BACK PAIN

With an experienced teacher at yoki studio there are a variety of solutions to back pain. The yoga wall is the most effective tool we have here. It creates traction which can release pinched nerves that have been causing pain and restore the health of the spine but other simple yoga poses will also help.

Most of us have a stiff upper (thoracic) spine, ham strings and hips, which causes the more flexible lower back to over work, resulting in over bending (flexion) of the lumbar vertebrae (which can be complicated by twisting). Flexing forward, the disc fluid is pushed towards the back of the vertebrae putting pressure on the nerve root and causing pain.

Solutions
When flexing (bending forward) at the hip and twisting in yoga, students are taught to maintain a neutral position (extension) in the lumbar, thus protecting the disc and creating maximum space between the vertebrae. If over flexion occurs in yoga due to tight ham strings, for example, while practicing a forward bend such as The Plough, students counter pose with extension, using gravity as resistance. Thus restoring the natural lumbar curve and realigning both the discs and the vertebrae.

An experienced instructor will help you access and mobilise these areas. This will relieve the strain on the lower back, which because of its relative flexibility, tends to over work.Stretching the ham strings and hips frees the movement of the pelvis; which could have limited the lower back’s ability to remain neutral.

The core myth

Many people think abdominal's are core muscles. This is a myth, abdominal's are superficial, not deep, muscles. Two out of the four abdominal muscles attach to the lumber fascia, not directly to the lower back. The deepest abdominal muscle (the

TVA) draws the navel in and can be used in flexion to decompress the spine. The true core muscles attach to the lower back and travel next to it, giving direct support. These include the flank muscles, Psoas (hip flexors), Multifidus (small stabilising muscles) and the stem of the diaphragm. These truly deep muscles can become weak causing the lower back to over compensate.

Inversions/traction through restorative yoga

Restorative yoga positions, particularly by inverting the spine on the rope wall, put the spine in traction and create space between vertebrae. The compressed discs expand and the disc fluid returns and fully rehydrates.

Michele Cotton Sept 2012

Lowering oneself backwards over the seat of a hard chair onto the floor may not seem at first glance the ideal movement when one has lower back pain! Much to my amazement though, after the class, my lower back pain, which has troubled me for approx 8 years (necessitating daily painkillers) slowly subsided and now I’m happy to say I am pain free- of course this ease of movement didn’t happen overnight, and the advanced yoga poses have only been achieved after a year of regular yoga classes(2/3 times a week) with Ellie, who is a dedicated, intuitive, patient and fun yoga teacher, who really takes care of you and your individual needs/limits resulting in me being more supple, energised, relaxed and pain free!

P.s can also get back into my size 8 jeans!