Yoga May Help Reduce Need for Pain Medication

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Study Shows Effects of Yoga May Help Reduce Need for Pain Medication

By Sherry Rauh WebMD Medical News Reviewed By Brunilda Nazario, MD

Dec. 19, 2005 -- The next time low back pain sends you to the

doctor, you may want to ask for a prescription -- for yoga.

A new study suggests that yoga may be more likely to improve back

function, ease chronic back pain, and reduce the need for pain

medication than conventional exercise or reading a self-care book.

The researchers say that exercise has previously been shown to

relieve chronic low back pain, but this is the first study to

suggest yoga may be superior to other forms of exercise. " Yoga may

be beneficial for back pain because it involves physical movement,

but it may also exert benefits through its effects on mental focus, "

they write. This focus could help patients " increase their awareness

of how they had been moving and positioning their body in

maladaptive ways, to relax tense muscles, and to relieve mental

stress. "

The study appears in the Dec. 20 issue of the ls of Internal

Medicine.

The study followed 101 adults with low back pain. Two-thirds had

experienced back pain more than one year. Few of the participants

reported work lost related to back pain or extensive activity

restriction. However, more than 50% had taken medications weeks

prior to the study's start.

One group attended three months of weekly 75-minute yoga or exercise

classes and practiced at home. The exercise group went to weekly

aerobics classes and strength training. A third group received a

book about back pain.

After three months, all groups reported the same levels of pain, but

patients in the yoga group were better able to use their backs in

daily activities than patients in the other two groups.

However, after six months patients in the yoga group reported less

pain and were far less likely to take medications for pain than

their counterparts. At the final follow-up period (26 weeks), only

21% of yoga participants reported taking pain medication in the past

week, compared with half of patients in the exercise group and 59%

of those who received the book.

Rx for Viniyoga

The researchers note that patients in the study learned viniyoga, a

therapeutic style that is easy to learn and can be adapted for

various body types.

" This study suggests that viniyoga is a safe and effective treatment

for chronic back pain and provides physicians with a rationale for

recommending it (and possibly other therapeutically oriented styles

of yoga as well) to their patients. "

The authors add that doctors should encourage their patients to find

yoga instructors who are knowledgeable about low back pain. They add

that future studies should look at whether yoga might benefit other

people such as those with more severe back pain.

The study was funded by a grant from the National Center for

Complementary and Alternative Medicine.

SOURCES: Sherman, K. ls of Internal Medicine. Dec. 20, 2005;

vol. 143:849-856. News release, Group Health ative Center for

Health Studies. Summaries for Patients, ls of Internal Medicine.