How to get rid of back pain

It seems like everyone nowadays is complaining of a bad back. What used to be a condition associated with the elderly has become a common complaint among people of all ages. Why do so many people suffer with back pain? Perhaps, it is the hours of sitting at a desk staring into a computer screen or sitting in the seat of a car or the lack of exercise that is contributing to the back pain experienced by so many. The simple truth is back pain can be a huge distraction and keep people from really enjoying everyday life.

The reason why a person's back may hurt is largely connected to position of their back. Many postural positions tighten some muscles that pull and pinch the body into un-natural positions. Correct alignment can be a glorious thing; it can relive pain and improve blood flow and oxygen within the body.

Body awareness is essential to achieving more proper posture. Many people think their back is straight or upright but often after looking at a photo of themselves it becomes clear that their mind and body are not communicating clearly. To achieve more correct alignment of the back or more specifically the spine, a person must understand energy and gravity.

Energy in the form of oxygen or breath is the first tool to help the spine find its true place. It is helpful to visualize the breath filling upwards and downwards in the spine simultaneously. Allow half the body to settle into gravity while the other half is in counteracting the pull by reaching upwards, lengthening the spine and creating space in between each vertebrae.

Using images such as the head being like a balloon on a stick is very helpful when trying to relive shoulder and head pain. Another image of the abdominal truck being the center of all movement, meaning all movement begins in the deep abdominal muscles, this will enhance awareness of the torso and help elevate a sunken and saggy torso and create an active, strong, elongated torso which will lengthen the spine.

Exercise can do wonders for back pain if it is the right type of exercise. While experiencing server back pain the type of exercise that will help is stretching. Yoga provides many wonderful positions that when combined with breath do a tremendous job of improving back pain and alignment. The popular and well known move called "downward dog" is exceptional at helping the spine find its true place. Downward dog along with other stretches that target the major muscle groups can really encourage the body to find better alignment.