Yoga as an Effective Treatment for Back Pain
By Jez Heath
About 90% of us will suffer from some for of lower back pain during
our adult lives. When this happens many of us as back pain sufferers
will be given treatment advice that doesn't really treat the
underlying causes of our back pain, focusing instead on simply trying
to manage the symptoms with painkillers and other drugs.
But clinical studies have found that most forms of low back pain
respond well to conservative (non-surgical) treatments. These simple
treatments can really address the causes of the pain and provide
lasting relief.
Exercise is nature's cure
As counter-intuitive as it may seem at first, one of the most
effective treatments for lower back pain is exercise - regardless of
the underlying cause of the back pain. Exercise is crucial to build
and maintain a healthy cardiovascular system as well as being
essential for the development of muscle strength. This has particular
importance in relation to lower back pain because a leading cause of
back pain is weak or unbalanced development of muscles in the back,
abdomen or legs. Clearly avoiding exercise when we suffer from back
pain is only going to further weaken our muscles and make us more
susceptible to back pain.
Exercise treatment for lower back pain focuses on the extensor and
rotator/oblique muscles in the back to build strength and support for
the spine. At the same time we need to build abdominal muscle
strength to build our flexion strength in balance and proportion to
our extension strength. Finally back pain exercises should help us to
build suppleness in our hamstrings to aid the unrestricted motion of
our hips and pelvis since restricted movement of the pelvis increases
the strain on the lower back.
Yoga is the natural cure for back pain
Because of the gentle nature of yoga and its effectiveness in
building muscle strength and flexibility, a regular yoga practice is
ideal for the prevention and treatment of lower back pain. Those of
us that are not particularly strong or supple are likely to benefit
the most from yoga as a cure for lower back pain.
Specifically tailored routines of yoga postures, can be effective in
treating axial and referred back pain, slipped and damaged spinal
disks as well as radicular back pain including sciatica and
piriformis. Although all of these types of back pain respond well to
gentle extension of the back, through back bends, the first step in
using yoga exercise as a cure for back pain is understanding the type
of back pain from which we are suffering. Different types of back
pain respond to different yoga poses so only by understanding the
cause of our back pain can we apply the correct cure. But more
importantly, we need to know which exercises to avoid so we can
prevent further injury, for example, if we are suffering from a
slipped disk then we should avoid flexion of the back (forward bends).
Getting started with yoga to cure back pain.
Of utmost importance when using yoga to treat back pain is finding
suitable instruction. First you need to find a school that teaches
the right kind of yoga. Many yoga schools in the west teach a dynamic
or flowing form of yoga known as Vinyasa. The constant movement of
this type of yoga means that you enter and exit poses very quickly
which is not really suitable for the lower back pain sufferer. To
avoid further injury, yoga poses should be entered and exited slowly
allowing for gentle movement so we can check our correct alignment
and notice pain that may be an indicator of further injuries to soft
tissues in the back. Ashtanga, Power yoga, Viniyoga and Bikram yoga
are all types of flowing Vinyasa yoga and may not be suitable for the
effective treatment of back pain.
Once we have found a yoga center that teaches the right style of
yoga we need to check out the teacher. We need to find a teacher that
is experienced in practicing and teaching yoga, because their
knowledge of designing a yoga routine and describing each pose is an
essential part of our yoga experience. Ideally we should look for a
teacher who is experienced in treating back pain so they can tailor
the routines to our specific condition, abilities and needs.
Learn what you need to know about lower back pain and how yoga
provides exercises for lower back pain. With a degree in Ayurveda
traditional Indian medicine and a master degree in yoga therapy,
Varun Veer provides a wealth of information on a quick and natural
end to back pain.
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