YOGA for Healthy Lower Backs
Specialised, Evidence-Based 12-Week Courses
Gentle * Effective * Enjoyable
Quality * Small Group Classes
Unique * Specific * Individualised
Beginner-Friendly * Cost-Effective
Teaches and Motivates
The 'YOGA for Healthy Lower Backs' programme gently and progressively aims to help you get back to being more active again, by empowering you to help yourself to improved comfort, health and well-being for now and the future. Backache is a common problem and the latest research and guidelines show how you will do best by learning how to become confident to manage it by appropriate exercises. YHLB offers a gentle and appropriate approach.
Dates and Timings
The next cohort will start on w/c 23 February 2025 either:
- 13.45 on a Tuesday
- 19.20 on a Thursday
Pre Course Meeting
A 1 to 1 pre-course meeting/phone call will take during the two weeks before the programme starts. This will allow for you to ask any questions and for me to understand in more detail your challenges and to explain in more detail what to expect.
YHLB Course Costs - This evidence-based cost-effective course costs £200.
For access onto this specialised long-term self-management course, you will also need to pre-purchase a Resources Pack for £48.50 + £5.50 P&P via our not-for-profit social enterprise.
The Resources Pack contains the YHLB Relaxations Album (CD and digital versions), the YHLB Book, practice sheets, hand-outs, information + more.
To obtain the Pack go to the ‘Get Resources Page’… link here https://www.yogaforbacks.co.uk/promotional-resources/ )
Programme Format
The 12 x 75 minute classes comprise of easy foundational yoga poses. Props such as a yoga block, blanket or belt are used to aid effectiveness and to ensure absolute comfort. All these props are available at the studio.
The classes will take place weekly with a couple of gaps in between so you have more time to embed the training.
There is also a programme of practices to undertake outside the studio together with guided relaxation to do at your own pace. This will help embed the work in the studio. The programme is detailed in the resource pack.
Why 'YOGA for Healthy Lower Backs’?
You know exactly what you will get - the same yoga, taught in the same way, according to the same educational materials, as in the research itself. No need to wait until your next back episode recurs, before starting the course.
The course is designed to give you long-term benefits. You will be taught to bring postural improvements, mental focus and relaxation techniques into your daily life. In the research, benefits were still found a year after starting the yoga. Nine months after their 12-week course had finished, the majority of the research trial's yoga group were still enjoying practising yoga at home approx. 30 minutes twice a week.
Expect to pay more for these therapeutic classes than for general yoga classes because they are taught in smaller groups but with its educational, single course, self-management approach, 'YOGA for Healthy Lower Backs' is considered to be cost-effective.
Learn Life-long Self-Management Skills
Learn skills to improve your health for the long-term. You may like to ask your GP whether this gentle, evidence-based, specialised yoga course is appropriate for you (show them our www.yogaforbacks.co.uk website). Enjoy helping yourself with this yoga 'toolkit', as many others have. Many GPs and consultants are signposting to YHLB.
Research Used this specific Yoga for Healthy Lower Backs programme (YHLB)
The University of York (Department of Health Sciences, York Trials Unit) ran one of the largest yoga randomised controlled trials, funded by Arthritis Research UK (now Versus Arthritis), for which teachers trained by Alison Trewhela ran specialised 12-week courses in five areas of the UK. The positive results showing YHLB to be safe and effective were published in the 'Annals of Internal Medicine' ('Yoga for Chronic Low Back Pain: A Randomized Trial' H Tilbrook, et al, Nov 1st 2011). The Cost Evaluation in the Journal 'Spine' (LH Chuang, Aug 15th 2012) showed it to be cost-effective for the NHS, society and the workplace. A national social enterprise has been set up to allow more people to benefit from the same yoga programme used in this research.
Workplace Evidence-based Yoga for Reduced Absenteeism and Cost-Savings
Our research showed days off work reduced by approx. 70% over a year from this single, lifelong self-management, 12-week course.
Support valued employees by helping them to improve their health with cost-effective education provided regularly by an experienced teacher.
Promote long-term healthy lifestyle choices effectively by giving staff tools to keep working creatively, energetically, productively, collaboratively and happily.
Reduce the impact of back pain and stress-related conditions on workforce and business - published research showed how offering a 'Yoga for Healthy Lower Backs' course was estimated to save £817 per annum per person in productivity lost (based on an average salary).
"I used to have 2-3 periods of time off work each winter due to my back pain - this year = none!"
"This course has taught me to lessen the frequency, duration and intensity of back episodes. Hurrah!"
This holistic motivational 12-week course is designed:-
- to teach how to self-manage for the long-term
- to address stress-management and relaxation skills,
- to encourage an increase in physical activity, appropriate to the individual,
- to teach postural awareness and mindfulness,
to aim for other, additional to lower back health, positive physical and mental health outcomes.
National Guidelines and Research Reviews recommend group exercise for managing low back pain with or without sciatica (perhaps with a mind-body approach).
- Tilbrook et al (2011) and LH Chuang et al (2012) research papers evaluating the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of our group ‘Yoga for Healthy Lower Backs’ course are cited in multiple papers, systematic reviews, articles.
We welcome this first step to accepting yoga has a role to play in UK mainstream healthcare.
Quality-Assured ‘Yoga for Healthy Lower Backs’ Course (YHLB)
Professional, quality-assured care, support and long-term self-management advice is taught by registered YHLB teachers providing this specific 'best practice' back-care specialised yoga course. Alison continues to train high quality, already-trained and experienced yoga teachers from different schools and methods of yoga in how to deliver YHLB. The YHLB Teacher Training course is listed and approved of nationally by the yoga governing body for Sport England and Sports & Recreation Alliance, British Wheel of Yoga, as a Recognized Centre of Excellence for Training and Standards and is also a member organisation of the British Council for Yoga Therapy.