Yoga For Low Back Pain

Former Bikram yoga instructor here. I taught for almost 10 years and by the end of it I’d wrecked my back so badly with all the yoga that I was in chronic, debilitating pain all the time. A PT friend turned me on to the back pain research of Dr. Stu McGill. Not sure how popular McGill is on this sub, I know he’s said some critical things of Crossfit in the past, but his work clearly explained to me why Bikram yoga classes—and most group yoga classes in general—are some of the worst things you can do to your back. ESPECIALLY if you’re mixing it with weight training. The short version is: the spinal flexion/extension/twisting postures in yoga destabilize the spinal joints, which are then more vulnerable to injury when placed under load. I'd be very suspicious of any chiros, PTs, trainers who subscribe to the erroneous notion that more flexibility and mobility in the spine is always better. If you're interested, McGill wrote a book for the layperson called The Back Mechanic, which does a great job of explaining the science of back pain and offers some practical solutions. Also, I applied McGill’s principles to yoga and created a course for back pain sufferers that provides the template for a spine-sparing home yoga practice. TLDR: Flowgrade Show #33: Dr. Stuart McGill - Why Powerlifters Shouldn't Do Yoga.