Dealing With Back Pain? Try These Simple Stretches

Millions of people are affected by back pain every day. And beyond living with the pain itself, back pain diminishes your quality of life—you end up missing work, family and social activities that you enjoy, your favorite sports, and you may not even be able to accomplish simple, everyday necessities.

Whether it's a herniated disc, spinal stenosis, or strained muscles, it can take some time to diagnose and treat the causes of back pain. So while you're trying to figure it out, here are a few simple things you can do to help achieve some level of comfort and pain relief:

Not doing it for you? Here is a set of four simple yoga stretches that you can do anytime, anywhere, that will do wonders for your back pain. It is highly recommended to do these stretches in sync with your breath as mentioned. These will help to release a lot of toxins including stress and emotions that gets stored up in our spine. According to world renowned spiritual and yoga Guru Sri Sri Ravi Shankar who has pioneered the science of breath, "With our outgoing breaths, we release about 80% toxins from the body. Also our breath and emotions are connected with each other. Every emotions has a corresponding rhythm of breath and vice a versa, the way we breath influence the way we feel."

A healthy spine is a healthy body and healthy life! Enjoy these stretches every day!

Breathing in, slowly lift your arms from the sides. Interlace your fingers so the thumbs touch each other gently. Stretch up as much as you comfortably can, and keep your elbows straight yet soft, and ensure that your biceps are close to your ears.

Hold this posture for 2 to 3 long, deep breaths.

To deepen the stretch: Gently pull your belly button (inward) toward the spine.

Your fingers continue to remain interlaced above your head. Breathing out, gently twist to the right side. Hold this position for 2 to 3 long breaths. As you inhale, come back to center. Exhaling, turn to your left side and again hold this position for 2 to 3 long breaths. Inhaling, return to the center.

Your fingers continue to remain interlaced above your head. As you exhale, slightly bend to the right side. Hold and keep breathing. Breathing in, come back to center.

Exhaling bend a little to the left side. Ensure that you are not bending to the front or back, and that one hand is not stretched more than the other. Breathing in, come back to the center.

Breathing out, stretch your hands out to the front. Breathe in and as you now breathe out, stretch forward from your lower back.

Breathe in and as you exhale, turn to your right side. Ensure that both the hands are parallel to each other and stretched equally, else gently correct the posture.

Breathing in, return to the center. As you exhale repeat the stretch turning to the left. Return to the center as you breathe in.

Now slowly bring your arms up. Unlock the fingers and stretch back. Inhale and come back to the center. As you exhale, slowly bring your arms down from the side.

Take a deep breath in. As you exhale, slowly twist to your right side. Keep your left palm on your right knee. With right hand pressing on the floor next to right hip, lift your spine upward, making sure you are not leaning on your hand or leaning forward. Inhale and return to the center. Exhale and repeat the stretch on the left side. Keep your right palm on your left knee and left palm on the floor. Remember to keep your back straight and stretch tall.

Breathing in, return to the center. Change your cross-legged position. If your right leg was placed over the left, now place the left leg over the right, and repeat the stretch as explained above to the right and left sides.

Tip to deepen this stretch: Engage the abdominal muscles in addition to the hip muscles to twist farther.