No pose fixes a sore back, and you should be wary of anyone who says otherwise. The mainstream advice is simpler: stay active, keep up your daily activities and avoid long periods in bed. The NHS says yoga and Pilates may help, along with walking and swimming. Yoga is one reasonable way to keep moving, not a treatment, and it will not suit everyone.
This page is general information and does not replace advice from your doctor or physiotherapist.
When should you see a doctor first?
Check this list before you try anything else. The points below follow the NHS back pain guidance, which is written for the UK, so we have added the equivalent places to go in Malta.
Call 112 or go to an emergency department straight away if you have back pain with any of these:
- Pain, tingling, weakness or numbness in both legs
- Loss of feeling around your genitals or bottom
- Bladder or bowel changes, such as difficulty passing urine, or losing control of your bladder or bowels
- Changes in genital sensation during sex, or new trouble getting an erection or reaching orgasm
- Chest pain
- Pain that began after a serious accident, such as a car crash
Do not drive yourself. On Malta, the main emergency department is at Mater Dei Hospital in Msida. On Gozo, go to Gozo General Hospital in Victoria.
See a doctor urgently, the same day if you can, if:
- You feel hot, cold, shivery or generally unwell
- The pain is severe and came on suddenly, or is getting worse quickly
Book a doctor’s appointment if:
- The pain has not improved after a few weeks of home care
- It stops you doing day-to-day activities
- You are worried about it or struggling to cope
- You have lost weight without trying
- You notice a lump, swelling or a change in the shape of your back
- It does not improve with rest, or it is worse at night
- It is worse when you sneeze, cough or go to the toilet
- The pain is between your shoulders rather than in your lower back
If you have pain running down one leg, read the NHS advice on sciatica, which also says to carry on with normal activities as far as you can. Sciatica on both sides needs emergency help.
What does the evidence say about yoga for back pain?
The evidence is real, but modest, and it mainly concerns long-term low back pain that has no specific known cause.
- Against no exercise. A 2022 Cochrane review of 21 trials and 2,223 people found small improvements in pain and function. The authors judged these to be small enough to be of doubtful clinical importance, and the certainty of the evidence was low to moderate.
- Against other back exercise. Yoga was probably about the same for function at three months. Results for pain were very uncertain.
- Unwanted effects. Worse back pain was the main problem reported. Over 6 to 12 months, there were an estimated 43 unwanted events per 1,000 people doing yoga, against 9 per 1,000 doing no exercise, on low-certainty evidence. The risk appeared similar to other exercise.
- Guidelines. NICE guideline NG59, from the UK, says to consider a group exercise programme for a specific episode or flare-up of low back pain, which can be biomechanical, aerobic, mind-body or a mix.
In short, yoga may help some people about as much as other exercise. The Cochrane authors suggest that the choice may come down to what is available, what it costs and what you prefer.
What are gentle yoga options for a sore back?
These simple movements appear in similar forms in NHS physiotherapy leaflets, such as those from Royal Berkshire and Plymouth. If a clinician has given you exercises, follow those instead.
| Movement | How to do it | Ease off if |
|---|---|---|
| Knee rolls (a gentle reclined twist) | Lie on your back with your knees bent. Let them sway a little to each side, keeping both shoulders down | You feel pain in your back or down a leg |
| Pelvic tilts | Lie with your knees bent. Gently flatten your lower back to the floor, then release, like a slow rocking | The movement catches or feels sharp |
| Cat-cow (Marjaryasana-Bitilasana) | On hands and knees, slowly round and then gently arch your back with your breath, keeping it small | Arching hurts, in which case keep to the rounding only or stop |
| Bottom to heels (close to child’s pose, Balasana) | From hands and knees, ease your hips back towards your heels for one breath, then return | Your knees hurt, or the bend makes your symptoms worse |
| Resting on your back | Lie with your calves on a chair seat, or pillows under your knees, for a few minutes | Lying down makes your pain worse |
Start with a few slow repetitions, stay well within what feels comfortable, and breathe normally. According to the NHS, moving with sciatica may hurt but is not harmful. Even so, the NHS is also clear that you should stop back exercises and see a GP if the pain gets worse. If you get new numbness, pins and needles or pain spreading down a leg, stop.
Malta’s stone and tiled floors are hard on a sore back, so lie on a thick mat or folded blanket, not a thin mat on the floor.
Which poses should you leave for now?
No pose is off limits for everyone, but some are harder to control if your back is sore. Until a doctor or physiotherapist says otherwise, it makes sense to leave out deep forward bends with straight legs, strong backbends, forced twists, headstands and shoulderstands. Fast classes are also a poor fit because you have less time to adapt each pose. Heated rooms deserve care too, because feeling warm and loose may tempt you to go further than your back is ready for. For the basic shapes, see our beginner poses guide, and leave out anything that does not feel right.
Which yoga classes should you ask for in Malta?
No provider in our directory advertises a dedicated back care class, so what matters is the type of class. Ring before you book, and describe your back to the teacher.
| Ask for | Why | Where to start |
|---|---|---|
| Chair-supported or gentler options | Less time getting up and down from the floor | RaYoga Malta in Attard and Żebbuġ, which also offers a free private consultation |
| Slow hatha in a small group | Time to adapt each pose | Feel at Harmony in Msida |
| Restorative yoga | Supported rest with props, and very little effort | Feel at Harmony, Freemyme in Sliema |
| A gentle class for older adults | A steadier pace, if you are 50 or over | Gentle Fusion at Zen Yoga Studio in Mellieħa |
| Gentle flow in a capped group | Slow movement, with up to ten people | Gentle Vinyasa Flow at Lotus Room in Żebbuġ |
| One-to-one yoga | A plan built around you | Hale in Mġarr, Yellow Rock Yoga on Gozo, or a non-heated session at Momos HotYoga Malta in Mosta |
These suggestions come from each provider’s class types, and none of them claims to treat back pain. Before you commit, ask:
- Have you taught people with back problems, and what training do you have in this?
- Can I sit out or change any pose without being pushed further?
- Will you ask before giving hands-on adjustments? It is fine to say no.
Be wary of a teacher who promises a cure, or who tells you to ignore your doctor. Private help costs more: Lotus Room lists a private class at €60, and Yellow Rock Yoga lists 75 minutes for €50, compared with €10 to €25 for most single group classes. See prices for the current picture, and classes vs private lessons for help deciding.
Yoga is not your only option. Pilates may suit you just as well, as our Pilates vs yoga guide explains. If you would like a physiotherapist’s opinion first, ask your doctor to recommend one. YUE Malta in Naxxar is one complex that includes physiotherapy alongside its classes.
How can you fit movement around a Maltese working day?
Long spells of sitting can leave a sore back feeling stiff. If you drive, a slow rush-hour commute on the coast road can do that before class even starts, so choose a studio close to home or work and stand up for a few minutes when you arrive.
Walks along the seafront at Sliema or Buġibba are free and fairly flat, and a walk is a good choice on days when a class feels like too much. In summer, go early or late. Swimming is another option the NHS mentions, and in Malta that can be as simple as a morning dip in the warmer months, if you can get in and out of the water safely.