It is shown to ease chronic pain.
A recent study has found that yoga, even when conducted online, can significantly alleviate chronic low back pain. While guidelines typically suggest physical therapy or yoga as initial treatments for lower back pain before turning to medications, attending in-person yoga sessions can be difficult for some individuals.
Dr. Robert Saper, senior researcher and chair of wellness and preventive medicine at Cleveland Clinic, explained that “attending yoga classes in person can be challenging.” However, the study revealed that participants who took part in virtual yoga sessions experienced a sixfold greater reduction in pain compared to those who did not join the online classes. Furthermore, these participants also showed nearly three times greater improvement in their back-related function.
Published on November 1 in JAMA Network Open, the study demonstrated that virtual yoga classes could be a safe and effective treatment option for managing chronic low back pain. Dr. Saper highlighted that the findings suggest virtual yoga can be an accessible and beneficial therapeutic approach.
The research involved 140 individuals with chronic low back pain, who were randomly assigned to either a 12-week virtual yoga program or continued their usual medical care. The participants were members of Cleveland Clinic’s Employee Health Plan from Ohio or Florida. The yoga classes were designed specifically for virtual delivery and targeted the needs of people with low back pain.
Along with improvements in pain and function, those in the yoga group reported a 34% reduction in the use of pain medication and a tenfold increase in sleep quality. These benefits were sustained even after 24 weeks. Hallie Tankha, lead researcher, emphasized that yoga provides a holistic method for managing low back pain, a condition for which traditional treatments are often inadequate, and urged efforts to expand access to this effective treatment.
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