The SVYASA study randomly assigned 80 patients (37 female, 43 male) with chronic low-back pain to either a seven day yoga or physical exercise program. The yoga was comprised of pranayamas and asanas specifically for low back pain, meditation, yogic counseling, and lectures on yoga philosophy. The physical exercise control group included physical therapy exercises for back pain and matching counseling and education sessions.

Yoga participants showed a 49% decrease in self-reported pain, while control (physical exercise) participants reported 17.5% decrease in pain. Both groups experienced reduced depression and improved spinal mobility (although the yoga group had a considerably larger improvement than did the physical exercise group), while the yoga group alone showed improvements in anxiety.

This study is noteworthy for its rigorous design. Because the yoga intervention included yoga exercises as well as yogic counseling and lectures, they ensured that the control group also received a similar level of group interaction to control for the extra benefits lectures and education provide. This is the first study to suggest yoga is more beneficial in treating low back pain than physical therapy, although Robert Saper and colleagues at Boston Medical Center are currently conducting a randomized controlled trial investigating a similar hypothesis.

Several studies have shown yoga to be more effective than standard of care for low-back pain treatment, although research findings have been conflicting as to whether yoga offers added benefit over stretching.

One major question asked by researchers and policy makers is: Not only does yoga work in promoting relief from low back pain, but is it cost-effective compared to conventional treatments (physical therapy)? Chuang and colleagues’ research suggests specialized yoga plus usual care is indeed cost effective. The researchers analyzed data from participants in a study given twelve weeks of yoga plus usual care. Related costs were compared to usual care costs over a twelve-month period. Yoga was found to be between 72 and 95% cost effective, depending on the criteria used.

Research studies typically design special programs and poses targeted to low back pain sufferers, although in the real world, a patient’s doctor may simply recommend community yoga participation, which may be less safe and therapeutic. YogaBasics has some helpful information on which yoga poses may be more beneficial and therapeutic for different types of low back pain.

How has yoga helped your back pain?

lawrencema: ...

Yoga is good. I love Yoga.
I was sick with back problems and aching joints for 3 years, thanks God recently I have discovered a proven systematic set of techniques that will allow us to enjoy the richest whole body benefits of yoga... from the top of our head to the bottom of our toes.

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May 20, 2012