If you suffer from chronic back pain, grab a mat and head to the nearest yoga studio. New research funded by the National Institute of Health found taking regular yoga classes helps reduce pack pain and improves your mood and your ability to move. After 12 weeks, those in the study who took 90-minute yoga classes twice a week experienced a 42 percent reduction in pain and also reduced their intake of pain medication. Researchers also found that practicing yoga regularly decreased symptoms of depression by 45.7 percent.
About three quarters of the US population has issues with back pain, and more than $34 billion is spent on medical costs aimed at getting relief. If you suffer from back pain and have tried chiropractors or medication with no luck, it's time to give yoga a try. It increases flexibility and mobility, improves posture, and strengthens the core muscles. Aside from the physical benefits, yoga also reduces stress, improves your self confidence, and lifts your spirit. It's recommended you stick with a regular practice for at least 24 weeks in order to start seeing major improvements.
Tell me, have you tried yoga for its health benefits?
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Gianvito Rossi
I tried Bikram yoga because of these claims and I love it. I can't go often because the schedule of classes at my neighborhood studio sometimes conflict with my work schedule, but I try and go when I can
1I am the first one in line to try yoga for back pain - but it can also make existing pains worse if you push yourself too hard. It is best to speak to the yoga teacher about your back problem before starting a class. I am speaking from experience. I still cannot do a full downward dog but stretching the rest of my body does a world of good.
2Yup, and it worked!
3I started doing bikram yoga about a month ago to see if it would help with my chronic lower back pain and sciatica and it has DEFINITELY helped! I am going to continue to do it to see if it helps it even more, but I've been going 2 - 3 times a week and I have definitely noticed less pain and plus, the yoga has helped my running! I love it!
4I did yoga to help my lower back and it didn't really do much. After I took Pilates for a couple of years and really knew how to stabilize my lower spine did yoga make sense and help. On its own though, it made my back hurt more.
5This has also been covered in medical journals, the reason why yoga is so good for back pain is because it is the only exercise that separates the spine and then sets it back into place, releasing fluid between the discs.
6Pilates is certainly good for core strength and stability but can't help your spine in the same way.
I initially started going to my Vinyasa flow classes because I wanted a challenge and something new from a series of unsatisfying Iyengar yoga classes I had been taking. But I truly feel that the 10 months I've spent doing Vinyasa so far have really had a positive effect on everything listed above - body confidence, health, stress levels, etc. I used to get quite angry and frustrated easily with situations but practicing yoga has really helped me learn to "let go" of moments and just let them pass me by. Healthwise I feel more energized and awake plus, my body is getting super toned!
7When I fractured my tailbone in highschool, the doctor had me do yoga as part of my rehabilitation (it took me about 3 years to be to do a sit-up without pain in my spine). I kept the yoga up through highschool and college and always felt great.
When I got out of college, I didn't have time for yoga between work, a husband, and a horse. I started working 9 hours a day at a desk and I had tremendous back pain all the time, couldn't sleep, and felt uncomfortable sitting for any length of time. I went to a chiropractor after about two years of the pain getting worse and worse.
The chiropractor did x-rays and I had two slight curves in my back, one between my shoulders and one in my lower back (both curves go to the right). I also had a lot of swelling in my discs. The chiropractor did a pretty aggressive treatment of daily adjustments, and slowly moved me to every other day and kept stretching the time between adjustments out. He gave me exercises to perform four times a day, and they were basically yoga poses. Then once I started seeing back improvement, he told me to start doing yoga every day. (He practices yoga daily himself.)
I now do yoga about twice a day at home, and I take an ashtanga yoga class a few times a week at lunch. It's amazing - my back is feeling great, I can sleep again, and the chiropractor only has to see me once every few weeks for maintenance. The chiropractor told me as long as I keep the yoga up, I shouldn't need anything more than maintenance adjustments maybe once every few months.
8There's times when I sleep in a bad position and wake up feeling stiff in the neck, back or arms, and I go take a yoga class and by the end of the class I have worked all stiffness and any kinks out of my body. It does wonders!
9I definitely notice a huge difference in my chronic upper back pain when I'm doing yoga regularly -- good to know it works for many!
10pilates totally cleared up my back problems!
11Hey all,
If you go to YouTube and search Sadie/Yoga for Back Pain. you'll get a free video I just posted that gives you 4 new moves to really release a stubborn lower back.
Yoga has to be a balance of stretching, but not too far, strengthening, but not too much, and maintaining the spinal alignment as a first priority. When you hit that trifecta, you've got a back releasing winner!
I used to have terrible sciatica, and I cleared it up through my yoga practice. It's definitely possible!
Namaste,
12Sadie Nardini
Def helps my back pain!
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