Weekly yoga classes and intense stretching exercises can ease chronic low back pain, according to the largest randomized yoga study to date, published in the Archives of Internal Medicine.
People who participated in 75-minute yoga or stretching sessions after three months experienced significantly greater relief of pain symptoms compared to those who only used the guide on pain prevention and relief.
Given that the two types of exercise produced a similar result, the key component is stretching, not yoga’s specific relaxation and breathing exercises, the researchers note.
The study involved 228 adults who experienced chronic moderate low back pain and showed some level of physical activity before starting classes. The exercise program focused on stretching and strengthening the lumbar spine and leg muscles, with patients also having to do the exercises at home (20 minutes a day with an instructional video).
60 percent people participating in yoga classes and 46 percent. people from the stretching group admitted that regular exercise reduced or completely eliminated the pain they felt. In the group using the textbook, only 16% achieved a similar effect. people. In the groups participating in the classes, the percentage of people who regularly use painkillers, incl. non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs).
The results of these observations suggest that both yoga and stretching can be a good and safe solution for people who want to eliminate pain in the lumbar region through physical activity. However, it is important that the classes are therapeutically targeted, adapted to the abilities of beginners and led by instructors who modify exercises for patients with physical limitations, notes study author Dr Karen Sherman of the Group Health Research Institute in Seattle.