Guest Author - Martha McKinnon

I discovered yoga more than a decade ago while trying to relieve severe back pain and sciatica caused by two herniated disks in my lumbar spine (low back). A gentle yoga program gradually delivered the relief I was seeking and I have remained enthusiastic about yoga ever since.

Since I know first hand how devastating and debilitating severe chronic low back pain can be, I’m always on the lookout for safe and effective yoga programs designed to help end the suffering.

It’s important to note that certain yoga poses such as forward bends and certain twists can further aggravate some back conditions so it’s important to check with your doctor before beginning a yoga program and to always trust the signal’s your body is sending you. If any movement ever causes severe, sharp pain or discomfort DO NOT DO IT!

Here is a list of some of my favorite Yoga for Back Pain DVDs and books:

Yoga for Low Back Pain DVDs

Yoga Rx for the Low Back by Larry Payne provides two safe, user-friendly yoga routines that are helpful for rehabilitating chronic low back pain, sciatica and disc problems. If you have been suffering with chronic lumbar pain, sciatica, or have been diagnosed with disc problems in your lower back, this DVD was designed with you in mind. Yoga expert and former back pain sufferer, Larry Payne, expertly instructs you through two fifteen minutes routines which are taught in a safe, user-friendly style of yoga commonly associated with yoga therapy.

Viniyoga Therapy for the Low Back, Sacrum, and Hips by Gary Kraftsow is a high quality professional DVD by the yoga therapy expert who designed the yoga therapy protocol used in the National Institutes of Health Study that successfully demonstrated the effectiveness of yoga therapy for relieving back pain. Kraftsow provides the protocols used in the study in this highly educational instructional DVD - a gift for anyone who has ever struggled with low back pain.


Yoga for Low Back Pain Books

Back RX: A 15-Minute-a-Day Yoga- and Pilates-Based Program to End Low Back Pain is an informative book written from the perspective of a physician and back pain sufferer. Its author, Vijay Vad, MD, is a sports medicine specialist, professor at Cornell University Medical Center, and Back Care Advisor for the PGA Tour. His program blends traditional physical therapy/rehabilitation with yoga and Pilates poses and has been shown effective for relieving low back pain in clinical trials.

Yoga Heals Your Back by Rita Trieger includes several 10-minute routines designed to stretch and strengthen you back - simple daily programs that only take a few minutes in addition to good introductory information regarding back pain and yoga. Trieger, editor-in-chief of Fit and Fit Yoga, has been practicing yoga and meditation for more than 20 years.