The many health benefits of Yoga have often been proclaimed by those who practice it. The largest study concerning the benefits of Yoga was recently conducted by the University of York and funded by the Arthritis Research in the UK. The focus of the research measured the ability of people with chronic back pain to participate in various activities without being limited by their pain. Chronic back pain is a very common condition that can’t be handled with just painkillers. Doctors are always looking for ways to develop non-drug therapies to help people who suffer with this condition.
The study involved two groups of people who were each receiving care for chronic or reoccurring back pain. One group of 156 people was offered to participate in yoga classes created specifically to improve back function. The other group consisted of 157 people who were offered doctor care alone. The 12-week yoga program offered to the participants was taught by 20 experienced yoga teachers. Each of the classes was designed for beginners. The yoga teachers provided extra training in back care. The focus of the study was to measure the long-term benefits of yoga. The abilities of participants were measured three, six and 12 months after starting the classes.
The results demonstrated that on average members of the yoga group were able to participate in 30 percent more activities than those in the other group after just three months. There was also more of a reduction of pain in the yoga group. The results were compared to other trials which used exercise and manipulation techniques to address chronic back pain. Once again the results showed the 12-week yoga group participants had more back function improvement than exercise and manipulation.
The people involved with the yoga program were surveyed nine months after they had completed the classes. More than half of those who responded continued to regularly practice yoga. Most of the participants preferred to do it at least twice a week in their own home.
Source
http://www.york.ac.uk/news-and-events/news/2011/research/yoga-back-pain/
http://annals.org/content/155/9/569.abstract