Yoga for a Healthy Back: Exploring the Role of the Core Cylinder in Back Pain Prevention

It is said that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. When it comes to keeping the back healthy and avoid back pain, this is particularly true. 

The problem is that while we know a lot about how to eat the right foods and get enough exercise, few people know what is involved in keeping the spine strong and balanced to maintain the health and integrity of the back. 

In this free download, yoga therapist and physical therapist Marlysa Sullivan talks about the key elements involved in maintaining spinal stability throughout life.  One of the common elements thought to undermine the health of the back are musculoskeletal imbalances. Marlysa discusses the role these in the development of back pain.

Most people have heard that core strength is important to prevent or overcome back problems. While this is correct, Marlysa notes, most people exercise only a limited set of core muscles, where instead we need to work the whole cylinder of the core. 

This means not just focusing on the superficial core muscles, but the deep muscles of the core as well as the diaphragm and the pelvic floor. These make up the top and the bottom of the core, and they are particularly key to preserving spinal stability. Marlysa discusses the role of the bandhas and yogic breathing in creating this core stability and integrity.

Core work doesn’t affect the physical body, Marlysa notes. A strong core is deeply integral to our mental-emotional strength. She shares stories of the personal transformation she has witnessed in some of her clients, as they being to cultivate greater integrity of the full cylinder of the core.