back pain

The Layers of Back Pain

 

Back pain may limit your ability to participate in any activity, including yoga.   If you injured your back in yoga, why didn’t the person next to you also get hurt? Why do some people heal fast and others do not? Practicing safe yoga is important. This requires body awareness, mindfulness, and good instruction on technique.   If these points have been covered and you still hurt your back, perhaps the reason is a bit more personal. As a yoga practitioner you may be familiar with the Kosha model.   The Kosha model forms an ideal framework for the therapeutic side of yoga. The five layers of human existence move from tangible to subtle.   The layers include physical, energetic, psychological, intuitive and spiritual and are all equally important.   Unity of mind, body and spirit requires us to consider these layers individually and as a whole.   Our perception of these layers within our own body can guide our recovery and keep us safe on our mat. Pain is a physical response to a noxious stimulus, but pain can also occur without stimulus. The complicated nature of low back pain is due to the fact that we are human beings. Many books have been written with various perspectives on causes and proper treatment for back pain.   As a physical therapist, my education has developed around a biomedical model. From this lens, I offer suggestions on preventing back pain specifically from the first layer of the Kosha model. Keep in mind, this layer cannot easily be peeled…

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