Find a chair low enough to allow you to lie with your hips on the floor, your feet resting on the chair, and your knees forming a right triangle. Place a small, flat your jaw, tongue, and forehead. Rest for a few minutes in this position with your eyes closed.

Try this position if you have more pain on one side than the other. Lie with the painful side up. Place pillows beneath your waist and neck.

Lie at the edge of a firm bed, with painful side up. Place pillows beneath your waist neck. Slowly pull your top knee halfway to your chest, rolling the top hip forward. Let your top arm roll backward. Feel the stretch, but not pain, in the lower back.

1. There are several hand held massagers which can be used easily by you on the affected muscles to get relief from pain.
2. Therapy cane (made of metal rod with wooden balls), available at medical supply stores is an excellent self-massage tool.
3. Tennis balls in an old sock, is another popular do-it-yourself back pain massage technique. Place two tennis balls inside a sock and knot the open end. Lie on your back and roll the ball. The socks should be placed such that the balls are on either sides of the spine. Keep the balls rolling up and down your back. Increase the pressure gradually.
4. Hot bath shower is also very helpful.

Halasana:

Halasana or the plough pose helps strengthen your spine and abdominal muscles. It increases the flexibility of the spine and nourishes the 31 pairs of spinal nerves.

1. Lie on your back with your legs straight and eyes closed. Let you hands lie on your sides with palms facing the ground.
2. Slowly raise your legs without bending the knees. First raise them to 30 degrees and then further to 90 degrees.
3. Press your hands for support and bring your legs towards your head.
4. Stretch and bend your legs as far as possible and let your toes touch the ground. If you are not able to make your toes touch the ground, then do not force your leg.
5. Stretch them as far as possible.
6. Slowly come back to the initial position.

This pose can cause injury if not performed properly. Those suffering from cervical spondilitis should perform it very carefully. So it is advisable to consult a good yoga instructor before you attempt this pose.

Shoulder stand (Sarvangasana)

1. Lie on the back, arms on your sides and palms turned down.
2. Slowly raise the legs, trunk and hips in a vertical position perpendicular to the ground.
3. Rest your elbows firmly on the floor supporting your back.
4. Push the chest forward towards the chin.
5. Don’t allow the body to shake.

Bhujangasana (Cobra Pose)

1. Cobra posture strengthens and increases the flexibility of your spine.
2. Lie on your stomach facing down. Stretch your legs back keeping the top part of your feet touching the floor. Bend your elbows and keep your hands on the floor below your shoulders.
3. As you inhale, lift your head, neck and chest off the floor to form an arch.
4. Maintain the pose for 15 seconds.
5. While exhaling, come back to the initial position.

If you experience pain with any of these stretches, discuss with your physician before continuing.

1. Knee drop. Lie on your back with your knees bent, keeping your feet flat on the floor. Keep both shoulders relaxed and flat against the floor. Let your knees drop to one side only as far as they will go comfortably. Relax there for a few seconds and then bring them up again. Repeat on the other side, up to five times on each side. If your neck is uncomfortable flat against the floor, use a hand or pillow to support the back of your head.

2. Side bend. Stand with your feet together, your heels about two inches from a wall. Lean back and rest your back flat against the wall. Bend to the left, stretching your arm down one leg as far as it will go, keeping your entire back and head against the wall. Gently straighten up. Repeat 3 times to the left, then repeat the sequence to the right 3 times.

3.Knee lift. Lie down with knees bent, feet flat on the floor. Press your low back into the floor. Raise your left knee up to your chest as far as possible without pain. Hold for 5 seconds. Return the foot to the floor and slide heel forward until leg is straight. Now gently roll the leg from side to side and return to starting position. Do 5 times and switch legs.

If you can’t lie down, try the knee lift sitting up. Sit in a chair with your back straight. Pull your right knee toward your chest. Hold for 5 seconds. Release. Repeat the exercise at least 5 times with each leg.

Stretches for Neck and shoulder

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If you have pain with any of these stretches, discontinue until you discuss it with your physician.

• Sit straight with your shoulders relaxed. Inhale and squeeze your shoulders up toward your ears. Hold tightly for several seconds and relax as you exhale. Repeat several times.

• Still sitting straight, exhale and let your neck drop forward. Relax for about 2 seconds, then lift your head to the center. Then let your head drop to one side, relax, and return to center. Repeat to the other side. Do the whole sequence 5 to 10 times, the more often the better.

• Stretch your spine. Sit straight in your chair. With your hands clasped behind your head, exhale and turn slowly to the right. Look behind you, twisting as far as is comfortable. Don’t strain. Hold for several seconds, and inhale as you return to the starting position. Repeat on the other side. Repeat for 10-20 times, up to 3 times a day.

By using advanced scanning equipment, doctors concluded that the best way to avoid back ache is not to sit bolt upright but to perfect a morelaid-back posture, a sprawl that is halfway between upright and horizontal.

Researchers at the Woodend Hospital, Aberdeen used positional MRI to take the snapshots of 22 volunteers’spines as they sat upright, slouched and hunched forward or laid back at an angle of 135 degrees.

It was observed that desk slouchers, are at a high risk of causing wear and tear to spinal discs in their lower spine. And those sitting upright also faired badly. The back vertical strain on the spine forced the spinal disc material to shift out of line.

It was noted that the safest posture, was the substantially more relaxed 135 degree backward sprawl, that puts the least strain on spinal disc and surrounding muscles and tendons.

So now if you notice your office colleagues sitting in a more relaxed position, reaching out for keyboards, do not fear. This may be the best posture after all !!!

1. If you sleep on your back, place a baby pillow under your knees. This will reduce the stress on your back.
2. If you sleep on your stomach, place a small pillow under your abdomen to keep your lower back from sagging.
3. If you are a side sleeper, draw your legs up towards your chest and place a small pillow between our knees. This may take the stress away from your hip joints and lower back, that may be causing your back pain.