Don’t forego the power of yoga! 

At Scorca Chiropractic Center, we are all for using yoga to prevent and manage back pain. Yoga and chiropractic line up on quite a few of their core tenets including a natural and holistic approach to healthcare, mindfulness, and a focus on relaxation. In the whole spectrum of exercise, yoga is one of the most effective disciplines for people who have back pain. As with all exercise, however, you need to know which moves are beneficial and which moves will actually worsen your condition. Read on to find out how to effectively use yoga to account for back pain. 

Yoga for back pain 

Our spines are constantly under pressure- from the day we are born, the downward force of gravity begins exerting itself upon our spines. Our spines are also finite structures- as we age, the structures and tissues naturally degrade and begin to give in to the omnipresent compression. We make this whole process worse by failing to exercise, eating poorly and paying little attention to posture as we sit all day. The good news is that yoga is a tonic that fights back against all of the above-listed risk factors. Yoga is:

• Gentle healing
• Body balancing
• Spine decompressing
• Circulation enhancing
• Body and mind restoration

The important thing is to use it correctly. If compression is your problem, please observe the following guidelines when using yoga to manage your back pain:

• Go slow- be gentle in every movement and focus on transferring forces across your body in a stable manner.
• Focus on poses that promote traction of the spine- movements that elongate the spine and relieve tension in the spinal motion segments.
• Go at your own pace and listen to your intuition- stop if you think you will hurt yourself. 

And be sure to avoid poses that have the potential to worsen your condition, or increase the compression:

• Camel Pose
• Shoulder standing 
• Toe-touching
• Twisting/Rotation-based poses

Start using yoga for your back pain today!

Before starting any new exercise plan to account for your back pain, be sure to check in with a musculoskeletal specialist. At our office in Fremont, we perform a full biomechanical assessment to discover the root cause of your pain and set a plan that combines chiropractic modalities with yoga, exercise and nutrition to help you heal naturally and effectively.