When you’re in pain, it consumes your life. Whether it’s a fairly new annoyance or chronic pain that has haunted you for years, the overwhelming and constant sensation distracts you from enjoying the rest of your life. Even if it feels like it will never end, keep your mind open to this good news…

I’ve seen people with fibromyalgia reduce their pain and increase their enjoyment of life through mindful movement. I’ve experienced a nagging back pain that goes away with the right yoga stretch. I’ve been with many students as we tailor a practice to their specific recovery, and watched it actually work. Studies show mounting evidence that my experiences aren’t isolated; yoga is perfect for pain relief. In fact, many doctors now advise patients take yoga as a low-risk therapy for many pain-related afflictions, as well as to prevent the pain a degenerating body may bring.

This is what Harvard has to say: “Yoga can help people with arthritis, fibromyalgia, migraine, low back pain, and many other types of chronic pain conditions. A study published in Annals of Internal Medicine found that among 313 people with chronic low back pain, a weekly yoga class increased mobility more than standard medical care for the condition.”

So how exactly does yoga help? To begin, whole body movements like a sun salutation promote healthier connective tissues and easier glide between them. When the tissues (or what we call fascia) are hydrated and conditioned to move more freely, we find less sticky “velcro” adhering them together.  This velcro pinches nerves and prevents proper blood flow and oxygenation. By simply maintaining the fascia’s freedom to move, we help decrease signals the brain could interpret as pain from forming in the body.

Whole-body movements like those we do in vinyasa or power yoga also create better glide through thixotropy, a fancy word that means the fluids in your body actually become less sticky and gel-like when you move. Have you ever felt stiff waking up in the morning, and better as you moved (literally) about your day? As these fluids become more watery and malleable, you move with more ease. But you must find movement regularly to maintain this ease. You must also stay hydrated, as that water-like flow we want in our movements is only possible when the water element is present.

Awareness is also an important part of pain relief. Do you pay more attention to the places in your body that feel icky or painful than those that feel good? We all do. Those noisy signals mean something needs cared for, and they beg for our attention so we will take action to bring ourselves back into balance. But it is just as important to be aware of the places within you that feel good or even neutral. Newer science says being present with the places that feel good or or benign takes your brain’s attention into a more positive space and away from signals you could interpret as pain. While you practice yoga, bring a curious awareness: what feels good here? What feels neutral or quiet? What is already working well?

When looking for specific postures or sequences to help with your pain, consider this: it’s not always the squeaky wheel that needs the grease. It could be that your cranky low back is simply overworked, compensating for a tightness or weakness in its opposing muscle group. For years I believed my lower right back needed stretched. It spasmed and whined constantly. I focused on rag doll and other forward folds as well as twists to elongate the muscles. But it did not help. Through trial, error and education, I eventually learned it was a tight hip flexor on my front side that needed released to rid my back of dis-ease. I focused on supported bridge with savasana legs and other hip flexor openers. My back pain left and never returned.

Practicing yoga regularly, with compassion, is key. We cannot make inroads if we do not do the discipline. Treat your body with reverence. Ask your yoga teacher for recommendations and modifications. If they do not know how to accommodate your specific issue, they may be able to quarterback you to someone with more expertise. But always keep hope that your pain can be managed. As we learn in yoga and in life, nothing lasts forever…and that also goes for that pesky pain.