In my late 20s, I began experiencing severe back pain that persisted for years. The pain and the discomfort became unbearable, and it started to affect my daily life. Performing the daily home chores and caring for my daughter seemed like a mountain run to me.

I was at the point where seeking professional medical help was the only last hope for me. I went to some of the best orthopedic and neurosurgeons in my area. After a thorough evaluation and an MRI, the specialist diagnosed me with early disc degeneration. It was a disheartening revelation, especially since I was too young to have anything like that.

To make matters worse, the doctor said there was no treatment for this.  She explained that this was not a disease but rather a condition where your spinal disk wears out. This usually happens with aging, which wasn’t the case with me, hence early disc degeneration, causing severe pain and stiffness in my back and neck.  She said I could work on managing the symptoms by doing some physical therapy and taking some NSAIDs and muscle relaxers for the pain. There was no way I could slow down the process of disk degeneration and would have to deal with the condition for the rest of my life.

So, going with my doctor’s recommendation, I turned to chiropractic care for my pain management.  Over a year, I completed 25 sessions, which did give me some relief, but that was temporary. Once I stopped the treatment, the pain gradually returned. It left me heartbroken and frustrated. I had a choice to make now – learn to live with pain or find something that could work for me, a more sustainable solution.

That’s when I turned to yoga. At first, I was skeptical about whether gentle stretching and mindfulness could alleviate the level of pain I was experiencing, but I was willing to give it a try. I started practicing some simple stretches that a famous Indian yoga instructor taught on television.

It wasn’t easy. Both my body and mind rejected this idea. I was getting sore all over, but I kept pushing myself. A few days into it, my pain was manageable. I felt more strength and flexibility in my body. I began to notice significant improvements in both my physical and mental well-being.

Over time, yoga became more than just an exercise routine—it became a way of life. As I deepened my practice, I found that the pain that once dominated my days diminished. Today, I am pain-free and can attribute my healing to consistent yoga practice. It’s not just about the physical poses but the connection between mind and body that yoga fosters.

While chiropractic sessions provided short-term relief, yoga offered long-term healing and strength. The key for me was consistency. By staying committed to my yoga practice, I can now enjoy a life free from the constant discomfort that once held me back.

For anyone facing similar struggles with chronic back pain, I highly recommend exploring yoga as a holistic approach. It might just change your life as it did mine.