A pinched nerve in the lower back occurs when tissues surrounding a nerve exert too much pressure and adversely affect nerve function. Conditions including sciatica or a herniated disk in the lower spine can result in pinched nerves and cause symptoms including pain, numbness or a tingling sensation. Yoga can help alleviate such pain; however, although yoga can be generally beneficial, it is important to modify each pose based on your individual condition and physical response. Consult a doctor and a trained yoga instructor before attempting to practice yoga as a remedy for low back pain.
Mountain Pose
Mountain pose, or tadasana, is a simple yet effective yoga pose to improve overall posture and lengthen the spine. Begin by standing with heels slightly apart and big toes touching, spreading your toes wide and grounding your feet evenly for a firm postural base. Activate the thighs and strengthen through the legs, using your core to support your lower back and lengthen the tailbone toward the floor. Draw your shoulder blades towards one another, then release them down your back so that you are standing tall but relaxing your shoulders. Hang your arms at your sides and lengthen your neck so that your head is balanced directly over the center of your pelvis, as if you are being draw upwards by a string. Breathe deeply.
Downward-Facing Dog Pose
Downward-facing dog pose, or adho mukha svanasana, is a more complex but effective pose that stretches the back, relieves spinal pressure and benefits posture and alignment. Conventionally, downward-facing dog is performed by beginning on the hands and knees and then pressing up and back through the thighs to create an inverted "V." However, if this method is not available to you, or creates or exacerbates low back pain, modify the pose by placing your hands against a wall and pressing back to create a 90-degree angle, hinging from the hips and firming through the thighs while keeping your feet hip-width apart and breathing deeply.
Cobra Pose
Physicians Loren Fishman and Mary Pullig Schatz and yoga expert Gary Kraftsow recommend cobra pose, or bhujangasana, as a therapeutic posture for pinched lower back nerves. According to the article's author, alternative health writer Melanie Haiken, cobra pose alleviates pressure on the spine by stretching the front body and helps to opens the lumbar and thoracic joints. To perform the pose, lie face-down on a mat and place your hands directly under your shoulders, palms flat. Pressing the tops of your feet into the floor and activating your thighs, inhale and straighten your arms while drawing your shoulder blades together and down the back, keeping the shoulders away from the ears. Lift your chest, maintain firm thighs and buttocks, and breathe into the lower back.
Extended Side Angle Pose
Fishman, Pullig Schatz and Kraftsow also recommend extended side angle pose, or utthita parsvakonasana, to extend the spine and help pinched nerves in the lower back. To perform the pose, step your feet 3 to 4 feet apart, ground into your feet, and reach your arms actively out to the sides. Turn your right foot out to 90 degrees, and turn your left foot in just slightly. Bend the right knee directly over the right ankle so that your right thigh is parallel to the floor while keeping the left leg and foot active, and then reach your left arm up so that it is in line with your left leg and parallel to your left ear, palm facing the floor. Reach down with your right arm to touch the floor, or rest your right elbow on your right knee. Turn your head to look upward at your left arm, breathing deeply, lengthening the right side of your torso and allowing it to meet your right thigh, if possible. Breathe and hold for 30 seconds to 1 minute. Repeat on the left.
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