Full Name:

Address 1:

Address 2:

City:
State:
Zip Code:
Email (required):

If I like it and decide to continue, I'll pay just $16.95, and receive a full one-year subscription (9 issues in all), a 62% savings off the newsstand price!

Today's Daily Tip

Surround Sound

Drop in on a yoga class anywhere in America, and chances are good that you'll hear a melody wafting from a ... (continued)

Multimedia

Video Channel:
From the Magazine

Behind the Scenes at a Yoga Journal Photoshoot

See the work and dedication of our editorial and art teams as we create the images to illustrate Chaturanga.

Watch Video



Print Print Email Email Comment Comment Add to Favorites
Log in to save to My Yoga Journal!
Add to Favorites
Bookmark Bookmark

Yoga With a Herniated Disk

I am a 31-year-old male with a herniated disk in my upper back at T3-4 and in my lower back at S5. Which asanas would create space at these levels and re-nourish the disks?

By Roger Cole

—Randy Jellen, Lisle, Illinois

Roger Cole's reply:

First of all, your yoga program should be tailored to your individual needs by an experienced teacher; some postures that are wonderful for one person may bad for another. That said, most of the postures you practice should probably be modified with props—your teacher can show you how to use blankets, blocks, bolsters, straps, and other props to put gentle traction on your spine.

Here is some general advice for protecting your back after disk injury:

  • While your back pain persists, do not bend forward past 90 degrees with straight knees.
  • Avoid all seated forward bends.
  • Avoid rounding your back.
  • If a pose causes any pain, tingling, or numbness, stop immediately.

Bear these cautions in mind as you practice this list of asanas that many people with disk problems find helpful. They may be practiced in the order presented, but it is not essential. You can start out with just one or two postures, then gradually add more over several days or weeks. You can consult B.K.S. Iyengar's book Yoga: The Path to Holistic Health (London: Dorling Kindersley, 2001) for photos and detailed descriptions of many of the poses.

Editor's Note: Please be aware that by clicking on the links below, you will not find the fully modified versions of the poses described. They are simply to be used as a guideline. To correctly modify the poses for disk problems, be sure to follow the detailed instructions described in this article.

Roger Cole, Ph.D., is a certified Iyengar Yoga teacher and a research scientist specializing in the physiology of relaxation, sleep, and biological rhythms. He trains yoga teachers and students in the anatomy, physiology, and practice of asana and pranayama. He is based at North County Yoga Center in Solana Beach, California, and teaches workshops worldwide.

See All Expert Q&A Articles »

Print Print Email Email Comment Comment Add to Favorites
Log in to save to My Yoga Journal!
Add to Favorites
Bookmark Bookmark

Subscribe to Yoga Journal Magazine

Reader Comments

mark uridel

It is comments like these that worry me...i have been a physical therapist and yoga teacher for 25 years. yoga teachers really should refer people with disc problems to a physical therapist. A disc can bulge anteriorly, posteriorly or posterior-laterally. Each special condition requires specific movment cautions. A disc bulge can be latent (not causing any symptoms) or acute and this means specific cautions. It is way beyond the scope of a yoga teacher or yoga journal to address these issues and provide safe advice. It needs to be handled on an individual basis.

damiana

hi have 2 bulging disk, lumbar, and 2 degenerated, but all poses are fine, i feel fine, i just dontknow which i should avoid, only teh shoulder stand hurts after i perform it but just for a minutte, can i do all, roounding my back i thought it helped but you say not to do it,,,???

Tanya

I have been diagnosed with a herniated disc at L5-S1. It seems if I jump around, pain radiates, however if I power walk I am fine. Also, any yoga practice always makes it feel better. I have stayed away from back bends. Why would yoga practice make if feel better? Also, can I do backbends?

See All Comments »      Add a Comment »

Your Name:

Comment:

Join Yoga Journal's Benefits Plus

Liability insurance and benefits to support teachers and studios.

Learn More »

Enter to Win Great Prizes!

Enter to Win Great Prizes! Enter to Win Great Prizes! Prizes include a Yoga Journal conference pass, yoga mats, clothes, books, jewelry, energy bars, Yoga Journal DVDs, and more...

Enter Now »

Get 2 FREE Trial Issues and 2 FREE Gifts!

FREE Gifts! Your subscription includes
2 FREE GIFTS:

Yoga for Neck & Shoulders

A digital guide to 11 postures that relieve neck, back and shoulder tension.

Yoga Remedies for Everyday Ailments

A digital guide to 8 postures that relieve common health problems such as stress, backache, wrist strain, and insomnia.

Yes! Please send me 2 FREE trial issues
of Yoga Journal and my 2 FREE GIFTS

Full Name:
Address 1:
Address 2:
City:
State:
Zip Code:
Email (req):

If I like it and decide to continue, I'll pay just $16.95, and receive a full one-year subscription (9 issues in all), a 62% savings off the newsstand price!

Offer valid in US only.
Canadian subscriptions | International subscriptions

Save 62% off the cover price Pay Now and Get 2
Bonus Issues
Pay now and get
TWO EXTRA ISSUES FREE!
That's 10 issues for the
same low price!
Click Here to PAY NOW!