The spine is one of the most important parts of our body, and anyone who has suffered with back pain will know how debilitating it can be.

Back pain is increasingly common - and can be caused by problems with muscles, ligaments or the joints themselves. Early treatments used to recommend rest, but now medical advice is to do gentle activity as soon as possible and yoga's gentle movements can bring about significant relief as well as real improvement in posture and flexibility.

Arthritis is increasingly common as we age, with many different forms, of which the most common is osteoarthritis. This is the result of wear and tear and can affect a number of joints in the back, knees, neck, hips and fingers. It can be extremely painful as well as restricting movement, a result of the cartilage being damaged and worn down, allowing bone to rub on bone.

Genetics may play a part, but persistent bad posture and old sports injuries can all play a part in damaging cartilage. In the elderly, osteoarthritis of the knee is a chronic and debilitating condition.

Less common is rheumatoid arthritis, which is an auto-immune, inflammatory disease which makes the joints swell and turn red. If left unchecked this disease can lead to major joint deformity.

Yoga can help people with arthritis and back pain in a number of ways.

• Yoga helps improve posture, as well as helping you understand how poor posture or some of our movement might be causing the problems. Good yoga practice increases self-awareness of our body - so we are more mindful of how we sit, stand and move; ensuring we do not continue to add to the problem.
  Many of the exercises prescribed in conventional physical therapy do not require mindfulness - people often do them while watching TV! But if you do the movements without tuning into your body, you are missing a huge potential benefit. Yoga engages your mind as well as your body - so you get better at reading your body’s signals. As a result you’re more likely to feel greater benefit and you’ll become far more aware of your movement and posture generally, helping prevent further damage.
  
  
• Yoga helps reduce stress, which is believed to be a factor in the worsening of symptoms in arthritis. Pain makes us tense our muscles, but this tension causes further pain. Yoga will both reduce stress and relax muscles.
  
  
• People with arthritis often try to avoid movement because of pain, but this can worsen symptoms as studies show inactivity weakens muscles and reduces your ability to move even further. It really is a vicious cycle. Yoga movements are extremely gentle, and always practised with a keen awareness and lack of straining.
  Gentle, mindful movement with a skilled yoga therapist can help you stop that vicious cycle.
  
  
• Yoga involves systematic bending and stretching which helps back pain by improving the circulation that brings nutrients to the intervertebral discs whilst, at the same time, removing toxins. Think of it a bit like a sponge - when you squeeze and stretch, the discs compress, squeezing out stale disc fluid and then expand allowing a fresh new supply to nourish your joint.
  
  
• Relaxation, breathing exercises and meditation can help with pain.

Learn more about the yoga for arthritis and back pain programme below