Yoga May Be Effective for Low Back Pain

(November 5, 2009) - Yoga may help ease lower back pain. (Read about "Back Pain") In a new study, researchers looked at both yoga and standard treatment for reducing chronic low back pain in minority populations. This study appears in Alternative Therapies in Health and Medicine.

Low back pain is common in the United States, resulting in substantial disability and cost to society. Individuals from low-income, minority backgrounds with chronic low back pain (CLBP) may be more affected due to disparities in access to treatment. Although many CLBP patients seek relief from complementary therapies (Read about "Complementary and Alternative Medicine" "CAM Therapies") such as yoga, use of these approaches are less common among minorities and individuals with lower incomes or less education.

Researchers recruited adults with CLBP from two community health centers that serve racially diverse, low-income neighborhoods. They were randomly assigned to either a standardized 12-week series of hatha yoga classes or standard treatment including doctor's visits and medications.

Pain scores for the yoga participants decreased by one-third compared to the control group, which decreased by only 5 percent. Whereas pain medication use in the control group did not change, yoga participants' use of pain medicines decreased by 80 percent. Improvement in function was also greater for yoga participants but was not statistically significant.

"Few studies of complementary therapies have targeted minority populations with low back pain" explained lead author Robert B. Saper, MD, MPH. "Our pilot study showed that yoga is well-received in these communities and may be effective for reducing pain and pain medication use," said Saper.