Research confirms - yoga helps back pain

An article published in the British Medical Journal in October has confirmed what I anecdotally hear from students - that mild to moderate back ache is helped by yoga. Great that there is now some medical research to provide evidence.

Interestingly the scientific yoga study, taken over 12 weeks, acknowledged that it takes a few weeks for the improvements to really settle, but that staying with it helps. The style of yoga used in the research was viniyoga, which is what I teach.

Another article last month also noted how yoga performed better than physiotherapy on back ache (I suspect because yoga is engaging and enjoyable so you are more likely to do it and stay with it to gain the benefits!). All good evidence to encourage those with back ache to take up yoga practice anyway.

http://besthealth.bmj.com/x/news/658800/news-item.html

http://bjsm.bmj.com/content/44/Suppl_1/i70.2.abstract

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