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Can yoga help my back and neck pain?

This article has been scientifically reviewed for accuracy

Body Pain
Adult

If you’re experiencing body pain such as back ache or neck and shoulder pain, you may wonder if an exercise like yoga, could help relieve and possibly prevent your pain.

In this article, we provide more information about yoga and its benefits in helping with upper body pain.

Staying active, stretching, doing strength and flexibility exercises, can help relieve body pain, such as back or neck pain. Activity, including exercises that incorporate strengthening, stretching and flexibility, should be a part of your weekly exercise routine. It will help you remain active and help to reduce the “bad days” when pain flares and help you feel more in control of your pain.

Yoga is a type of strength and flexibility exercise. Strength and flexibility exercises may help you improve your muscle strength and balance, maintain bone density, and decrease joint pain. Good muscle strength and flexibility can help you to continue carrying out everyday tasks. Improving your flexibility can also improve your posture, reduce aches and pains, and lower your risk of injury.

What is Yoga?

Originating in India thousands of years ago, yoga’s popularity has steadily grown in Western culture. It’s gentle enough for most people to do daily, either in group classes or with a private instructor. Once you’ve learned the poses from an instructor, you could also practice a yoga routine on your own at home, using online resources.

Some yoga instructors receive specialised training in yoga therapy, which uses a holistic approach to help improve overall health and well-being. Yoga therapy focuses on restoring balance and healthy functioning in various systems of the body, including:

Physical (musculoskeletal): to relieve tension, improve posture, and increase flexibility to support healthy muscles and joints.
Physiological: to benefit body functions like digestion, breathing, circulation, and immune system health.
Mental/emotional: to promote relaxation, reduces stress, and supports emotional balance.

Yoga therapy can help to:

Ease symptoms of illness or injury
Improve breathing and movement
Reduce physical and mental discomfort
Enhance overall quality of life

You could choose to do yoga as one part of a weekly healthy exercise routine. The weekly routine should also include moderate-intensity aerobic activities like walking or biking. Yoga is s a mix of aerobic and anaerobic exercise, you’re likely to burn more calories during one hour of yoga than you would doing one hour of gentle walking. Compared to an aerobic exercise such as swimming, yoga burns roughly half the number of calories.

Can yoga help with body aches and pains?

As a strength and flexibility exercise, yoga is recommended as one of the ways to help manage long-term pain. It’s beneficial for joint stiffness, muscle spasms and pain, as it improves your range of motion and mobility,

Yoga and arthritis pain

Scientific studies suggest that yoga and similar mind-body practices, may be beneficial alongside conventional treatment for people with arthritis and may also improve other aspects of their health in addition to relieving pain. On days when you’re experiencing a painful arthritis flare, continuing to do some type of physical activity like yoga, if possible, can help you maintain joint flexibility.

Some yoga poses may need to be modified, for example people with arthritis may need to use a chair, a block, a strap or other aids to help maintain balance during some poses.

Yoga and stress related pain

When the body is stressed, muscles tense up. Long-term stress can cause tension in the body for long periods of time. Chronic muscle tension in the shoulders, neck and head, for example, may lead to tension headaches and migraine. Stress is also linked to low back pain. For some people, yoga helps them to manage their stress. Relaxation techniques and other stress-relieving activities such as yoga, can help to alleviate muscle tension and some stress-related pain, such as headache. For people with long-term pain conditions, stress-relief may improve mood and daily function.

Can Yoga help with Back pain?

The benefits of yoga for back pain, are similar to other types of exercise. A study showed that yoga may lower pain and improve movement when added to a person’s usual care for back pain. Yoga can help improve pain and function in both the short term when practiced for 1 to 6 months, and longer, when practiced for 6 to 12 months.

Can yoga help with Neck Pain?

Yoga can help reduce neck pain, improve how well you move, increase neck flexibility, make daily activities easier, and improve your mood and quality of life. Studies show that it has benefits for both the intensity of neck pain and problems related to neck pain.

How can I get started with Yoga?

Finding an instructor or class

You may choose to join a yoga class at a gym or health centre. However, if you’re new to yoga or are nervous about starting, you could do an online search for a qualified yoga therapist. Yoga therapists are highly qualified professionals who are fully trained yoga teachers with additional in-depth training. It is always worth checking that your yoga therapist has had the necessary training and qualifications. Yoga therapy can be tailored to meet your needs and interests, to assist in alleviating pain and discomfort, but can also be an ideal introduction to yoga for a beginner.

A good yoga instructor can show you how to modify moves and create an overall program that fits with your goals. Try to find an instructor or class that focuses on what you need, whether that’s the mind-body connection or meditation aspects or the physical poses and flexibility benefits.

Taking painkillers to help movement

If you’re worried about pain preventing you from moving in your first yoga class, you may want to speak to a pharmacist or your doctor about using an over-the-counter painkiller to reduce your pain, so you can be more active. You could try paracetamol or ibuprofen with anti-inflammatory properties. It's important to take painkillers at the recommended dose to overcome a flare-up of your pain or help get you through a planned activity.

FAQs

Is yoga safe for everyone?

Under the guidance of a qualified instructor and when performed properly, yoga is generally considered a safe form of physical activity for healthy people. People with health conditions, older adults, and pregnant women may need to avoid or modify some yoga poses and practices. It’s also important to remember that, like most types of physical activity, injuries can happen.

Can I do other exercises and yoga?

The average person participating in yoga is unlikely to build muscle. However, yoga is beneficial for muscle strengthening, stretching, flexibility and relaxation. For general health, try to do at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity a week. Time spent doing strength exercises like yoga, does not count towards moderate aerobic activities. Yoga may form part of your muscle-strengthening activities on 2 days a week.

How often can I do yoga?

Ideally, muscle-strengthening activities that work all the major muscle groups (legs, hips, back, abdomen, chest, shoulders and arms) like yoga, should be done on 2 or more days a week. A typical training session could take less than 20 minutes.

For the best benefit, try to do the exercises to the point where it’s difficult to do another repetition without help.

This article is for general information only and not intended as a substitute for medical advice. All information presented on these web pages is not meant to diagnose or prescribe. In all health-related matters, always consult your healthcare professional.

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