If you find yourself sitting or standing for long periods of time, there’s a good possibility that you’ve experienced low back pain at one point or another. If the pain is excruciating, you should always check with your doctor to rule out the possibility of deeper conditions, such as a herniated or bulging disc.

Multiple studies have proven that yoga trumped usual care in a 2011 study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine. When researchers followed 300 people with low back pain for more than a year, they found that half randomly assigned to do yoga reported better back function during the study.

Another study from the University of Maryland School of Medicine found that a regular yoga practice was linked to pain relief and improved function and might be worth considering as a form of treatment for people suffering from chronic nonspecific low back pain.

Instead of popping pain pills and opting for invasive surgery, practicing yoga is a cost-effective alternative. Not only is yoga a more comprehensive way to stretch and strengthen the muscles and fascia of the entire body, but it engages all the fascial systems that help to hold everything together, providing stability to the lumbar spine, sacrum, and pelvis. Practicing these 21 yoga poses can help lengthen your spine, stretch and strengthen your muscles, and return your back to its proper alignment.