Research confirms yoga aids chronic back pain

Recent research conducted in the UK has shown what I can certainly vouch for - that regular yoga improves things for you. They found that after just three months, participants were able to undertake some 30 per cent more activities than the control group undertaking general treatment regimes.

Importantly, this wasn't a solution for the pain, but it made life more functional, as the ABC reports: 'the main advantage appeared to be having more confidence to perform daily tasks such as "walking more quickly, getting dressed without help or standing up for longer periods of time," and not necessarily pain relief.'

Personally, yoga has turned things around for me. I was run down by a car on my motorcycle in 1999 - Friday 13 August to be precise! The bike had a Gearsack rack on it, I was pulling into my driveway on our 80kph road and the car hit me from the rear at the full 80kph. So that Gearsack rack hit my lumbar doing just that speed! It's a scary thing being sprawled on a road unable to move and watching a car's headlights stop just centimetres from your head...

Although nothing was broken (apart from my trashed bike), the soft-tissue concerns have dogged me ever since. For four years, many chiropractors, physiotherapists and GPs got nowhere. I couldn't stand up for more than a few minutes, and packed on the weight. Then I had a period off work and spent a good chunk of it in a gym - among other exercise I focussed on pilates, Body Balance, and lots of yoga. All up more than 10 hours of workouts per week.

And it turned things around for me. As the research found, the pain's there for good. But you can do stuff, and it doesn't remain as the all-consuming presence.

Now if I slip in my fitness regime, the back issues quickly return. It's kind of the ideal motivator! So give yoga a go - you won't regret it.

Oh - and if you ride a bike, think twice about installing a Gearsack rack!