The question really could not be answered any better than Marya did. So why did I punch in? I guess just to agree that there are more studies on the why's and how's of lower back pain than just about any other upper torso physical ailment one can think of. Many of those studies suggest that for people who are looking to do something for themselves - yoga would be one of the most tried and true ways to go about it. As with any new exercise careful and slow and sure is always important. On a personal note, I suffered severe back pain for a long time; then I came across the little pamphlet that gave me about 6 very short exercises to do each morning. The whole thing takes about 4 minutes. Lie on your back with hands resting on chest; slowly press the small part of the back flat to the ground; repeat 10 times, then hold it down for the slow count of ten. Remain in the same position but this time raise the small of your back up and off the floor and as high as you can get it; do this 10 times and then hold up for the count of ten and slowly go back down. After that, bend your right leg up toward your face as far as it can go, couple your hands around the leg just under the knee. Pull and hold for ten seconds. Take the left leg and do exactly the same thing. And finally, again with your back on the floor and your legs bent at the knee, slowly roll your upper torso to the left and hold ten seconds; then roll over to the right and hold ten seconds. My personal results were that after less than two weeks of doing these exercises every morning; my awful back pain was gone. It's been 3 years and I'm still back pain free. Please understand that this is not medical advise. No sir! It's just thrown out as a suggestion from one friend to another.