Slow Yoga Relieves Lower Back Pain Better than Conventional Exercises

December 20th 2005

It appears slow-Yoga may help alleviate lower back pain according to a team from Seattle’s Group Health Cooperative Center for Health Studies.  They assessed 101 adults with back pain and found those that practiced weekly 75 minute yoga classes made better progress than those that did not. 

At the end of 12 weeks patients in the yoga group were better able to do daily activities.  These activities involved the back muscles.  The other group did standard therapeutic exercises.  After another 14 weeks the Yoga group not only reported less pain but also used fewer pain relievers. 

The BBC reports that Researcher Dr Karen Sherman said “Most people have experienced back pain at some point in their lives,” and that “unfortunately, the treatments offered by modern Western medicine are only modestly effective."

Dr Sherman went on to say “we designed a study to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of a gentle program of yoga for people with this condition."  These students learned 17 poses from viniyoga.  This is a Yoga style that is easy to learn and usually is adaptable for most body types.  Sherman recommends finding an experienced instructor.

It is interesting to note that previous studies indicated that strength and stretching exercises were no more effective than other exercise programs. According to this study that published in the Annals of Internal Medicine, Yoga may benefit those with back pain.

Reuters reported that there are 14 million Americans practicing Yoga.  This is often done to treat chronic back pain.  This is likely to be the first study published that directly relates yoga to the relief of chronic back pain.

By Dan Wilson
Best Syndication Staff Writer

Yoga Training Videos

Keywords and misspellings:  hootia tanolin hutia hudia Acomplia New England Journal of Medicine danse Christy Ally Kristy Alley Allie