Learn what causes low back pain and discover simple stretches to prevent it

Before I started yoga 13 years ago, I frequently suffered from back pain. The pain usually showed up as spasms in my low back. I would be standing and suddenly be fixed in a forward bent position with shooting pain in my back. I couldn't straighten up until the spasm stopped.

Oh my! I was only 39 years old, yet I felt trapped in an old person's body.

That was one of the reasons I started yoga. I needed to find a way to counter the bad effects of sitting in front of my computer all day. I wanted to start taking care of my body so I would feel healthy every day.

Do you suffer from low back pain?

If so, you're not alone.

Nearly 65 million Americans reported experiencing back pain recently. Some 16 million adults -- 8% of all US adults -- experience persistent or chronic back pain.

Why? Many of us live sedentary lives or spend hours every day sitting in front of our computers. Sitting for long periods is very unnatural for the human body. It forces us into poor posture.

When your waist is in a forward bent ("flexed") position for a long time, your iliopsoas muscle (fondly known as the psoas, which begins at the spine around the bottom of your rib cage and runs down to your thigh bone) and your quadriceps (your front thighs) shorten and tighten up. This pulls on the lower back, which can be painful.

Low back pain is often caused by tightness in your psoas and/or your quads.

When you experience low back pain, you might be tempted to bend forward to stretch out your back. Instead of stretching out your backside (which is already overstretched from all the sitting), I want you to focus on stretching the front of your body.

For more permanent pain relief, you also want to work on strengthening exercises for the muscles in your back.

Here are two simple stretches for the front of your body:

Stretch #1:

Drape yourself on your back over a large exercise ball. If you don't have access to an exercise ball, use an ottoman instead. You have the option of extending your arms next to your ears and letting them dangle towards the ground. Stay there for a few minutes. This is a stretch for the entire front side of your body.

Stretch #2:

To stretch your quads, one of the simplest stretches is to stand in front of an ottoman, bend one knee, and rest the shin on the ottoman. Hold the stretch for a few minutes on each side. You can do this stretch at the office (using your chair), while watching TV (using your sofa), while waiting for the train (using a bench), etc.

Voila! These are just two of many stretches that are helpful in preventing low back pain.

It's a good idea to do these stretches regularly to prevent back pain from showing up in the first place.

Best,
Christine

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