Yoga For Back Pain: What The Research Says, And Raj’s Story

Yoga for back pain: the short answer

Raj could not lift his child. For several years a slipped disc kept him mostly in bed. He is now a long-term Flametree student in Darwin, and his story sits below the research.

Is yoga good for back pain? For long-lasting back pain, the research says yoga helps people move and function better, and eases pain. A 2017 Cochrane review (the most trusted kind of research summary) found yoga did better than no exercise or back care education. It did about as well as other back exercise. Iyengar yoga, the style Flametree teaches, was one of the most tested styles. Below is what the research found, Raj’s story, and how to try yoga for back pain safely, in Darwin or live online.

Iyengar yoga is the style developed by Mr BKS Iyengar. In the 20th century he did more than anyone to set down traditional Indian yoga, through his books and his teaching, and he pioneered the use of props. It is sometimes called modern classical yoga, and it’s the style we teach at Flametree. This page sits in our back care notes.

Here is the article in short form:

• Cochrane 2017: 12 trials, 1,080 people, better back function than no exercise.
• Pain: lower with yoga than with no exercise.
• Iyengar trials: two US trials found less pain and disability than usual care.
• Iyengar review 2015: all six Iyengar trials favoured yoga, mainly in the short term.
• Safety: about 5 in 100 had a temporary flare of back pain, none serious.
• Raj’s story: one student’s account of building back up with yoga.
• Next step: learn with a teacher who adapts the poses to your back.

What the research says about yoga for back pain

The best summary so far says yoga helps back function, and helps pain a little. Here are the studies that matter most, with the year and what yoga was compared with.

The Cochrane review, 2017

Cochrane reviews are independent summaries that pool many fair tests. In 2017 Cochrane looked at 12 randomised controlled trials (fair tests where chance decides who gets yoga) with 1,080 people who had chronic (lasting more than three months) low back pain. Most trials used Iyengar, Hatha or Viniyoga.

• Compared with no exercise or education only: yoga gave small to moderate improvements in back function at three to six months.
• Pain: lower with yoga than with no exercise.
• Compared with other back exercise: yoga did as well.
• Safety: about 5 more people in every 100 had a flare of back pain with yoga than with no exercise. There were no serious problems.

So yoga is a proven way to get moving again, and it did at least as well as the other back exercise it was tested against. You can read the Cochrane review on yoga for chronic low back pain.

The Iyengar yoga trials: Williams 2005 and 2009

Two American trials tested Iyengar yoga for back pain directly.

In 2005, 60 people with mild, long-lasting low back pain were given 16 weeks of Iyengar yoga or an education programme. In that small study, the yoga group reported pain down 64%, disability down 77% and pain medicine use down 88%. (Williams and colleagues, Pain, 2005).

In 2009 a larger trial of 90 people compared 24 weeks of twice-weekly Iyengar yoga with standard medical care. The yoga group had less disability, less pain and less depression. They were still ahead six months after the classes ended (Williams and colleagues, Spine, 2009).

A review of Iyengar yoga for back and neck pain, 2015

A 2015 systematic review (a study that pools many trials) looked only at Iyengar yoga. It found six randomised trials with 570 people with back or neck pain. In all six, the yoga group did better than the comparison group. The reviewers found strong evidence of benefit (Crow and colleagues, International Journal of Yoga, 2015).

What does yoga for back pain look like in real life? Raj’s story

Research tells you about averages. Raj’s story shows what it looked like for one person. It is told here from his own account, in brief.

A slipped disc and several hard years

In his twenties Raj was running his own trucking business in Canada. A lifting accident hurt his lower back, and he was diagnosed with a slipped disc (also called a herniated or ruptured disc) and sciatica, which is pain from the sciatic nerve. For several years he could do very little for himself, and he could not lift his child. He was advised to try a warmer climate than Canada, and the family moved to Darwin. He was still largely bedridden.

Starting yoga, slowly

A teacher from Flametree Yoga urged him to try the yoga she was doing. Raj says he resisted for many months, because yoga was a mystery to him. In his words, “I didn’t want to go. I had to take a big deep breath, and just give a try to yoga for backs, neck and shoulders.”

He joined a Flametree beginner class. Chris Lalor, Principal Teacher and yoga therapist, gave him customised changes to the beginner poses in each class. He started with simple poses such as Half Angle. Raj says “the modified postures stopped me hurting myself”, and that they built movement, strength and flexibility.

Years of regular classes

Raj went to beginner classes two to three times a week, then moved up through the higher levels. After about four years yoga had become a regular part of his week. He says that after starting yoga he slowly realised “I can get better”, and that he is now back at work and enjoying family life. He credits yoga, and the Iyengar style he learns at Flametree, for his progress.

Watch Raj’s short video

Raj’s 30-second story, in his own words, from mostly bedbound to back at work.

Why does Iyengar yoga suit people with back pain?

Iyengar yoga is slow, precise and uses props. Chairs, blocks, belts, bolsters and wall ropes take strain off the back, so a pose can be held without pushing through pain.

• The teacher adapts each pose. Raj describes Chris giving him a changed version of each pose in every class.
• Standing poses build strength in the legs and the muscles around the spine.
• Gentle twists and supported bends help the spine move again, a little at a time.
• Relaxation and breathing help calm the tension that often comes with long-lasting pain.

Iyengar teachers train for years before they teach, so the person adapting your poses has been through a long apprenticeship.

How do I start yoga for back pain safely?

Start slowly and tell the teacher.

1. Tell the teacher about your back before class, including any diagnosis such as a herniated disc (a spinal disc that bulges out) or sciatica (nerve pain running down the leg).
2. Choose a beginner or back-focused class, where the poses are adapted for backs.
3. Go regularly. In the Iyengar trials people came once or twice a week for several months.
4. Stop any pose that sharpens your pain and ask for a different version.

Some poses need more care with back pain. Our post on yoga for lower back pain covers the lower back in detail, including a student’s story of a sore back after gardening, and yoga for back pain over 50 looks at how back pain changes with age. For nerve pain down the leg, see yoga for sciatica. For an ache low on one side, see sacroiliac joint pain, and for the middle and top of the back, mid back pain and upper back pain.

Yoga for back pain in Darwin and live online

Flametree Yoga Studio teaches Iyengar yoga in Darwin and LIVE online, with Christine (Chris) Lalor, Senior Iyengar Yoga Teacher and certified yoga therapist. The timetable includes back-focused classes, and Gentle Yoga and Restorative Yoga are often chosen by people with back pain. Props and mats are part of every class.

More about the back-focused class is on the Back, Neck and Shoulder Focus page. If you are weighing up other options, see yoga and physio and yoga compared with Pilates in Darwin.

Practise this at Flametree

Flametree Yoga Studio teaches Iyengar yoga in the studio at Woolner and Coolalinga in Darwin, and LIVE online.

• New to Flametree? Your first class is free. In the studio, just come along. Online, go to our online class list, click the class time you want and we email you the link to join.
• Beginners: new students, and anyone who has been away three months or more, can get a half price 10 class pass with 2 extra classes free, to use online, in the studio, or both. See the beginner half price pass.
• Already practising yoga? The same half price 10 class pass with 2 extra classes free, for new students and for anyone away three months or more, is also available as the non-beginner half price pass.
• See every class time, including online classes, on the timetable.

Can’t make a class? Practise at home with our video courses.

Yoga for back pain: frequently asked questions

Is yoga good for back pain?

For long-lasting back pain, yes. A 2017 Cochrane review of 12 trials found yoga improved back function more than no exercise or education, and eased pain. It works best practised regularly, with a teacher who adapts the poses to you.

What does the research say about Iyengar yoga for back pain?

Iyengar yoga is one of the most tested styles. A 2009 trial of 90 people found twice-weekly Iyengar yoga reduced disability, pain and depression more than standard medical care, and a 2015 review found all six Iyengar trials for back and neck pain favoured yoga in the short term.

Can yoga make back pain worse?

Sometimes, for a short while. In the Cochrane review about 5 more people in 100 had a flare of back pain with yoga than with no exercise, and there were no serious problems. Choosing a gentle, prop-based class and telling the teacher about your back lowers the risk.

Which yoga poses help back pain?

Supported standing poses such as Triangle Pose (Trikonasana), gentle twists on a chair, and a half dog stretch with the hands on a chair are common in back classes. The right version depends on your back, so learn them with a teacher first.

How often should I do yoga for back pain?

In the Iyengar trials people went to class once or twice a week for four to six months. Regular short home practice between classes also helps.

Do I need to tell the teacher about my back?

Yes. Tell your teacher before class about your back, any diagnosis such as a disc problem or sciatica, and anything that sharpens the pain, so they can adapt the poses for you. Feel free to check with your professional advisers if you wish, but also give yoga a try.

Can I do yoga for back pain online?

Yes. Flametree Yoga Studio streams its classes LIVE online, including back-focused ones, so the teacher can see you and adjust your poses. You click the class time you want and we email you the link to join. The same classes run in the studio in Darwin.

Where can I do yoga for back pain in Darwin?

Flametree Yoga Studio teaches Iyengar yoga in Darwin and LIVE online, with Senior Iyengar Yoga Teacher and yoga therapist Christine (Chris) Lalor. Props are a normal part of Iyengar classes, and your first class is free if you are new to Flametree (in the studio, if you have lived in the NT for three months or more; online, anyone new).

This article is general information, not medical advice. Feel free to check with your professional advisers if you wish, but also give yoga a try. Flametree Yoga Studio, Darwin and live online.

Sources: Wieland LS and colleagues, Yoga treatment for chronic non-specific low back pain, Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, 2017, doi 10.1002/14651858.CD010671.pub2. Williams KA and colleagues, Effect of Iyengar yoga therapy for chronic low back pain, Pain, 2005, doi 10.1016/j.pain.2005.02.016. Williams K and colleagues, Evaluation of the effectiveness and efficacy of Iyengar yoga therapy on chronic low back pain, Spine, 2009, doi 10.1097/BRS.0b013e3181b315cc. Crow EM and colleagues, Effectiveness of Iyengar yoga in treating spinal (back and neck) pain: a systematic review, International Journal of Yoga, 2015, doi 10.4103/0973-6131.146046. Raj’s own account of his recovery, shared with Flametree.