Yoga and back pain - the missing link

With James Bone

James Bone is a physiotherapist, Yoga teacher/therapist, educator and writer. James’ passion is in integrating eastern tradition with western science. He also has a special interest in the brain, neurophysiology and pain.

In this presentation James Bone will share with you new information about pain, the brain, and neurophysiology. This information will help explain the confusion around back pain, and will assist in finding better ways to manage back pain using Yoga as a model. James will address why yoga is an effective tool for back pain, what aspects of yoga may specifically may helping back pain, and how can we be more effective in managing low back pain with yoga. He will also address Yoga’s holistic approach to back pain.

Back pain is major problem in society and currently there is no one way to managing the spectrum of back pain. There is much controversy and difference of opinion surrounding back pain. Much of the focus on back pain has surrounded back related structures such as the disc, nerve and muscle systems.

Though specific structures can be a cause of back pain, most back pain is considered to be non specific back pain, that is, back pain without identifiable cause. Chronic back pain cannot be explained by structure alone. Other issues such as psychology and social situation were also having an impact.

Recently physiotherapist researchers identified that many people with back pain, had associated dysfunctions in the motor control of their postural muscles, which led to interest in the core and back pain. Evidence has also shown that stress is more reliable predictor than back structural issues, and that beliefs about back pain being structural were more likely to lead to disability.

Anecdotal evidence and growing quality research has demonstrated that yoga can be an effective approach to managing non specific low back pain.