The healing power of yoga for low back pain

In some neighborhoods you can throw a rock and hit a yoga studio. In others, however, yoga classes are practically nonexistent, even though the practice has been shown in studies to have beneficial health effects.

Researchers took yoga to racially diverse neighborhoods in Boston to see whether three months of steady practice would have any consequence on chronic low back pain. Although the condition is common, minorities may not always have adequate access to treatments such as pain relievers, physical therapy and surgery.

For this pilot study, 30 people, average age 44, were recruited from community health centers in Boston in low-income areas that were racially diverse. They were randomly split into two groups -- one did hatha yoga for 12 weeks, taking classes that included poses and breathing techniques. They were also encouraged to practice at home and were given a yoga CD and handbook, plus a mat, strap and block, and were told to continue their regular medical routine. Participants in the other group continued their usual treatment that included seeing their doctor and taking medication.

After the 12 weeks, those in the yoga group had far lower pain scores than the control -- their pain decreased by a third, compared with 5% in the control group. The yoga group also decreased their use of pain medication by 80%, while the control group's medication didn't change. At the end of the study, 73% of the yoga group said they had overall improvement in back pain, compared with 27% of the control group.

"Our pilot study showed that yoga is well-received in these communities and may be effective for reducing pain and pain medication use," said Dr. Robert Saper in a news release. Saper, the lead author of the study, is also an assistant professor of family medicine at the Boston University School of Medicine and director of integrative medicine at Boston Medical Center. The study appears in the November issue of the journal Alternative Therapies in Health and Medicine.

-- Jeannine Stein

Photo credit: Kate Brooks / For The Times

Comments

[scott Brand]

Yoga hurt my back initially and when I went back to it the intense pain came back again. I swim, stretch, and do core exercises. Either way I have tried everything except surgery and I have not resolved my lower back pain (L5 S1 Bulging disc). The sad thing is I miss yoga. I even tried sitting out of exercises in Yoga that hurt like Cobra.

[Kathi Casey]

Thank you for posting the results of this study! It's about time science paid more attention to the real "traditional" medicines. I've been teaching Yoga and Pilates for years and my clients have not only reduced chronic back pain, but also chronic Neck and Shoulder pain, headaches, knee and hip pain and more. When therapies like Yoga, QiQong, Pilates and more are covered under insurance plans, you will see less prescription drugs needed, less surgeries and best of all HEALTHIER people in the US.
Thanks