Back pain & yoga, it can be prevented.
I hear it all the time as a yoga teacher, “my back hurts & I have back pain” or some kind of movement someone did, took them out from back pain. It seems to be one of the most common types of ailments and injuries. I read articles all the time and theories of why it happens and what can be done to prevent it. I read statistics about how it is one of the number one things people go to the Doctor for and then take medication for the pain. I study anatomy and movement to understand more of the mechanics of it all, I have worked with so many people who have it and most importantly I live in a human body.
I have had my own back pain issues and while not to bad and very infrequent, I have some understanding of how it can hurt. I have had countless friends, clients, students, family members tell me about their back pains. Here is what I have learned from living in a human body, studying my butt off, working with many, many people, and being a student of yoga for 20 years, there are not enough stretches in the world that alone are going to prevent back pain. I have had countless conversations over and over again that what we seem to be forgetting is strengthening all the muscles around the core. To me the core is not just your abdominal muscles, they are all the muscles around your core, front, back, and sides. There are a plethora of muscles around your spine that are not your abs, and muscles on your side body and muscles intersected with lots and lots of muscles around your abs.. The next time you think “Core” I am strongly suggesting you rethink what your core means. I will say it one more way, I personally think people are completely wrong when they suggest the core is just your abdominals. How’s that for being subtle.
Now that we are all clear what the core means, its all the muscles in the center of your body, all of them, front and back and sides. It is all these muscles that need strengthening and stretching for a pain free body and in particular your back. I see it over and over again, the more we strengthen all the muscles, the more likely you will be in a pain free body. I am not saying you will never have any aches & pains again, but that it will be greatly reduced and if something does get pulled or moved in a way that causes some pain, chances are you will heal quicker.
Cleveland Clinic a pretty reputable place and just wrote an article about it. It’s what provoked the above rant. Thank you Cleveland Clinic and your welcome to all the students and friends, that I have been teaching these very things to.
I see it over and over again in my body, and my students, when the strength stops a coming, the pains start a following.
https://health.clevelandclinic.org/2016/07/strong-core-best-guard-back-pain/