With most of our lives these days spent hunched in front of screens - at work, at home, even on the bus! - it should come as no surprise that one of most common ailments among my students is general back pain. As anyone who suffers from back pain can tell you, it can have significant personal impact on an individual’s health and quality of life and is notoriously difficult to treat. As a teacher, I see all sorts of spinal issues on a daily basis as well as the positive effects that a regular yoga practice can have on my students' (and my own) spinal health.
Until recently there has been very little research into why yoga has such a positive effect on back pain, but fortunately conventional medicine is starting to embrace alternative/complementary forms of treatment. New studies show that yoga therapy can reduce pain and improve function in people with chronic back pain.
According to Spine Health, Yoga helps to improve spinal health in many ways. This includes:
- Gently strengthening the muscles in the back and the abdominals, both of which are essential components in the maintenance of good posture.
- Stretching and relaxing stress-carrying muscles.
- Increasing blood flow, allowing nutrients to flow in, toxins to flow out, and overall nourishment of the muscles and soft tissues in the lower back.
- Reducing the perceived pain (such as through meditation).
- Reducing high stress and negative emotions, which may actually cause back pain.
With rates of reported back pain increasing at exponential rates, Yoga is a wonderful practice that can complement - and maybe even reduce the need - for more traditional treatments, such as spinal manipulation, acupuncture and medication. Personally, I like to think of of the physical part of my practice as gentle internal physiotherapy and there's no doubt that a at the end of a class my back feels happier and healthier!
For some back pain-busting exercises, click here.
Wishing you a happy (and pain-free!) Saturday,
*Little Lotus*
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