Ease lower back pain with a roll on yoga therapy balls

Lower back pain is one of the most common adult complaints. Fitness instructor Jill Miller uses yoga therapy balls (or tennis balls) to massage and roll away tension in this low-back lengthener.

How does it help?

The yoga therapy balls grip the skin as they roll, loosening and digging up the thoracolumbar fascia, or the connective tissue that covers the muscles in the back of the trunk.

The procedure:

Lie on the floor and prop yourself up on your elbows. Lift your bottom to make room for two therapy balls on the grooves of either side of your lower spine, preferably on your skin, so the balls have more grip. Use your arms and push into your heels and roll them up no further than the bottom of your ribcage and back down. Make sure your weight is resting on the ball. If the position described above is too painful on your neck and shoulders, you can rest your head and upper body on the floor and move the balls from side to side on your lower back, rather than vertically. Stack the two balls on top of one another and place to one side of your spine. Move your hips from side to side like a dog wagging its tail to get the balls to roll across your back. If the pressure is too great in the positions described above, you can also do this procedure against a wall.

How often should you do this?

Do the up-and-down move for 90 seconds, or about 8-10 repetitions. Source: Los Angeles Times: http://www.latimes.com/health/la-he-try-this-miller-length-20140215,0,5586757.story#axzz2tclVjRAt