If you start yoga for low back pain without first consulting a physical therapist, you will likely be disappointed by the results. When determining if certain yoga poses are right for you, it’s important to get down the root cause of your pain in order to make it better instead of worse.

If you have any of the symptoms below, the answer to this question is no!

1. Severe Back Pain.

If your pain is severe and you would rate it as an 8/10, 9/10, or 10/10 pain on a scale from 0-10, you should not start with yoga, and should see a doctor or physical therapist first.

2. Low Back Pain with Pain in Your Buttock or Leg.

This type of pain suggests Sacroiliac Joint Pain and Dysfunction that is typically caused by too much movement at this joint. Yoga will typically make this pain worse, so you should go to physical therapy prior to starting.

3. Low Back Pain accompanied by Numbness or Tingling that Travels into Your Leg.

Numbness or tingling suggests nerve and/or disc irritation. Aggressive stretching is not a good idea at this time, so instead make an appointment with a physical therapist.

4. If Your Low Back Pain Started with a Bending, Lifting, and/or Twisting Injury and it Hurts to Bend Forward (Note: You must answer YES, to both of these for this to apply).

This suggests possible disc irritation. Aggressive stretching that involves twisting and bending is not a good idea at this time. Physical therapy is recommended before starting yoga.

5. If You are Newly Pregnant or Recently Had a Baby.

Congratulations on your bundle of joy! Due to the hormones in the body while pregnant, during childbirth, and while breastfeeding, the body is at its most loose and mobile. Yoga will typically loosen things further and increase pain, so consult a physical therapist before you start.

It’s important that people who display one or more of these symptoms consult with their physical therapist before starting a yoga regimen. It can actually be hazardous to your health if you proceed without seeking help.

Who Can Start Practicing Yoga without Consulting a Physical Therapist?

Regardless of your symptoms, consulting a physical therapist will only help ensure you’re practicing yoga to improve your symptoms instead of making them worse. That said, yoga could be a good starting point for people who do not have any symptoms on the list above and suffer from:

• Gradual onset of low back pain over months or years.
• A mildly tight rather than severely stiff low back.
• Tightness in general and wanting to improve your mobility/flexibility, but your pain levels are low.

Just because you can start practicing yoga to relieve back tightness, doesn’t mean it will be the most effective treatment for you. A physical therapist could determine the most effective route to recovery for you in a consultation. If you are in the list of people who can start to practice yoga without seeing a physical therapist first, see the Five Physical Therapy Tips for Practicing Yoga to Help Your Low Back Pain.

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