No, Harvard University Did Not Name ‘Sujood’ Posture As The Best Remedy For Back Pain Relief

Recently, a claim is going viral on social media that the Harvard University has named Sujood/Sajdah, which refers to the act of prostration in Islam, as the best Posture as the Best Remedy for the Back Pain.

The handle Pakistan Republic wrote, “In a remarkable acknowledgment of Islamic practices, Harvard University has declared that the posture of Sujood—the act of prostration performed in Muslim prayers—is the most effective natural remedy for back pain.” (Archived link)

The same claim was also propagated by the handles like Ahaan (Archived link), Kamal Ali (Archived link), and Majestic Kashmir (Archived link).

The claim was also shared by the Instagram page @taazakhabarofficial0 with a caption, “Harvard University has recently declared the sujood posture, a key part of Islamic prayer, as an effective remedy for back pain. According to their research, this humble and natural position helps in stretching the spine, relieving tension, and improving posture, making it a great solution for individuals suffering from back issues. The findings highlight how simple, mindful movements can have profound effects on physical health. With its emphasis on balance and alignment, sujood is now being recognized as a therapeutic practice that can support both spiritual and physical well-being.” (Archived link)

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Fact Check

In our fact check research, to verify the viral claim, we conducted relevant keyword search. During this, we found a tweet from Harvard Health’s verified account on X. (Archived link)

The caption emphasizes that dealing with back pain doesn’t always require invasive treatments, such as surgery or other medical interventions. Instead, it suggests a simple approach, highlighting that engaging in movement and regular exercise can effectively help manage back pain. Along with the caption, a link to an article by Harvard Health, affiliated with Harvard Medical School, published in 2020, was also provided.

The article titled “Babying Your Back May Delay Healing” highlights the importance of regular exercise not only for recovering from back pain but also for preventing spinal problems. However, no where in the article Sujood posture is mentioned. The image used in the article for representation is similar to Balasana, also known as Child’s Pose, is a restful yoga posture, and Sujood (Islamic prayer posture).

The image used for representation closely resembles the Balasana or Sujood posture, thus it is most likely that the image was misattributed to the Islamic posture of praying. However, the article itself discusses strategies to combat back pain and does not mention the Sujood posture anywhere.

Claim	The Harvard University has named Sujood/Sajdah posture as the best remedy for back pain relief.
Claimed by	Social media users
Conclusion	The claim that Harvard University has named the Sujood posture as the best remedy for dealing with back pain is Misleading. The article published by Harvard Health suggests strategies to combat back pain, and an image used for representation was misattributed to Islamic prostration (Sujood).

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