‘8’ Best Pilates Poses for Instant Back Pain Relief

Updated on April 16th, 2020
pilates for back pain

One Sunday morning you wake up, and you are in agony due to the pain emanating from your back. You move, you sit, you stand, you lie down; still, it hurts. Back pain exhausts you and keeps you low through day and night apart from making you skip your work. You are one of those 540 million people affected worldwide at any one time by the back pain which is the leading cause of disability.

Fortunately, some home treatments and specific physical exercises like Pilates for back pain can heal the affected part in most of the cases; very rarely surgery is required.

As per the Journal of Physical Therapy Science (JPTS), a study conducted on the effectiveness of Pilates on back pain(1) reported that the workout showed improvement in not only pain relief but also the functional ability.

Benefits

Pilates
Image:ShutterStock

Pilates is the most common daily routine of health freaks these days. It is in no way a magical technique but is an intelligently designed exercise routine that helps to keep your body ailments at bay.

There are multiple benefits that Pilates exercises for back pain cure bestow upon you naturally. Have a look at them and get a better understanding.

[Also Read: Relieve Back Pain with the Help of Natural Remedies]

1. Correction in Posture

A person who practices Pilates poses for back pain relief can achieve uniformity in muscle use and development. It caters to proper movement through the body naturally. Pilates exercises help to maintain an appropriate balance of spine and pelvis which increases inner strength.

2. Core Strength

Pilates exercises help to keep good posture, it, in turn, helps to develop the core strength of the body. Core muscles include the pelvic floor muscles, the psoas, abdominal muscles, etc. By working on the development of the core muscles, Pilates exercises(2) ensure swift and smooth movement of the muscles which help to restrain back pain.

3. Increased Flexibility

Pilates poses help to foster flexibility in your body. It helps the proper motion of the spine without any ache or pain. Moreover, Pilates allows people to choose exercises depending on their flexibility. It enables people suffering from back pain to get relief quickly.

[Read: Massage for Back Pain Relief]

‘5’ Pilates Exercises for Upper Back Pain

After getting an insight into the various benefits which you can easily enjoy while practicing Pilates for back pain cure, it’s time we head towards the Pilates exercises.

There are several plates exercises, but the five best Pilates exercises for treating back pain include:

1. Swan Prep

Swan Prep

How to do it?

  • Lie down on your yoga mat with your face touching the mat
  • Keep the arms close to your body while you bend your elbows. Now, bring your hands below your shoulders.
  • Make sure the shoulders are away from the ears.
  • Keep your legs shoulder-width apart.
  • Employ your abdominal muscles to lift your belly button away from the mat.
  • Breathe in and create an arc structure through your upper body. Press the hands and forearms into the mat to rise an inch.
  • Don’t bend your head back and keep your neck straight. Keep your tailbone close to the mat.
  • Breathe out and release the arc pose. Lengthen the spine as and when your torso comes to the mat. Bring down the low-belly first, then mid-belly, then low ribs, and so on.
  • Try to perform the pose three to five times.

[Read: Acupuncture for Back Pain Relief]

2. Child’s Pose

Ardhakurmasana or Child’s Pose
Image:ShutterStock

How to do it?

  • Sit in a way that your hips relax on your heels. Keep the toes together and open your knees at a hip-distance.
  • Bend forward and rest your upper body on your thighs. Your forehead should touch the floor.
  • Place your arms at a distance ahead of your head. If you feel discomfort, you can leave your arms along the sides.
  • Take a deep breath and relax. Settle in this pose for some time.

[Read: Essential Oils to Relieve Back Pain]

3. Cat-Cow Pose

How to do it?

  • Sit down on your hands and knees such that your hands are directly under your shoulders and your knees are under your hips.
  • Make sure to have a straight body posture from ear to hips.
  • Breathe in and Breathe out. Pull your abdominal muscles in and up. Also, arch your back way upward.
  • Your head and tailbone should bend down towards the floor.
  • Breathe in and reverse the pose. Raise your tailbone and chest forward and up. Bring a long stretch in your spine but don’t let the head to fall back.
  • Use the abdominal muscles to support the pose and repeat the exercise at least two more times.

[Read: Practice Pilates for Weight Loss]

4. Spine Stretch

Spine Stretch

How to do it?

  • Sit down straight on your sit bones. Keep your legs spread straight and your knees facing the sky.
  • If you have tight hamstrings, use a pillow or folded towel to support the pose.
  • Breathe in and lift your arms out in front of you up till shoulder height.
  • Breathe out while you bend forward. Make a deep c-structure but don’t fall. Try to reach your fingers to toes but don’t stress your body.
  • Breathe out and come back to the first position.

5. Saw Pose

Saw Pose exercise

How to do it?

  • Sit straight on your mat and spread your legs in front of you about shoulder-width apart.
  • A person suffering from tight hamstrings can use a pillow or towel to complete the pose.
  • Now, stretch your arms out towards the sides.
  • Breathe in and turn your torso. Make sure you move your sight with the spine. Keep your hips intact.
  • Breathe out and touch the pinky finger of your hand to the exterior of the opposite foot. Keep your gaze to the hand at the back.
  • Once you reach the farthest point, inhale and maintain the position. Return to first sitting.
  • Breathe out and come back to the starting position.
  • Repeat the pose three times on each side

[Read: Get Rid of Back Spasms]

‘3’ Pilates Exercises for Lower Back Pain

This article will help you get trained in some fantastic and effective Pilates exercises for lower back pain treatment. Take a look:

1. Clamshell Exercise

How to do it?

  • Lie down on one of your sides.
  • Bent your knees and place your feet together.
  • Place your head on the lower arm and keep the top arm on your waist.
  • Now, open the knee of the top leg but make sure not to move your hip.
  • Bring the knee back down to its original position.
  • Try to do twelve reps on each side.

2. Back Extension Exercise

Back Extension Exercise

How to do it?

  • Lie down with your stomach facing the ground.
  • Lift your chest, arms, shoulders, and head away from the ground.
  • Now, gently bring your arms down to the ground while squeezing your shoulder blades together.
  • Don’t strain or stress your body.

[Read: Natural Remedies for Lower Back Pain]

3. Dead Bug Exercise

Dead Bug Exercise

How to do it?

  • Lie down flat on your back with your arms stretched out towards the ceiling.
  • Bend your knees to form a ninety-degree angle.
  • Gently, lower your right arm and left leg simultaneously as you breathe out.
  • Keep going down until your arm and leg is just above the floor.
  • Slowly return to the first position and repeat with the opposite arm and leg.
  • Try doing ten reps on each side.

Prevention

Back pain treatment using Pilates exercises is one of the most sorted solutions which you can perform to get rid of the clingy back pain.

However, just like any other exercise routine, Pilates, too, has certain precautions which one needs to follow to get the best results.

The preventive measures include:

  • If you are opting for Pilates stretches to relieve lower back pain for the first time or if you have severe back pain, then consult your doctor before indulging in any exercise.
  • Practice deep breathing while you perform the Pilates poses.
  • Keep a proper check on your body posture and balance. Never stress or strain your muscles.
  • Do the exercises mindfully. Go gentle at the first step and gradually increase the number of times you perform a particular activity.
  • Make sure you use correct techniques for stretching.
  • Avoid jerks and bounce while exercising.
  • Always breathe normally. Don’t try to control the breathing pattern while exercising.
  • Stretch with ease. Don’t over-do anything while exercising.
  • Remember to do a warm-up before starting with the main session.

[Read: Sciatica Treatment at Home]

Throbbing back pain makes you lose those opportunities which can help you outshine. After reading this article, you can now heave a sigh of relief as you are acquainted with the best remedy for the problem and that is Pilates for back pain relief. Spending a hefty amount on pain killers and heavy equipment might give you relief, but it is indeed not the best possible way.

Why waste your money, when you can get away with back pain using Pilates which is economical and useful too. So, don’t waste your time and set your goals to kick out the back pain from your life forever, as Pilates for back pain cure is at your rescue.


FAQs

1. Can Pilates hurt your back?

Pilates is an instruction based exercises, if done right it helps in supporting your back and also helps you shed weight, cure your back pain. However, if done wrongly, it could go to a point where you would have a worse back than before.

2. Is Pilates good for a bulging disc?

Yes, for people suffering from disc herniation or bulging disc, pilates tend to be the perfect exercise, however, it is recommended that you ask your doctor about the regimen and consult them before you start using it.

3. Is once a week Pilates enough?

Yes, it is. However, Pilates is safe enough to be done every day. According to the person who created this exercise, Joseph Pilates, it is recommended by him that you do these exercises three times a week.

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