Yoga can provide more effective treatment for chronic lower back pain than more conventional methods
Last updated 11/10/2011 11:05:59 AM
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Yoga can provide more effective treatment for chronic lower back pain than more conventional methods (c) Laura Fraser
The study, by the Universities of York and Manchester and funded by Arthritis Research UK, found that people offered a specially-designed 12-week yoga programme experienced greater improvements in back function and more confidence in performing everyday tasks than those offered conventional forms of GP care.
The research focused on back function – people's ability to undertake activities without being limited by back pain, which was measured using the Roland Morris Disability Questionnaire. Although improvements in back function were more pronounced at three months, researchers found there was still an improvement in people's ability to perform tasks such as walking more quickly, getting dressed without help or standing up for longer periods of time even nine months after the classes had finished.
The trial involved two groups of people who were both receiving GP care for chronic or recurrent back pain. A 156-strong group were offered group yoga classes specially designed to improve back function, while a second control group of 157 people were offered GP care alone.
John Aplin, a Professor at The University of Manchester's School of Medicine, and an Iyengar yoga teacher, was one of the study authors.
He said: "Back trouble affects so many aspects of life. Our programme is designed so that people can learn how to relax and ease their back pain, gain confidence and strength, and avoid problems in the future. However yoga has so much more to offer - our aim is for more and more people to achieve wellbeing in the longer term through yoga practice."
Lower back pain is a common episodic condition, with 80 per cent of the UK population suffering from it at some point in their lives. It is estimated that around 4.9 million working days a year are lost due to back pain. However, few effective, evidence-based treatments exist.
Chief Investigator Professor David Torgerson, Director of York Trials Unit, in the University's Department of Health Sciences, said: "Back pain is an extremely common and costly condition. Exercise treatment, although widely used and recommended, has only a small effect on back pain. We therefore set out to investigate an alternative approach using a specially-developed weekly yoga programme for back pain sufferers to see if this allowed them to manage their back pain more successfully.
"While previous studies have focused on the short-term benefits of yoga, we also wanted to see the long-term effects and measured improvements three, six and 12 months after entry into the study. Our results showed that yoga can provide both short and long-term benefits to those suffering from chronic or recurrent back pain, without any serious side-effects."
Medical Director of Arthritis Research UK Professor Alan Silman said: "We're delighted that our trial has shown that yoga provides such positive benefits for people with chronic low back pain. This extremely common condition cannot be managed with painkillers alone and there is an urgent need to have non-drug therapies that sufferers can utilise in their own home. This trial is part of our larger commitment to seek self-help solutions to this common musculoskeletal problem. There are compelling explanations why yoga may be helpful and this trial lends powerful support to the wider use of this approach."
Trial participants completed a questionnaire at three, six and 12 months from the start of the programme, indicating their ability to do a series of 24 tasks. On average, members of the yoga group were able to undertake 30 per cent more tasks compared to those in the usual care group after three months, a statistically significant difference between the two groups which has been recognised as clinically important.
The trial showed that there was more reduction in pain in the yoga group than the usual care group, but of marginal statistical significance.
Researchers also compared the results from the yoga programme with those for high-quality randomised trials for exercise and manipulation, the Alexander technique and cognitive-behavioural treatment. The results suggested that the 12-week yoga group programme may improve back function more than exercise and manipulation, cognitive-behaviour treatment and six sessions of 1-to-1 Alexander technique, but not as much as 24 sessions of 1-to-1 Alexander technique.
Trial participant Sue Faulkner, 68, retired from her job as an administrator four years ago with the intention of spending her time gardening. However, within six months of retiring her back was so bad she found that walking any distance was painful and she needed to stop regularly to rest. Gardening was out of the question.
Sue, from Bishopthorpe in York, said: "I felt a definite benefit after the programme as it made me more flexible and we were taught positions to relieve certain types of back pain. I've continued going to yoga classes and still do the positions I was taught during the 12-week programme. Walking around is no longer a problem and I can do my gardening now so long as I pace myself. I've even taken on an allotment with my daughter and son-in-law and no longer take pain killers."
If you are in or near London we recommend that you try Laura Fraser's intro course - Pranayama: Not As You Know It! A 3-week course, beginning Tuesday November 29th, 7pm-8.45pm in South Kensington. For more details, please visit: http://lfraser.com/2011/10/pranayama-not-as-you-know-it
We also suggest that you check out one of our registered Optimist Charities - The Special Yoga Centre - Yoga therapy for children with special needs