Body of knowledge

How can I prevent low-back pain in twists?

- Ray Long, MD

​ALL TOO OFTEN when we move into a yoga pose, we prioritize getting the shape right over creating that shape safely. Twists are a prime example of this. Think about the last time you did Parivrtta Utkatasana (Revolved Chair Pose). Did you move into the posture with the primary goal of going “deep” into the twist, without first considering which muscles you’d need to engage so you could rotate safely? If you answered “yes,” that might be one reason you experience low-back pain in twists.

It doesn’t help that many of us are primed for low-back pain in general. For starters, as we age, it’s estimated that a whopping 90 percent of Americans develop degenerative disk disease, a condition in which the inter vertebral disks dry out and lose height. This can lead to stiffness and low-back pain, which tend to worsen over time. Then, there’s the fact that somewhere around 40 to 75 percent of the population has some type of asymptomatic (painless) herniated disk. These disk deficiencies limit the spine’s mobility, which can make twisting—a movement that demands both agility and spinal flexibility— potentially more painful.

However, when done properly, twists have the potential to help your low back feel great. Twisting can activate the muscles around the lumbar spine and abdominal core, increasing stability as well as blood flow and oxygenation to the area. Twisting also appears to increase hydration of the inter vertebral disks, which may help to counteract the changes caused by degenerative disk disease.

Before you twist