A study of 101 adults with chronic lower back pain compared the
benefits of yoga, conventional therapeutic exercise, and the information
contained in a popular back pain book. The result: Those who took
weekly yoga classes for 12 weeks experienced the most increase in
function and the biggest decrease in the need for pain medication.
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The 3 treatments compared were Viniyoga, Physical Therapy, and The Back Pain Handbook.
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Both acute and long-term stress can lead
to muscle tension and exacerbate back problems. Use Yoga for
long term relief of Back Pain |
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The study participants were between 20 and 64 years young, mostly women in their 40s, and suffered from chronic back pain. One group took classes in viniyoga, an easy to learn style of yoga that emphasizes safety.
The second group attended therapeutic exercise classes taught by a physical therapist. The third group was instructed to read a copy of The Back Pain Helpbook.
78 Percent Improved
78 percent of the group taking yoga classes improved by at least two points on the Roland Disability Scale, which assesses how easily people can perform daily. 63 percent who took the exercise class experienced an improvement of at least a two points, as did 47 percent of those who read the book.
Use of Pain Medication Dropped by Almost Two-Thirds
In addition, by the end of the study, only 21 percent in the yoga class were taking pain medication, down from close to 60 percent at the start. Use of pain medication in the exercise group dropped to some extent, but the number of those who read the book using pain medication increased from 50 percent to 59 percent.
Yoga will be effective in helping people manage back pain by making them more aware of how the move their bodies. However, a larger study may be needed before yoga can be said to be better than other therapies for this purpose.
"The study suggests that for people who are looking to do something for themselves, you could clearly say that yoga is the best," said Karen Sherman, an epidemiologist and researcher with Group Health Cooperative in Seattle, and the lead author of the study.
Click the link to see information on the study
Annals
of Internal Medicine December 20, 2005; 143(12): 849-856