50%).Many people practice yoga as a treatment for back pain, but, until now, its efficacy has not been proven in a clinical trial. Researchers in Washington State and Idaho enrolled 101 patients (of 653 assessed for eligibility) whose back pain had continued for 3 to 15 months after they had presented with uncomplicated back pain to primary care clinicians. Patients were randomized to receive 12 weekly 75-minute therapeutically oriented yoga classes (viniyoga), 12 weekly exercise classes (designed by a physical therapist), or self-care books. Most participants were female, college educated, and employed.
At 12 weeks, the yoga group had
significantly less back-related dysfunction than the exercise or book
groups (mean change, 2–3 points, which is a clinically significant
change on the Roland Disability Scale). At 26 weeks, these findings
persisted, and yoga participants had fewer bothersome symptoms and
reported significantly less medication use for back pain than did
patients in the other two groups (21% vs.
50%).
It appears that yoga can be effective for chronic low-back pain. Because this study involved a select group of patients, additional trials should be conducted to determine the potential benefit of yoga in a larger, more diverse group.
Reference:
Sherman KJ et al. Comparing yoga, exercise, and a self-care book for chronic low back pain: A randomized, controlled trial. Ann Intern Med 2005 Dec 20; 143:849-56.