Are you feeling a shooting pain in your lower back or a continuous urge to urinate or a burning sensation while doing the same or sweating profusely without any known cause? If the following indications describe your present scenario, then it's high time you pay a visit to a doctor, as the symptoms vividly suggest some problems in your kidney or more specifically presence of kidney stones in your body.
Kidneys are one of the most vital organs that play a significant role in our digestive system. Situated in the lower back, just beneath the rib cage, this bean-shaped organ not only processes everything one eats and drinks, helps in eliminating toxins via urine, and maintaining fluid/water levels and acid-base balance in the body, but also assists in regulating blood pressure and impeding the risk of hypertension.
Also Read: Yoga For Kidney Health: Superb Asanas To Uplift Renal Functions And Detoxify The Body
What Are Kidney Stones?
When the kidneys are not functioning properly, they can sometimes cause an accumulation of excess calcium or urea in the kidneys leading to the formation of solid crystalline structures of salts and minerals, medically termed kidney stones. While in most cases, kidney stones usually crop up as a result of a poor, unhealthy dietary choice, reduced water intake, excess body weight, and constipation, they can also occur to any unknown reason resulting in chronic back pain, the need to urinate continuously, burning sensation while urinating, nausea, vomiting and even fever.
Hence it is extremely necessary to safeguard the kidneys from harm and take active measures to get rid of kidney stones and further prevent other kidney problems like urinary tract infection (UTI), glomerulonephritis and even chronic kidney failure.
While the presence of larger stones may require surgical removal and supporting medications, in case you have smaller ones in your kidney or urinary tract, then have your faith in the timeless approach of Yoga.
How Does Yoga Help Manage Kidney Stones?
Yoga not only stretches the entire body but also provides a good boost to the vital internal organs making them function at their optimum capacity. It is also known to get rid of abdominal cramps, nausea, restlessness, burning sensation and urinary incontinence; symptoms that are associated with kidney stones. If practised regularly, then you can easily eliminate tiny to medium-sized stones via urine. But ensure you complement it with well-balanced food that prevents any sort of gastrointestinal issue and adequate hydration.
Well, without further ado, wear something comfortable and get on with these selective yoga postures to curb abdominal pain and dispose of the stones from the kidney.
5 Best Yoga Poses To Remedy Kidney Pain
Ustrasana (Camel Pose):
Kneel on the ground while keeping both your hands next to the body. Now hold the heels of both your feet and slowly bend the upper body backwards as much as possible. Be in this posture for 10 seconds while breathing normally. Come back to the initial kneeling posture and repeat 4 more times.
Benefits:
The Camel Pose is pivotal in strengthening and stretching your lower back and shoulders and enhances overall body posture. It not only allows movement of free prana throughout the body but also sends fresh oxygen to the kidneys that eventually helps in detoxifying them. It also prevents kidney stones in the first place and helps in ridding the body of the smaller formed ones.
Uttanpadasana (Leg-Up Pose)
Lie down on the floor with your spine straight. Keep your hands resting on either side of the body, with palms facing the ground. Breathe out and then breathe in slowly while also raising your legs at a 90-degree angle. Keep your legs straight, perpendicular to the body and your toes pointing up. Hold this posture and breathe normally for 15-20 seconds. Next, breathe out and slowly bring down your legs. Do it in a set of 5.
Benefits:
This asana is excellent for the lower abdominal organs. It fortifies the muscles of your lower back, legs, abdomen and pelvic area. By assisting the abdominal muscle to contract, it enhances the functions of the pancreas, kidneys and liver and remedies the pain emanating from kidney stones.
Pawanmuktasana (Wind-Relieving Pose)
Lie down straight on the ground. While breathing in, bring both your knees close to the chest. Hug your legs with your arms while trying to keep your nose close to your knees. Take a few long breaths and be in this posture. Then while exhaling, come back to the lying pose and repeat 4 more times.
Benefits:
This pose is extremely beneficial to help promote digestive functions. This asana readily helps curb the gastric problem, subsides the impact of constipation and rids you of kidney stones. The wind-relieving pose also helps in evicting trapped gases, thus lessening bloating.
Dhanurasana (Bow Pose)
Lie down on your tummy and push both your legs and torso backwards. Extend your arms backwards and try to grab both legs with your hands. Hold this stance for as long as possible while breathing normally. Return to the initial posture and repeat the asana 5 times.
Benefits:
The bow pose also known as Urdva Chakrasana is extremely helpful in diminishing stress and strain from the body. Once done properly, this asana stretches and strengthens all the bodily muscles, enhances kidney processes, and also remedies the symptoms of kidney stones.
Bhujangasana (Cobra Pose)
Lie down straight on your belly with legs placed side by side to each other. Place your palms beside your shoulder. Now, inhale and lift your upper body from your hip. Relax your shoulders while fixing your gaze forward. Keep breathing in and out normally for 15-20 seconds while being in the pose. Slowly breathe out and come back to your initial position. Repeat this asana 4 more times.
Benefits:
The cobra pose is highly pivotal to getting rid of belly fat while increasing the flexibility of the muscles of the neck and shoulders and strengthening the spinal column. This asana boosts blood circulation in the body, stimulates organs in the abdominal region and optimizes kidney functions thus preventing renal problems.
