According to Dr. Siddharth Shah, an orthopedic and joint replacement surgeon at SL Raheja Hospital (Mumbai, India), when you have back pain, you just need to sit up straight, cross your legs on the floor and hold that position for 30 minutes to increase back flexibility and support spinal health.
This pose can also help stretch the muscles in the back, hips, and legs and improve the flexibility of the joints. It supports the natural curvature of the spine and engages the core muscles in the back to improve their strength. This pose also promotes blood flow and improves circulation.
Dr. Siddharth Shah notes that sitting cross-legged for 30 minutes can provide temporary back pain relief, but the long-term effects will depend on how you sit and other factors such as posture and body condition.
Dr. Siddharth Shah breaks down some of the reasons why sitting cross-legged can provide pain relief, including:
Changing posture: When you sit cross-legged, you can change your body posture, which helps reduce stress on some of the muscles and joints in your back. This can reduce the feeling of back pain in the short term.
Improve blood circulation: When sitting cross-legged, movement can help improve blood circulation and reduce the feeling of numbness caused by sitting for a long time in the same position.
Strengthens core muscles: Sitting cross-legged can require the engagement of core muscles (abdominal and lower back muscles), which helps improve spinal stability, thereby reducing back pain.
However, if you maintain this posture for too long or sit incorrectly, it can also put extra stress on your muscles and joints, even making back pain worse.
Therefore, to effectively reduce back pain, in addition to changing your posture, you should also pay attention to light exercise, improve your sitting and standing habits, and maintain a correct posture when working. If the pain persists, you should consult a doctor for appropriate treatment.
