Yoga for Computer Users: Releases Lower Back Pain

Twenty percent of all those who undergo surgery for lower back pain will get no relief. The remaining 80 percent will have problems ranging from mild to severe. All will have trouble with spinal flexion.

Always sleep on a firm (not necessarily hard) bed, with a flat pillow under your head and a thicker one under your knees. This posture will help the spine to reposition and adjust itself. 

Do not wear high heels as this promotes lumbar lordosis and throws the spine out of balance.

Do not go in for break-dancing, strenuous aerobics, jogging, running, or anything you need to bounce or jiggle. Guarded activity is the key here.

For lower back pain, sitting is the most painful. Sit on a firm seat, not squashy cushions, and sit on your buttock bones. Do not loll back on the tailbone or lower spine. Wedge a rolled towel or small pillow behind your back to keep you upright. Sit as often as possible in The Diamond Posture (Figure 1) to benefit the sciatic nerve and to cure a convex or lateral curvature of the spine.

When the pain is acute, you can neither sit nor stand in comfort, rest in bed, take whatever anti-inflammatory or analgesic medications your physician prescribes, and wait until the pain is milder before starting these postures.

All these asanas have healing and curative properties. They will act as mild traction, gently stretching the spinal muscles in safe extension postures. Will gradually build strength in the paraspinal muscles and buttocks, abdominal organs will be toned and strengthened, and pressure points all along the spine will stimulate the spine. Practice each asana to the point where mild pain will not feel mild discomfort.