Try this 75-minute Viniyoga series proven to relieve chronic lower back pain, according to a study from the University of Washington published in the Archives of Internal Medicine and the journal Trials.
Not only is back pain one of the most common health conditions for Americans, it’s the number one reason people turn to complementary and alternative therapies like yoga. In fact, over 50 percent of adults complain of back pain annually, which results in $33 billion in medical costs.
Yoga Study Participants
In this yoga study, researchers wanted to know if a yoga series for chronic lower back pain was more effective than stretching classes and self-care stretching routines. They enlisted 210 people between the ages of 20 to 64 experiencing low back pain for three months or more, who rated their pain at at least three on a ten-point scale. They attended a 75-minute yoga Viniyoga class for 12 weeks, once per week. All participants hadn’t done any yoga poses in the past 12 months.
Yoga Study Results
The results of the study, , shows doing Viniyoga poses for chronic lower back pain results in better outcomes than doing a stretching routine at home from a self-care book. It also revealed that a Viniyoga series for chronic lower back pain results in equally effective outcomes as stretching classes. So, if you prefer yoga classes to stretching classes, the good news is you can keep on doing yoga.
Yoga Poses for Chronic Lower Back Pain
Here is the Viniyoga series for chronic lower back pain from the yoga class in the clinical study. What is Viniyoga? It’s therapeutic yoga that emphasizes safety and ease of learning. If you suffer from chronic lower back pain, you can try 12 weeks of this simple routine at home with your doctor’s approval. Not all poses were performed every week. Next to each yoga pose on the list, the numbers indicate the week to perform the pose. The first four yoga poses on the list were performed every time.
Pose 1: Breathing exercise; introductory and final – All yoga classes
Pose 2: Bhujangasana a.k.a. Cobra pose and variations – All yoga classes
Pose 3: Supta Pawanmuktasana a.k.a. Knee to chest pose and variations – All yoga classes
Pose 4: Chakrasana a.k.a Wheel pose variations – All yoga classes
Pose 5: Kandharasana a.k.a. Bridge or shoulder pose variations – Yoga classes 1, 2, 3, 4, 7, 8, 11 and 12
Pose 6: Titli Asana, supine a.k.a. Butterfly pose lying down – Yoga classes 1, 2, 3, 4, 7, 8, 11 and 12
Pose 7: Padotthanasana a.k.a. Raised leg pose or extended leg pose with variations – Yoga classes 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11 and 12
Pose 8: Virabhadrasana a.k.a. Warrior pose variations – Yoga classes 2, 3, 11 and 12
Pose 9: Padahastasana a.k.a. Standing forward bend – Yoga classes 2, 3, 9, 10, 11, and 12
Pose 10: Balasana a.k.a. Child’s pose or kneeling forward bend with variations – Yoga classes 1, 2, 3, 4, 9 and 10
Pose 11: Utkatasana a.k.a. Chair pose – Yoga classes 3, 4, 5, 6, 11 and 12
Pose 12: Supta Udarakarshanasana a.k.a. Lying twist – Yoga classes 3, 4, 9, 10, 11 and 12
Pose 13: Ardha Shalabasana variation a.k.a. Swimmer’s pose variations – Yoga classes 5, 6, 9, 10, 11 and 12.
Pose 14: Tiryaka Tadasana a.k.a. Extended side stretch – Yoga classes 5, 6, 9, 10, 11 and 12
Pose 15: Lunge – Yoga classes 7 and 8
Pose 16: Side-lying hip strengtheners – Yoga classes 7 and 8
Pose 17: Standing lateral pose – Yoga classes 9 and 10