I still vividly remember this scene from a famous Russian movie made about 60 years ago—a dutiful wife is ironing the lower back of her moaning husband through a blanket. This was a common remedy for lower back pain then, and, needless to say, it provided only temporary relief. Sometimes I feel sad that in some ways we haven’t moved very far from that visual, only now we use medications instead of heat. While medication can be effective and necessary, it often treats the symptoms of back pain rather than its causes.
Lower back pain can show up for all sorts of reasons. Sometimes it stems from structural damage, such as a herniated disk, and sometimes it shows up in response to how we use our bodies in our daily lives. It is always best to consult your doctor first to make sure that your back pain is not caused by a serious disease, injury, or some other structural damage. Those types of situations will require medical attention. But if what you experience is more of a garden-variety lower back discomfort that is not linked to any serious illness or injury, you can use careful movement, conscious breathing, and relevant imagery to strengthen your back and relieve discomfort.
Introducing a 6-week yoga series for lower back and sacrum stability.
For your lower back to be happy, healthy, and pain-free, it needs to be strong, stable, and supple, while being supported from the front, sides, and bottom.
FRONT SUPPORT: If you spend more time in your day sitting or driving rather than standing or moving, the hip flexors at the front of your body might get tight and begin to pull on your spine, creating compression and tension in your lower back. That is why in this series we will focus on releasing chronic tension in your hip flexors and creating a balanced front-to-back relationship.
SIDE SUPPORT: Aside from your spine, there are no bony structures between your ribcage and your pelvis to make it possible for your torso to move in many different ways. At the same time, your trunk needs to be able to stabilize the top part of the body (which is heavy) over the bottom part, not just at rest but also during movement. That is why in this series we will focus on developing your core musculature so that it is strong enough to support the weight of the upper body and supple enough to move your body without stressing your lower back.
BOTTOM SUPPORT: The lower portion of your spine, called the “sacrum,” is tucked in snugly between the two sides of your pelvis. It can pop out of place if you have loose ligaments, do a lot of asymmetrical movements (including some types of yoga), fall awkwardly, or become pregnant. Once your sacrum is out of place, it will pull strongly on sacroiliac ligaments, causing severe pain on one side of your lower back that can resonate into your hip, buttock, or leg. That pain will not go away until you realign your sacrum. That is why in this series we will focus on restoring a balanced relationship between the sacrum and pelvis and strengthening the surrounding structures that stabilize the sacrum to minimize the risk of it getting displaced.
To summarize, in this six-week yoga series we will use movement, breath, and imagery to strengthen your core, stabilize your sacrum, release chronic tension in your hip flexors, and create support for your lower back. This series includes six yoga classes, a bonus short practice video, and printouts of all seven practice sequences that you can take to your doctor or other health professional to make sure that this kind of movement is appropriate for your specific situation. It is best to do these practices in order, because each new practice is organized around a specific theme and builds on movements and information presented in the previous one. This series starts with more accessible practices and then gradually builds in length and intensity. We recommend that you do each practice at least three times before moving on to the next lesson to get the most out of it.
When you follow the videos, please be sure to pay attention to small details and specific instructions—in yoga how you do movements is just as important as what you do. You will also need to move with your breath and keep your attention focused on the target area to avoid injury and get the most out of each pose. Try to stay present with your experience and notice how each movement affects the body. And if you experience pain while attempting any movement, stop, evaluate, skip it for the time being, and rest in a comfortable position for a few breaths before you continue. You can try it again next time and see if your sensations change.
Strengthening your back and stabilizing your sacrum is very effective for keeping your body stable and pain free, improving your posture, and supporting you in whatever activities you choose to do. Please don’t rush this process, and try to be kind and respectful to your body. Let’s get started!
