Best Yoga Poses for Back Pain

Experiencing pain in your upper, mid, and lower back is incredibly common—and frustratingly individual. Back pain is among the most common reasons clients seek out physical therapy and can be caused by pretty much anything, according to physical therapist and yoga instructor William Klein, clinical director at Spear Center in New York.

“Back pain is the result of factors that are biological, biomechanical, psychological, and social in nature,” says Klein. Because of this, he notes that there’s no specific exercise or posture that will address back pain for everyone 100 percent of the time. “That said, research tends to support walking, as well as a goal-specific exercise program individual to each patient,” he says.

This means that the best yoga poses for back pain have more to do with you getting to know your body’s needs by feeling them out in specifc stretches rather than following a set list of poses and expecting instant answers to your specific type of tension.

5 Best Yoga Poses for Back Pain

“Encouraging gentle movement to what someone can tolerate—and progressing from there—informs a lot of my practice as a PT and a yoga instructor,” says Klein. With that in mind, the following yoga poses can help you feel into what your body needs so you can help alleviate your back pain. Start with small movements and progress only to the point where you feel a stretch. Don’t force it.

1. Cat-Cow

In terms of gentle, exploratory movement, it’s hard to beat Cat and Cow Pose.

Klein notes that a few breath-led rounds of Cat and Cow is a helpful option for those experiencing difficulty moving in general. In that instance, the focus is the short-term goal of increasing capacity for any movement. Back pain becomes a lot easier to address on your mat once your body is more generally mobile.

Also, Cat-Cow encourages the spine to gently arc and arch in such a way that helps you easily and intuitively identify where your pain is the most persistent.

2. Half Lord of the Fishes Pose

Dealing with back pain is a slow and steady sort of thing. Let simple stretches guide the way.

If you’re after a gentle lower back stretch, Klein recommends whatever version of Half Lord of the Fishes feels right for you. The spinal twist allows you to twist only as much as you’re able, even if that means barely moving. In so doing, you improve body awareness, which is much of the battle in terms of dealing with back pain. The pose also encourages circulation and mobility throughout your spine and back body.

3. Head-to-Knee Pose

This pose is a  go-to among runners and gym-goers in addition to yogis reason.

“Some people feel good after a simple, boring hamstring stretch,” says Klein of Head-to-Knee Pose. He recommends people hold the stretch for at least 30 seconds, and longer if it’s tolerable.

It’s more than fine if you can’t reach your foot in this posture. Bend your knee or loop a strap or belt around your foot and hold onto the ends to avoid undue strain. And for the hypermobile among us, add a block to the bottom of your foot will allow you to extend your reach and enhance your stretch.

4. Standing Forward Bend

Standing Forward Bend allows you to stretch the lower back and backs of the legs in one simple shape. Bending forward like a rag doll to reach toward your toes is a quick means of release for everything that’s been working to hold you upright throughout the day.

But Klein is quick to clarify that this pose, though foundational, should be approached with caution. “Some people might find this really painful,” he says. “It isn’t for everyone!” Move slowly, don’t force your fingertips to touch the floor, and back off the moment that strain turns to pain.

5. Chair Pose

Strengthening the muscles along the spine can go a long way in helping and preventing back pain. Yet doing so while dealing with back pain can be a daunting process. Let curiosity, patience, and caution lead the way. With experience comes confidence—and that can go a long way.

“Building confidence through strengthening can be very helpful,” says Klein. “Chair Pose is basically a squat that you hold mid-air.” Stand in your power here, allowing yourself to feel the strength and possibility of your own body, including your back.