Thousands of Maritimers practice yoga, but for those living with back problems, the activity could actually be doing more harm than good.
For centuries, yoga has been touted for its ability to increase strength, flexibility, and balance. While the practice is generally considered gentle and safe, not all classes are appropriate for everyone.
Emily Wiggin is a chiropractor by day and yoga instructor by night. She teaches a class called Back Care Yoga, which is specifically designed for Maritimers living with back problems and chronic pain.
“If you’re in traditional yoga, unfortunately, there are some poses that can be dangerous or unsafe for the spine, but also the instruction has to be a little more specific and detailed in this class to make sure they’re being safe and not risking injury,” says Wiggin.
“Things like forward flexion can send radiating pain down the legs, it can push the discs centrally towards the spinal cord and actually aggravate symptoms.”
Unlike flow yoga, where participants move quickly between postures, this class focuses on slow, gentle transitions and many poses are modified to make them safer.
“The combination of strength training and restorative poses, it’s really an ideal mix for me,” says Tracey Daley, who has lived with back pain for years. “Every time I leave this class I feel better. I generally have some pain, on a fairly regular basis, but when I come to this class I definitely feel better after I leave.”
Terrie Wilcott was a competitive swimmer as a teen and believes years of training led to back problems.
“I’ve had deteriorated discs in my upper neck, in my shoulder areas, and the lower part of my spine as well,” says Wilcott.
Since starting Back Care Yoga, Wilcott says she requires far fewer chiropractic adjustments. She also feels as though she is in good hands with Wiggin.
“I like this class because of the fact that Emily is a chiropractor and a yoga teacher, so I’m getting, you know, bang for my buck.”
As well as yoga postures, Wiggin incorporates many of the exercises she sends her chiropractic patients home with.
“And I’m making sure that everyone is doing them with proper and effective technique,” says Wiggin.
Too often, people experiencing back pain shy away from physical activity for fear of aggravating the problem. In reality, the opposite is true.
“A big misconception that when you hurt your back, or hurt a part of your body, that you just need to rest to get better,” says Wiggin. “Actually, it only takes like 48 hours of disuse to start losing muscle mass and deconditioning.”
