Some Benefit Reported with Yoga for Chronic Low Back Pain

Back function, but not pain, was better with yoga.


Does yoga benefit people with chronic or intermittent low back pain (LBP)? In a U.K. study, researchers randomized 313 adults with LBP (mean duration, 10 years) to 12 weekly yoga sessions or usual care.

Sixty percent of yoga-randomized patients attended at least six classes; 15% failed to attend a single class. At 3 and 12 months, functional ability scores on a 24-point instrument improved by a mean of 2.2 points in the yoga group and by 1.6 points in the usual-care group. Pain scores did not differ between groups. Five patients reported worsened back pain that might have been secondary to yoga participation.


Citation(s):

Tilbrook HE et al. Yoga for chronic low back pain: A randomized trial. Ann Intern Med 2011 Nov 1; 155:569.