Some Benefit Reported with Yoga for Chronic Low Back Pain

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.