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Yoga for back pain

Yoga for back pain

Slow, comfortable movement for backs that have learned to brace. No perfect poses, no forcing.

Best for

  • ✓Long-term, nagging lower back pain
  • ✓Stiffness from desk work
  • ✓Getting moving again after an old injury
  • ✓Fear of bending, lifting or twisting
  • ✓"Stiff back" and limited mobility

What to expect

Everything modified. I use blocks, bolsters, and chairs to meet your body where it is. No forward folds if they hurt, no twists if they aggravate. You're in control.

1–2 classes per week

The pain keeps coming back

The painkillers take the edge off, but the tension remains. You're afraid to move because you're afraid of the spasm.

You've tried physio, osteopathy, ergonomic chairs. Some of it helped for a while, but the pain keeps returning. And every yoga picture you've seen, people folded neatly in half, looks like a recipe for disaster.

That's not what happens here. Nobody folds anyone in half.

How the class works

Pain can make you brace and avoid movement long after an injury. We use slow, comfortable movements and let your range increase gradually. No forcing.

Every pose is modified. If you can't get to the floor, I use a chair. If a shape doesn't feel right, you skip it or change it. You stay in charge of your own back.

Before your first class you fill in a health form. Tell me about your pain on it, and I'll have modifications ready before you walk in.

Classes that help

Hatha Yoga

Slow, modified movement

  • ·Gentle mobility work at your own pace
  • ·Blocks, straps and chairs wherever they help
  • ·Everything modified for pain and limitations

Yin Yoga

Long, supported holds

  • ·Quiet, supported poses held for a few minutes
  • ·Nothing forced, props everywhere
  • ·Suits stiff, cautious bodies

Breathe.Meditate.Relax

Pain is exhausting. This is the resting one.

  • ·Breathing practice and guided rest
  • ·Lying down, fully supported
  • ·No movement to worry about

What the research says

  • 1.NICE, which advises the NHS, says a group exercise programme, which can take a mind and body approach, is worth considering for a flare-up of low back pain (NICE guideline NG59).
  • 2.The largest UK trial of yoga for back pain followed 313 adults with long-term or recurring low back pain and compared a specialised 12-class yoga programme with usual GP care. The yoga group had better back function at three months; pain scores didn't improve. My ordinary classes are not that programme (Tilbrook et al., 2011).

If you have acute back pain (severe, sudden onset), new neurological symptoms (numbness, weakness, bowel/bladder changes), or suspect a fracture, see your GP urgently before starting yoga.

If you need more than yoga

Yoga helps a lot of people, but it isn't everything. If you need more, here's where I'd point you.

Local osteopaths

For hands-on treatment and diagnosis

Local physiotherapists

For acute rehab and targeted exercises

Your GP

Always see your GP first for new or severe back pain

NHS Back Pain Advice

Self-help resources and guidance on when to seek urgent care

Common questions

Related guides

Nervous system regulationYoga for beginners

Start slowly

Tell me about your pain on the health form so I can prepare modifications.

Book your first classEmail me about your back

Bring your pain, your limitations, your fear. I'll work with all of it.

Read about my training.