You probably already knew that yoga can help with relaxation, stress reduction and putting your feet behind your head. But did you know it also can help eliminate back pain?
Dr. Ruth Wachendorfer, a yoga instructor who teaches private lessons as well as classes at Yoga for Life in Dallas, knows back pain. As a longtime sufferer of scoliosis and arthritis, she says yoga keeps her going. 'My own condition has driven my in depth and ongoing pursuit of yoga as therapy.'
But when she helps clients who have back problems such as poor posture, low back pain and sciatica, she doesn't just focus on the back. She explains that, even though their backs may hurt, it's not the root of the problem.
'Rather, the back gets a problem from poor posture patterns, gait or strength imbalances, shortened hamstrings, tight glutes or weak abs,' she says.
So, a yoga regimen that helps prevent or improve back problems often involves poses that work the shoulders, chest, abdomen, hips and legs.
After all, the body operates as a whole, says Dr. Wachendorfer, who has a medical degree and a master's in physiology.
Here Dr. Wachendorfer shows her favorite poses to relieve your aching back. If you're new to yoga, have an instructor demonstrate.
By ELSA K. SIMCIK
THE LATEST YOGA NEWS, FROM IT IS YOGA
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