Yoga Works as Well as Physical Therapy for Back Pain according to : TIME

The new research put yoga head-to-head against physical therapy and found the two were equally good at restoring function and reducing the need for pain medication over time. In the new study, published in Annals of Internal Medicine , a group of 320 people did 12 weeks of yoga or physical therapy, or they simply received a book and newsletters about coping with back pain. MORE : This Internet Yoga Guru Has Fans Flocking to Her From Around the WorldBased on their findings, the authors conclude that yoga may be a reasonable alternative to physical therapy, depending on availability, cost and patient preference. Participants in both the yoga and physical therapy groups attended an average of seven sessions over 12 weeks, and a few people in each group reported mild joint and back pain as a result of their treatment. The once-a-week yoga classes in the study were designed specifically for back-pain patients, the authors note, so the results may not apply to all types of yoga or all kinds of classes.




New research finds that a yoga class designed specifically for back pain can be as safe and effective as physical therapy in easing pain. Study Finds Yoga Can Help Back Pain, But Keep It Gentle, With These Posestoggle caption Comstock Images/Getty ImagesIf you're tired of popping pain medicine for your lower back pain, yoga may be a good alternative. The participants in the yoga and physical therapy groups had about the same amount of improvement in pain and functioning over time. Another group was assigned 15 physical therapy (PT) visits. Saper says he chose to compare the effects of yoga with physical therapy because "PT is the most common referral that physicians make for patients with back pain.

Recent Study Compares Physical Therapy and Yoga for Back Pain Relief

A study published recently in the Annals of Internal Medicine notes that both yoga and physical therapy are similarly effective in treating lower back pain. The study notes that, over time, the participants in both the yoga and physical therapy groups showed the same amount of improvement in pain and activity limitation. "After three months, the yoga group attended more yoga sessions or practiced at home for another nine months and the physical therapy group had sessions with the physical therapist every two months or did physical therapy exercises at home for another nine months," according to the study, per the news story. However, the study continues, participants in both the yoga and physical therapy groups were less likely to use pain medications at 3 months compared with the education group. Compared to the participants in the education group in terms of pain and activity limitation at 3 months, those in the yoga group did not perform better.


collected by :Lucy William

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