Yoga for bad back - bad idea or helpful?

ewhip17

I've been struggling with a bad back for a long time. Long story short, I've been to doctors without a lot of resolution, but some of that is on me too for not pursuing it as vigorously as I probably should. Right now I'm living with it and working around it. Question for those who are knowledgeable on the subject (I'm not): has Yoga helped your aching back or made it worse? I've gotten both answers so I'm curious to poll a larger audience.....
Thanks in advance.

Linnaea27

When I was doing yoga regularly, I found that it did help, in the long term-- I think because I became stronger and more flexible. In the short term, however, if you do back bends as part of it, that will result in more back pain. I've been inconsistent with yoga for a while and if I do go, I notice my back hurting more afterwards. However, yoga teachers pretty much always allow people to modify moves for their own needs so you don't have to do moves that bend you backwards if you don't want to.

Increasing your core strength any way you can will really help. My fiance has had some nasty back issues (some of which stem from a construction accident he had) and went to a chiropractor, who suggested a quick exercise routine including sit-ups and other moves to strengthen his core, and that has really helped since he does the exercises every morning. So anything to strengthen your core, both your abs and back muscles, will help!

Cherimoose

"Bad back" is a broad term that encompasses a lot of different issues, which is why yoga works for some but not everyone. If you're unsure what to do, it's best to see a physical therapist or a doctor.

cantfail

Look into DDP Yoga. It is a modified version of yoga that was developed by a former professional wrestler after he blew out his back in the ring. I really like it. There was a video of a guy with bad back and knees that used DDP Yoga to make an incredible transformation. Check it out:

http://youtu.be/qX9FSZJu448

DDP Yoga is on DVD so you can work at your own pace at home.

grimendale

I have lordosis, and when I was first starting to try to lose weight, my back was a big hindrance. The excess weight put a lot of strain on the muscles. I tried yoga for a few months and found that it definitely helped with flexibility and strength, and reduced the amount of pain I was consistently in. I ended up stopping yoga after I moved and switching to a heavy lifting program. That, combined with the weight loss, has made a huge difference in my back. At this point, I basically have to do stupid to set it to aching. Squats, deadlifts and overhead presses have been a huge help for me, personally. Depending on the cause of your back pain, that may or may not be the case for you.

ewhip17

Thanks everyone. And I should point out that I'm thinking of Yoga as just one piece of the puzzle - in conjunction with a number of other things to help get my back in order.