A Surprising Cause of Lower Back Pain (and How to Clear It)

The World Health Organization estimated in 2023 that 619 million people live with lower back pain. It is the leading cause of disability worldwide, making it a public health issue that affects all aspects of life and society globally.

Fortunately, Ayurveda, the world’s oldest system of health and healing, helps us to understand why we experience lower back pain and, most important, what to do about it.

An Ayurvedic Explanation of Back Pain

Ayurveda explains how your digestive health is the root cause of your overall health and that any health challenge you face, including lower back pain, can ultimately be linked back to your digestive health. For example, when you work to restore normal bowel movements after suffering constipation, you will find that any lower back pain may naturally reduce in tandem (if the pain is not due to muscular tension).

In Ayurveda, there are three doshas, or combinations of elements: Vata, Pitta, and Kapha. Vata dosha is comprised of the air and space elements. Pitta dosha is made of fire and water elements. And Kapha dosha is comprised of earth and water elements.

Pain itself—along with constipation, dryness, stiffness, and general discomfort—is caused by an imbalance of the Vata dosha, or excessive air and space elements in your body and mind.

Lower back pain and constipation are both connected with one of the five subtypes of Vata dosha, known as Apana Vata, which is responsible for your elimination, lower back pain, and menstrual and reproductive health issues alike.

7 Ayurvedic Tips for Lower Back Pain

To reduce lower back pain, it is important to do things that will reduce the presence of Vata dosha in both your body and mind. This is because the mind is considered a subtle channel in Ayurveda, through which thoughts of fear, anxiety, and worry can provoke increased Vata dosha in different parts of the body. The strongest symptom of Vata dosha imbalance is physical pain anywhere in the body, including in your lower back. It also manifests as coldness and dryness.

Here are some ways to reduce Vata dosha, which will in turn help you reduce your lower back pain:

Eat Only Warm, Cooked Foods

One of the most powerful ways to balance Vata dosha and strengthen your digestion is to only consume warm, cooked, lightly oiled foods. This one shift—from choosing soups instead of salads when you eat out (or cook), and warm salads over raw ones—will make a world of a difference in terms of your digestive health. It can also reduce the amount of lower back pain you experience.

This is because, in Ayurveda, the body’s ability to digest foods is compared to a fire. Anytime you add warm substances to the body, it kindles your digestive fire. Cold substances dampen and can even extinguish your fire.

Drink Hot Water

The same principle extends to what you drink. It’s important to focus on only consuming warm liquids to improve your digestive health, thus reducing the amount of pain you experience in your lower back.

In Ayurveda, there is also an important core healing principle of “like increases like,” which means that whenever you add cold, raw substances to your body, the amount of coldness (a quality of Vata dosha) increases in the body. It is also said that “opposites decrease,” which is why adding more warmth (the opposite of Vata dosha’s naturally cold quality) will be so beneficial for your healing process.

Drink Ayurvedic Herbal Teas

In addition to drinking hot water, it helps a lot to consume warm herbal Ayurvedic teas. Doing so can be as simple as boiling water and adding cumin, coriander, and fennel seeds. All of these are excellent digestive spices independently and make for a triple threat against digestive issues and lower back pain when consumed together as a simple Ayurvedic herbal tea.

Stay as Physically Warm as Possible

Because the principle of “like increases like” applies not only to your gut but to your whole body, it is very important to also keep your body physically warm. Wear warm clothing and/or layers when you go outside. Try to cover your ears and especially your head by wearing a hat, as Vata dosha lives in these parts of the body.

When you are in your car or at home, try to keep the temperature of your environment as warm as possible. Regularly dress with warmer clothing and use blankets when needed. Make sure to wear socks, too, as sudden cold exposure can significantly increase physical pain.

Cook with Warming (but Not Excessive) Spices

Eating food cooked with extremely pungent spices like red and green chilies, excessive black pepper, and wasabi can add significant dryness to your body. Because dryness is another defining quality of Vata dosha, it increases when you add drying substances to your body. This can lead to constipation as well as lower back pain due to stasis of your stools.

Warming spices you can cook your food with include cumin seeds and powder, fenugreek seeds, ajwain (carom) seeds, turmeric, mustard seeds, and cinnamon.

Practice Pawanmuktasana (Wind-Relieving Pose)

Pawanmuktasana is one of the most powerful yoga poses for removing excessive Vata dosha from your body. In English, the name translates to “wind-relieving pose,” and removing excess wind in your body with this pose means releasing a buildup of excessive Vata dosha as well.

To do this pose, simply lie on your back. Bend your knees and place the soles of your feet on the floor. Then hug your knees towards your chest as much as you can (without overexerting yourself) and see if you can move your head slowly off the ground as you inhale. Exhale into this position, with your knees pressed against your chest and your head aiming for your knees. Imagine the excess Vata being liberated from your body. You may release some gas in the process, which is totally normal and okay!

Oil Your Body (and Focus on the Lower Back)

Whenever I have had lower back pain in the past, it has always intensified during stressful times. Ayurveda reveals how stress, exhaustion, depletion, worry, fear, anxiety, and even excess exercise can increase pain in your body, especially your lower back.

Your skin, being the main organ of Vata dosha (and the largest organ of your body), can be thought of as being similar to shoe leather. When shoe leather gets really dry, it can crack and even totally break. When you oil the same shoe leather, however, it is able to shine and last longer and stronger than before. Oiling your body with warm sesame oil on an empty stomach, after eliminating your bowels and before taking a warm shower, empowers your skin with immunity and health. Doing so not only reduces your lower back pain but even delays your aging process.

What’s more is that this practice has potent mental health benefits, too. The Sanskrit word sneha means “to oil,” as well as “to love.” By committing to giving yourself the warmth of your own touch, along with your loving attention and presence, you can transmit self-soothing vibrations deep into your being, thereby reducing anxiety and mental stress and agitations.

Try the above practices today, and you will be well on your way to not only clearing yourself of the surprising digestive root cause of lower back pain, but you will be proactively slowing down your aging process so you can ultimately enjoy a healthier and happier life.

Explore more Ayurvedic ways to help relieve gas and bloating.