Chronic back and neck pain can often be helped with the right approach to yoga. Yoga is a mind body exercise system based on poses and the achievement of peace of mind. This article is a primer for using yoga to relieve back pain. It will help you start and continue an approprate practice for your condition, that is, without hurting your back or neck in the process.
1. Overview of Yoga for Back Pain
Maybe you've heard that yoga can help you reduce your back pain. Or maybe instictively you feel that if you did yoga you could "work out the kinks" that cause the discomfort in your back. Most likely, you are on the right track with that thinking. But if you suffer from back or neck pain, some preliminary knowledge is in order to keep your yoga practice safe, productive and tailored to your specific needs.This overview ariticle talks about choosing a style of yoga that will help your back, rather than re-injure it. It also addresses about how to work with your doctor, your yoga teacher and pose modifications so that you remain safe as you practice. It is a must read for back pain sufferers who are starting a yoga program.
2. Are You and Your Back Ready to Practice Yoga?
As a back or neck pain sufferer, a yoga class has the potential to be an experience of "swimming with the sharks". You, your teacher and friends, and your fellow yogis may mean well, but unfortunately, that does not guarantee the class is a good fit for you. It does not even guarantee that you will be able to follow the instructions safely. Coming to yoga armed with the information you need to make good decisions may help you avoid doing yourself more harm than good. Take the Yoga for Back Pain Awareness Quiz to see what you know about starting your practice safely. If you miss a few questions, that's okay, all the information is covered in the articles linked from this page.3. Yoga for Back Pain Beginner Series
If you suffer with back pain, you know you have to be extra careful when trying out exercise. Yes, doing yoga to help your back may give you pain relief, but it is important to establish a practice that is safe and meaningful for your condition. This requires that you know about why and how to do the poses you are trying. It also means that you should know when not to do a pose.The Beginner Series goes over 4 basic poses, along with the background information for each.
4. Yoga for Spinal Flexibility - Intermediate Series
When doing yoga to increase your back's flexibility, balance is the word. For back pain sufferers, balance doesn't have to mean an overly challenging workout. But it is important to follow up bending backward, for example, with bending forward. Working in balance also helps coordinate spinal stability. It prevents the predominance of strength in certain muscles over others, which is, in itself, a precursor to back injury.This article presents a series of 4 yoga poses for developing back flexibility. It also examines common types of back injuries in light of yoga, to further help you determine which poses would be good for your back condition and which should be avoided. There is a section on stages of injury healing.
