrae will be well aligned and the discs well lubricated. These five movements of the spine should include:
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| Vertical Extension | Lateral Stretch | Forward Bending | Twisting | Backward Bending |
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Five Spinal Movement |
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Even though the spinal movements in the picture consists of the standing postures. It is not restricted to standing postures alone. The combination can be in sitting position or lying down position as well as per your comfort.
One, however, needs to observe caution while performing these stretches, in case of severe back pain. Some of these movements might be contraindicated depending on the current condition of the health of the back of the practitioner (we will touch upon this in this series of blogs). However, once recovered, one needs to follow these five-spinal movements to maintain a strong and flexible spine.
Only two asanas for a safe stretch
Perform just these two postures for time being, as these two postures are not only safe but can also be practiced if you have any back problem. The practitioner will definitely receive substantial benefits with regular practice of these postures.
Click the link to get complete details of these two postures. You can also check it on www.shammisyogalaya.com
In this series, where the target is Chronic Low Back Pain, I am going to touch upon many lifestyle related habits, which are responsible for these lifestyle induced complications. Do share your experiences in the comment box of the blog.
Live a Pain-Free life
Discover Yoga Discover Yourself
For any query, write to “Ask Shammi” on www.shammisyogalaya.com For other blogs on related subject, check www.shammisyogalayablog.com
Shammi Gupta, founder of Shammi’s Yogalaya holds an MA in Yoga Shastra, is a certified Yogic Therapist and Naturopath, has completed an Advanced Yoga Course and holds a Diploma in Yoga Education from Mumbai University. She is a certified trainer from American College of Sports Medicine and holds an MBA in HR & MBA in Finance from The University of Akron, Ohio, USA. She conducts Health Awareness Workshops for Corporate, Yogasana Workshops for Athletes and Yoga Therapy Workshops on different medical issues for patients. Among the celebrities Shammi trains are eminent personalities from the film and television industry and corporate world.
Reblogged this on Luthar.com and commented:
Yogini Shammi gives her insights into managing chronic back pain through yoga.
Wonderful insights!