Can Yoga Relieve Back Pain?

Posted on: August 7th, 2013

hübsche frau auf strand macht jogaCan Yoga Relieve Lower Back Pain?

by James Barger

As the leading reason for impairment in Americans under 45 years of age, lower back pain is the second most typical reason individuals visit their physician. An estimated 60 % to 80 % of the grownup populace suffers from low back pain eventually in life, and traditional medical therapies are generally ineffective in the long term.

Nonetheless, there are alternative means of dealing with lower back pain that have actually been proven to be more effective which do not involve medicines or invasive surgical treatment. These consist of chiropractic care, massage therapy and– interestingly enough– yoga.

A study carried out by researchers from Manchester and York Universities and released in the journal, Annals of Internal Medicine, discovered that those who took part in weekly yoga sessions showed substantial improvement when performing day-to-day physical tasks such as walking, bending and getting dressed. Lead author of the research, Professor David Torgelson, who is the director of the York Trial Facility at the University of York, stated, “In the past when you had back pain, you were told to lie down till it passed. These days, the main advise is to keep your back moving. It appears yoga has even more beneficial effects than usual care consisting of other types of exercise, although we have not carried out a direct comparison.”.

A total of 156 patients with chronic lower back pain took one 75-minute yoga class once a week for 12 weeks in addition to seeing their routine doctor, while 157 clients only saw their doctor. Even 9 months later, those who had taken the yoga classes were better able to do daily tasks than the group who had only had standard medical therapy. Another study of 228 individuals that was published in the Archives of Internal Medicine (a different journal than the one above) likewise found that regular yoga sessions improved function and decreased pain better than conventional treatment.

In both papers, the clients who were approved to take part all had non-specific back pain, which means that their pain was not detected as being triggered by a specific underlying condition such as a slipped disc, spinal stenosis, sciatica, and so on.

There are a few reasons yoga could be advantageous for lower back pain. First off, yoga is a practice that both strengthens and stretches the muscles. A certified yoga educator will know which are the most valuable positions for you to practice based upon your body’s condition and capacity. For example, tight hamstrings can tilt your pelvis to an angle that does not offer ample support to your back. Gentle yoga stretches in this area can assist to straighten the pelvis, taking pressure off your lower back. At the same time, specific yoga poses enhance the core muscles of the trunk, which are the most important in offering correct support and versatility to the upper body as it moves, again taking pressure off the back.

Before beginning any yoga class to treat your lower back pain, make certain to consult with your doctor to dismiss any hidden issues that could be causing your discomfort. You must also let your yoga teacher know about your back pain so that she or he can select the proper poses for you and adapt any poses so that they do not worsen the issue. As these researches have actually shown, participating in yoga classes on a regular basis can help to ease back pain and get you moving again.

If there are any questions, give Barger Chiropractic of Folsom a call at 916-984-9999.

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