Yoga for Back Care – An Evidence-Informed Approach to Preventing or Easing Back Pain

Back pain is the third most common reason for visits to the doctor’s office, one of the most common reasons for missing work, and the single leading cause of disability.

Yoga has been shown in numerous studies to be an effective technique for preventing and relieving back pain. In fact, research has found that yoga is as effective as physical therapy and exercise for improving back functioning and pain in people with back problems.

The question is – How do you do it? Which is the best way to work with yoga to relieve back pain?

An evolving understanding in the medical community and policy makers is that pain is not just a physical issue, and is more effectively addressed by also addressing stress, emotions, loneliness, and connection to meaning and purpose.

In this 3-part online course, yoga therapist Marlysa Sullivan, P.T. will draw on a recent research study to show how to create a comprehensive and integrated approach to managing or preventing back pain.

This course will discuss the different contributors to back pain and show how yoga offers a unique and holistic approach to working with low back pain.

What You Will Learn:

• Why back pain often isn’t just a physical phenomenon but is related to multiple dimensions of our being: physical, mental-emotional, social, and spiritual
• The role of the autonomic nervous system and the stress response in chronic back pain
• How polyvagal theory casts light on the physiological, emotional, and behavioral processes involved in back pain and what it means for our approach to back care management
• Principles for working with back pain in a yoga practice
• Components of a recent research study testing this approach to back pain, including the yoga practice protocol used in the study

Take a Sneak Peek at Marlysa's Slides:​​