You are currently browsing comments. If you would like to return to the full story, you can read the full entry here: “Home Yoga Practice Questions: Can I Practice Yoga with A Herniated Disc?”.
You are here: Home / Yoga Articles / Starting • The Foundations of Yoga / Home Yoga Practice / Home Yoga Practice Questions: Can I Practice Yoga with A Herniated Disc?
About Kara-Leah Grant
Kara-Leah is an internationally-renowned writer, teacher and retreat leader. Millions of people have been impacted by the articles, books and videos she has published over the last ten years. Her passion is liberation in this lifetime through an every day path of dissolving layers of tension into greater and greater freedom and joy. You can find out more about her, including when her next retreats are, on her website. Kara-Leah is the visionary and creator of The Yoga Lunchbox.
Jessica says
Thanks Kara-Leah for sharing this. That does a good amount of help to anyone not sure of whether or not to practice Yoga with a herniated disc. I am a regular Yoga practitioner and I never had any problems with my Yoga practice. I prefer Hot Yoga over regular Yoga as it helps me to detoxify even further and makes you more flexible.
Bev Ward says
Thank you Kara-Leah. I have suffered disc problems for 5 years, the latest flare-up after a yoga class. I am only a beginner in yoga but truly believe in it’s amazing benefits, and really want to practice it. This latest exacerbation has got me down, partly to know that I may have this problem for the rest of my life, and partly because I thought it meant no more yoga or my other favourite exercise – tennis. I feel more positive having read this, knowing you understand. It helps me to know you have succeeded with the same problems. Thanks again
Kara-Leah Grant says
It definitely doesn’t mean no more yoga… it’s all in how you practice the yoga. Good luck with your exploration. Stay curious, let your breath lead and never go into any pain.
Ranjan says
Hinduism is not a religion. The word itself derived from Indus-Valley civilization. Being a part of that civilization, yoga in other words is like a way of keeping your body healthy. I have seen a lot of websites using the word THERAPY with yoga, which doesn’t exists. If you are healthy enough to do an ASANA under proper guidance it will be beneficial for you, otherwise you would be in trouble. Before doing and continuing an asana make sure your body allows you to do it , and make sure your yoga teacher is not a stupid or fraud. The word YOGA-THERAPY is fake. Yoga is not a therapy, but sometimes you can use it as a part of treatment like PRANAYAMA. The world is an illusion.
Ricky Good says
Thank you so much for this post it has really helped!
I’m a yoga teacher and recently bulged L4/5. It’s given me a whole new appreciation for people with lower back pain. You really don’t realise how debilitating it is until you experience it first hand. The most basic asanas help, lying on the floor face down is in itself a gentle back bend that helps a lot. You’re right, a doctor knows a lot but your own body is the best teacher!
Hannah says
Great article! Thanks so much for sharing your experience! It gives me a clearer picture of how to deal with herniated disc. Namaste?
Mathias says
I had a slipped disc accident, and continue to do my yoga excersises. My slipped disc repeated 3 times. during 1 year. Finally, I came for the yoga class for people with spine problem, and during the class my disc slipped again, I even had problem with comming back to my car. This happened after lying down on the floor and stretching my spain. So I am sorry to tell you this but I do not recommend yoga for people with slipped disc. Period.
Then, I gave up yoga, and after some google, I started Tai Chi practise and I do it for over 1.5 year and have no slipped disc episodes any more.
In my personal opinion yoga is dangerous for people with slipped discs. Try Tai Chi.
Kara-Leah Grant says
Hey Mathias,
Many thanks for sharing your experience. Multiple perspectives always help people feel their way into what is right for them.
Theresa says
I just started chair yoga one month ago, my back is killing me I have a lumbar 5 bludgin disc…..from reading so far my pain came from bending and stretching forward….is arching back ok or a Nono
I love the breathing and stretching and hope to model my class for my needs
Kara-Leah Grant says
Hey Theresa,
It’s impossible to give a definitive answer via a comment or email. It depends on where your disc is bulging exactly. In general though, gentle backbending (arching back) is ok. Unless it presses directly on the bulge and makes it worse. Talk to your teacher if you can and see if you can get some support from him or her.
Dave says
Coming the perspective of someone with no yoga experience, this is really helpful. I like the emphasis on personal accountability and caution. I also appreciate the honest, humble approach. Whenever I hear about miracle cures or off hand dismissals of medical science, I usually just tune out. I think the advice about finding a yoga practitioner with experience treating back issues is really good.
Edmund Chew says
Allow me to share my story.
In 2008 a MRI showed that I had 2 herniated lumbar discs (I had suffered on and off from sharp and sudden back pains for some time)
I was sent to see an Orthopedic sports injury doctor, who taught me how to self-manage my back through lifestyle modification; eg. always bending at the knee to lift things and always sleeping with a pillow under my knee. I also bought solid armchairs and stopped sitting on low sofas to prevent pressure on my lower back. The doctor also taught me 4-5 helpful lying down exercises to perform whenever pain came, and they really helped, as they immediately loosened up any tenseness in my lower back.
With these few adaptations in daily living, I was soon able to live quite normally again!
Then in 2013 I learned about holistic health and started attending Yoga classes and reading about ayurveda. I noticed that Yoga involved stretching and counterposes to unstress the muscles that we stress through our daily routine. And I soon realized that the cause of my slipped discs had been too much downward pressure at my lumbar region from poor sitting/standing posture, and any recurrences usually occured in the morning when I woke up with heavy bowels that put pressure on the nerves near my spine.
Now in 2019 and age 46, I’m more self-aware about what my body undergoes from day to day, especially important things like circulation and prana.
I’m living quite pain-free and love yoga for its benefits !
As we know, yoga is about knowing and listening to our breath and body. Through practice, we would become mindful of the poses that contribute most to our well-being most, and focus on them.
So I would encourage anyone who has herniated discs – first give your body, mind and soul time to heal. Modify your lifestyle.
After some years, you would know what hurts and what helps 🙂
With mindfulness and understanding, you would soon be able to recognise which asanas help relieve pressure on your back, and where your limits are for any pose 🙂