Verena Maras

Examination paper from the year 2001 in the subject area Sport - Sports Medicine, Therapy, Nutrition, grade: 1, Justus Liebig University Giessen (Sports Medicine Institute Giessen), language: German, abstract: Yoga for the back Problems with the back ¿ who doesn't know them? Almost every adult knows tension and back pain from personal experience. Back pain has become a widespread disease. The increasing susceptibility to back problems now affects all age groups. Not only adults and older people are affected, but also many children and adolescents (cf. FLEIß 1989, 15). Of the 8-18 year olds in the Federal Republic of Germany, about 50¿65 % have postural weaknesses or postural defects (cf. DORDEL 1991, 143). Back problems are of enormous socio-medical relevance, because 50% of premature pension applications and 20% of all sick leaves in Germany are due to diseases of the spinal discs, and thus cause a high proportion of health care costs (cf. KRÄMER 1998, 262). Yoga for the back represents an inexpensive method of restoring the back to a functional and pain-free state without constant visits to the doctor, without the use of medication and without surgical intervention (cf. PULLING SCHATZ 1994, 17). Furthermore, it serves as a prophylaxis of spinal complaints and postural weaknesses. Today, yoga for the back is a combination of Eastern mind and body training and Western knowledge as disseminated by sports medicine and back school (cf. TRÖKES 2000, 9). The aim of this scientific paper is to examine and implement this. I have proceeded as follows: TABLE OF CONTENTS: 1 INTRODUCTION 2 YOGA 3 ANATOMY AND FUNCTION OF THE SPINE 4 CAUSES OF BACK PAIN 5 YOGA FOR THE BACK IN EVERYDAY LIFE 6 YOGA TECHNIQUES FOR STRESS MANAGEMENT AND RELAXATION 7 GENERAL CONSIDERATIONS ON THE EXERCISES 8 PRACTICAL PART - THE YOGA EXERCISES 9 FINAL CONSIDERATION 10 BIBLIOGRAPHY 11 LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS 12 LIST OF TABLES.