Yoga Similar to Physical Therapy in Helping Low-Back Pain in a Diverse Urban Population

September is National Yoga Month. Each week during the month of September, we will share information on yoga for health and wellness.

Do you practice yoga, or have you ever considered trying yoga? Many different types of people do! Children, older adults, and people from a variety of backgrounds are trying yoga for health/wellness. Studies have suggested possible benefits of yoga for several aspects of wellness, including stress management, mental/emotional health, promoting healthy eating/activity habits, sleep, and balance.

A 2017 NCCIH study found that yoga and physical therapy offered similar pain relief and functional benefits to people with low socioeconomic status who had chronic low-back pain. These improvements were greater than those from self-education; however, they were not considered significant. These findings suggest that a structured yoga program may be an alternative to physical therapy for people with chronic low-back pain, depending on individual preferences, availability, and cost.

The year-long study, which enrolled racially diverse adults with low socioeconomic status, was conducted at Boston University and included researchers from the University of Pittsburgh, Group Health Research Institute in Seattle, the University of Washington, and the RAND Corporation. It was published in the Annals of Internal Medicine.