There’s always somebody in class with back pain. A bulging disc, a strained muscle, sciatica, or simple, but painful, tension. So we teachers tell them everything we can about how to modify, what adjustments to make, and assure them that, well, most people who come to yoga with back pain leave with a lot less of it. Lots of times it goes away completely.
And finally, a recent study is backing us up. 101 adults with back pain were studied at Seattle’s Group Health Cooperative Center for Health Studies. NaturalNews.com reports that, of the three options given to different groups–viniyoga, therapeutic exercise classes taught by a physical therapist, or reading a how-to book on elminating back pain–yoga delivered the greatest increase in function.
