Slipping or herniating a vertebral disc can be a painful experience with a long recovery period. If you have a herniated disc, the most important element of yoga to practice is patience. You may have to completely pause your physical yoga practice to focus on recovery. Frustrating as it can be, an injury can provide you with the opportunity to step back from asanas and to put your attention towards a meditation practice.
If you have taken time off to heal and believe that you are ready to begin online yoga or your studio practice again, make sure to speak with your doctor or physical therapist before resuming your yoga practice.
Yoga for Herniated Disc
Before starting with full classes again, it is important to create a safe home practice. Begin gently, with caution, as your muscles might not be as flexible as they were before your injury. When we get injured, we tend to guard around the weakened area by tensing the surrounding muscles so it is important to move slowly.
Poses to Avoid or Practice Carefully
- Forward folds where you bend past a 90 degree angle at the hips
- Forward folding with straight or locked knees
- Seated forward folds
- Rounding or flexing the spine (as you would in cat pose)
- Deep twists (this will depend on the severity of your injury)
- Any feelings of numbness, tingling or pain
- Recommendations for Returning to Your Practice:
- Gentle twists: Easy twists can be safe, as long as you’re not forcing your spine to revolve. Approach spinal twists with caution. If you feel discomfort, back off or eliminate the pose from your practice all together.
Yoga for Herniated Disc: Passive Backbends
Focus on passive backbends to extend the spine, such as baby cobra or sphinx pose, where you can use your hands or elbows for support. Spinal extension moves the herniated disc away from the spinal cord which relieves pain and pressure. If you feel comfortable moving on to deeper backbends, you can try bridge pose or bow pose.
Yoga for Herniated Disc: Active Backbends
To strengthen the paraspinal muscle group, move on to active spinal extension poses, like locust pose. Active extension poses require the muscle to contract and work to bring the spine into extension.
Yoga for Herniated Disc: Standing Forward Folds
Any standing forward folds should be done with slightly bent knees; do not fold past 90 degrees. This will cause the spine to move into flexion. To be on the safe side, try reclined single leg stretches, like Supta Padangusthasana with a strap. Lying on your back will prevent the back from rounding.
Yoga for Herniated Disc: Standing Poses
Any standing poses should be done with the torso in a neutral position. Side Angle pose and Triangle pose are safe to add to a home practice, but begin by using a prop and try a modified version first.
Remember to let your breath be your guide. If your breathing becomes quick or shallow, or if you hold your breath, this is a signal to back off. Stay away discomfort or pain at all times. Do not force action or ask your body to do too much. When you have safely arrived in a pose, hold the pose for 5 full cycles of breath and slowly release the pose. Many (if not most) yoga injuries occur from exiting a pose too quickly. Remember that your body is still healing!
Every body is different and not all conditions are the same. Yoga is a beautiful practice because it lets you tune in to what is really going on in your body. No matter what an instructor cues, it is important to listen to that intuition. What might work for someone else may not work for you. For this reason, it is imperative that you speak with your doctor or physical therapist who understands your injury before returning to your mat.
By Megan McInturff
