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Answers to your questions about detoxifying yoga, back pain, digestive distress, and more.
I switched to a standing desk, but I often get lower-back aches. Which yoga poses can prevent the pain?
Working at a standing desk orients your spine into proper posture—your chin is parallel to the floor and your belly is firm. But standing for too long (even with good posture) can also place pressure on your lower back, as it’s forced to engage muscles that run along the length of your spine. Incorporating a twice-daily yoga routine can help improve posture and relieve back pain. Practice upon waking in the morning and again in the afternoon. Start in Downward-Facing Dog, roll through to Plank, lower into Chaturanga Dandasana, and finish in Upward Dog. Repeat twice. When you’re at your desk, it’s wise to alternate sitting and standing, so use a desk with an adjustable height. Or if you have a standing desk, get a taller chair, so you can alternate sitting and standing every few hours throughout the course of the day.
Kenneth K. Hansral, MD
Orthopedic surgeon, Poughkeepsie, New York
See also Practicing Yoga at Work and Yoga Poses for Back Pain
The best pose for people who suffer from scoliosis?
Side Plank
Recent research published in Global Advances in Health and Medicine found that scoliosis patients who held Side Plank Pose for 90 seconds per day for about 7 months reduced their spinal curvature by an average of 32 percent.
See also Ask the Expert: Avoiding Ankle Injuries in Lotus Pose