Yoga for Low Back Pain
If you’ve ever struggled with low back pain, you know how much it can affect your daily life. Activities like sitting, walking, sleeping, or caring for your family can all become difficult to do.
Low back pain is multifactorial, and the treatment is not one size fits all. Oftentimes, a combination of different treatments is most helpful for low back pain. This is why I combine chiropractic care with exercise, dry needling, stress management, and more.
I am biased (as a yoga teacher myself!), but yoga is something I am often recommending to my patients with lower back pain. Yoga combines mindfulness with strengthening and stretching movements that are often helpful for pain.
Yoga has been practiced for thousands of years, but more recently, science has caught up—showing evidence that yoga can significantly reduce low back pain, improve mobility, and even prevent future flare-ups. Here’s how:
1. Yoga Increases Flexibility and Mobility
Low back pain is often accompanied by tight hips, hamstrings, or a stiff spine. Yoga gently stretches these muscle groups, helping to:
· Increase spinal flexibility
· Reduce tension in the muscles surrounding the lower back
· Improve posture and alignment
Poses like Cat-Cow, Child’s Pose, and Downward Dog can all help open up the back and hips in a safe, supported way.
2. Yoga Strengthens the Core and Stabilizing Muscles
A strong core provides essential support for your lower back. Many yoga poses engage the deep abdominal muscles, glutes, and pelvic floor—all of which work together to stabilize the spine.
By building strength in these areas, yoga helps prevent future pain episodes and supports better movement throughout your day.
3. Yoga Reduces Stress and Muscle Tension
Back pain isn’t just physical—it can be made worse by mental and emotional stress. Yoga’s emphasis on deep breathing and mindfulness helps calm the nervous system, reduce tension, and promote relaxation.
A calm body is a healing body. Practicing even just a few minutes of breathwork or gentle movement daily can shift you out of a pain cycle and into a more relaxed state.
4. Yoga is Safe and Supportive for Prenatal & Postpartum Recovery
For pregnant and postpartum people, yoga offers a safe, low-impact way to stretch and strengthen the body. It’s especially helpful for managing low back discomfort caused by postural shifts, hormonal changes, or carrying a baby.
Prenatal yoga classes are specifically designed to adapt poses for safety and comfort, while also providing space for emotional well-being and connection.
5. Yoga Promotes Long-Term Healing, Not Just Quick Relief
Unlike temporary fixes, yoga promotes long-term healing by encouraging body awareness and functional movement patterns. You’ll begin to notice:
· How you sit, stand, and move throughout your day
· Where you hold tension
· And how small daily changes can make a big difference in how your back feels
Getting Started
If you’re new to yoga, start with a beginner class or restorative class. I would also love to work with you one on one during a chiropractic visit to explore yoga poses that might be helpful for you.
Even just 10–15 minutes a day of focused movement and breath can be enough to make a noticeable difference in your pain.
Final Thoughts
Yoga isn’t just about touching your toes—it’s about tuning in to your body, listening to what it needs, and creating space for healing. Whether you're managing chronic low back pain, postpartum recovery, or just the daily wear-and-tear of life, yoga can be a powerful part of your wellness toolkit.
Please let us know if you have any questions!
Take care,
Dr. Gina