Yoga reduces pain and boosts function

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Biomechanics April 2006

Yoga reduces pain and boosts function

By: Lori Rochelle Roniger

http://biomech.com/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=185302963

Viniyoga, a therapeutic style of yoga, is an effective treatment for

chronic low back pain, research from Group Health ative and the

University of Washington, both of Seattle, suggests.

Investigators randomly assigned 36 adult enrollees of integrated

healthcare system Group Health who had chronic low back pain to yoga

classes and 35 to exercise classes, 12 weekly sessions of 75 minutes

for both. Another 30 patients were mailed The Back Pain Helpbook.

The yoga program included relaxation, muscle strengthening, and

flexibility exercises. The exercise class included aerobic and

strengthening exercises. More than 75% of participants in both

classes practiced the exercises an average of three or more days per

week.

Roland Disability Scale scores decreased in all three groups,

according to phone interviews conducted after six, 12, and 26 weeks,

but the yoga group showed statistically significant and clinically

important improvements in functional status compared to the book

group. Symptom bothersomeness decreased in all three groups at six

and 12 weeks compared to baseline, but showed continued improvement

at 26 weeks only in the yoga group. The Roland score dropped by at

least half in 69% of the yoga group, 50% of the exercise group, and

30% of the self-care book group; 21% of the yoga group reported

medication use during the week prior to the final interview, compared

to 50% of the exercisers and 59% of the readers.

" Yoga may be beneficial for back pain because it involves physical

movement, but it may also exert benefits through its effects on

mental focus, " the researchers wrote in their article, which appeared

in the Dec. 20 issue of the ls of Internal Medicine.