Your spine encases and protects your spinal cord, the bundle of nerve fibers that connect your body to your brain. Spinal stenosis occurs when the spine narrows in one or more areas, usually the neck area or lower back. Symptoms include pain or numbness in your neck, back, arms and legs, especially after walking.
Background
Spinal stenosis often results from the aging process, due to gradual degeneration that can decrease the space within the spine. Some of these causes include thickened ligaments, disk degeneration, arthritis, tumors and trauma. Aside from surgery, treatment includes pain-relieving anti-inflammatory drugs and a regular exercise program. The American College of Physicians and the American Pain Society recommend yoga.
Yoga Benefits
An alignment-based style of yoga such as Iyengar or Anusara improves posture, increases flexibility and strengthens muscles in the abdomen and back to stabilize your spine. Regularly stretching the spinal column relieves pressure on the nerves to lessen pain. According to the American College of Rheumatology, a good practice includes working the hip muscles, quadriceps and hamstrings to increase both stability and flexibility. Yoga's connection of mind and body makes yoga a good aid for pain management. Meditation, which involves sitting in a comfortable position and focusing on your breath, helps relax your mind and relieve stress.
Yoga Postures
A good yoga posture to begin with is the cat-cow pose, where you start on your hands and knees and curve your spine upward and then downward as you exhale and inhale. These stretches can help with a pinched nerve. Some excellent postures to improve posture, lengthen your spine and strengthen core muscles include mountain pose, downward-facing dog, staff pose, bound angle pose and happy baby.
Mountain pose and staff pose focus on your posture. Downward-facing dog stretches your spine. Bound-angle pose and happy baby open the hips. Hold each pose for at least 60 seconds and focus on your breathing.
Relaxation
Yoga practice ends with corpse pose, or lying on your back with your arms at your sides and legs slightly apart. Here, with your eyes closed, you can focus on your breath and relax your body to relieve back pressure.
Considerations
Consult with your physician before beginning a yoga practice for spinal stenosis. Focus more on forward bends than back bends, which may further narrow the spinal canal. Avoid shoulder stand and headstand. Inform your yoga teacher of your condition before class.
References
- National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases: Spinal Stenosis
- American College of Rheumatology: Spinal Stenosis
- SpinalStenosis.org: Yoga for Spinal Stenosis
- "Light on Yoga"; B.K.S. Iyengar; 1976
- American Pain Society: American Pain Society and American College of Physicians Release Clinical Practice Guideline for Low Back Pain
- YogaWiz.com; Yoga and Spinal Stenosis
