Yoga can relieve lower back pain, but it’s the stretching that helps, not the meditation. A new study found that yoga and regular stretching were equally effective at improving lower back pain symptoms, suggesting that the mindfulness promoted by yoga doesn’t do much for certain hurts.

More than 200 adults with lower back pain were randomly assigned to take yoga classes, stretching classes or to read a book about exercise and lifestyle changes. Both the yoga and stretching classes focused on strengthening the back and leg muscles.

After 12 weeks, people who did yoga or stretching were more likely to say their back pain was better, much better or completely gone compared with those who read the self-care book, researchers at the Group Health Research Institute in Seattle found. Those who did yoga or stretching were also able to decrease their medications.

For people considering stretching or yoga to improve back pain, study author Karen Sherman said it’s important that the classes are therapeutically oriented, designed for beginners and led by instructors who can modify postures depending on individual physical limitations.

The findings were published in the Archives of Internal Medicine. 

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Comments

Yoga & stretching also reduce anxiety :-) God bless!

Back pain is really tough to deal with especially if you're in the construction industry building houses and commercial property. Nice to see their are alternatives to the medical solution.

Interesting...I think the meditation aspect of yoga makes it more interesting than just stretching - which, in turn, makes it more appealing.

I love Yoga but sometimes, you just can't seem to make a one hour class or a 90 minute class if you do Bikram. Stretching seems to do not equally as much as yoga but just enough. I do recommend constant stretching to keep the muscles loose.

Some people I know have reservations about Yoga based on their religious beliefs, but find the stretching exercises acceptable to their conscience. The result is that after carrying out exercises, targeted to their particular problem, the pain eases and so does their anxiety.

Yoga certainly helps in pains and aches esp of the lower back. Breathing in a certain pattern while doing yoga and meditation latter on helps relax and feel fresh.

Yoga help keep you on a schedule to make sure you are stretching regularly. Yoga has other benefits also. The first time I went to a yoga class I walked out feeling more relaxed than I had in years.

Trust me...Stretching will help your back pain. But you must do it regularly and you must stick with it. You will not see immediate results, but after a few weeks your pain should decrease.

Yoga really works.. I do this 3 time week specially when I am stress. Its really nice :)

Interesting. However, while I am sure that the stretching exercises and the physical aspects of yoga are good for lower back pain, I believe that many sufferers are under some kind of mental stress. This most certainly can be ameliorated by meditation or by autogenics !

I have done both yoga and stretching for my back pain. To be honest i think the yoga made much stronger and more flexible than the stretching.

I found that stretching exercises were the best for my back pains, it also helped me to relax, after a few weeks had hardly no more pain

The Meditation may not help the pain but it can help people deal with the pain.

Yoga done CORRECTLY together with a good daily home exercise program will certainly help with alleviating back pain. However, I see so many patients who have hurt their back after pushing themselves too much at their local yoga class

Well that's a relief because my girlfriend is always trying to get me to do yoga w/ her and it really isn't my bag. I would prefer stretching this way actually.

I can completely understand this and it makes sense. However, even if we're suggesting to our patients that they do yoga for the meditative benefits, in the back of our minds we understand that they will benefit physically as well. It's almost like trying to get your children to eat their vegetables!

I believe that back pain is as much related to the mind as it is to the actual strain to the body. So yoga in a peaceful environment should help a lot!

This is really an interesting blog as it focuses on the very important topic. i came to know about so many things or tips.

Yoga must really help with back pain. I am currently searching for a back specialist along with techniques I can do at home to help relieve the pain. This is the third blog I have come across that recommends yoga. I guess it's time for me to invest in some yoga pants and mats and start getting my back back into shape.

Hi, thanks for this great post! I’m a passionate amateur golfer, and I know how back pains can spoil even a tournament victory…Yoga is incredibly effective in instant help, as well as ongoing relief.

hello! i just bumped into this site durign my regular surfing in the internet. on my reserach i was amazed and this is definitely one of the best highlights in my research. i wish you can provide more indepth info regarding this . but i will certainly come bac and check for other pertinent updates.

I have done both yoga and stretching for my back pain. To be honest i think the yoga made much stronger and more flexible than the stretching.

very good post on yoga, looking forward to many more in future. thankyou

just couldn’t leave your website before telling you that we really enjoyed the quality information you offer to your visitors… Will be back often to check up on new posts.

I appreciate people who provide valuable health improving articles. Thanks for this info, i was looking for a cure for lower back pain and I am going to give yoga a shot.

I think the meditation side of yoga slows you down enough to really focus on your stretching. I am amazed at how great I feel after yoga. Stretching is boring. Yoga helps keep me in it for a while longer.

This post is really informative and great ideas. Hope this will help lot of people. Its really helpful and it helps me a lot with my backpain.

Yoga is a terrific adjunct to Physiotherapy. The meditation effects are still important to help relieve stress - so common in modern lifestyles.

I am interested in this topic since I blew out my L4 four years ago and is still feeling the effects. After many sessions of physio, which did not help, I found that if I just continued doing my exercises eventually my body would right itself. But at this time I am willing to add different types of therapies to my routine. I find your blog very helpful and I hope you don't mind if I tweet this page. EDITOR's NOTE: Tweet away!!!

Yoga is essential for restoring health and reducing stress. I recommend it for all my patients

Yoga, at its physical level is aimed at cleansing practice which can be very effective in addressing various disorders. The benefits of yoga are extensive. Not only does yoga affect the physical aspect of the body, it addresses the mind and spirit as well. Daily exercises are a great way to help relieve the stress of your day and can bring a sense of well-being to your life. Here are the top ten benefits of yoga. Yoga can help reduce the effects of stress on your body. One of the benefits of yoga is that it encourages relaxation and can lower the amount of cortisol in your body. Yoga poses use all the muscles in your body and help you increase your strength level from head to toe. The benefits of yoga and daily exercises will help you strengthen your muscles close to the bones, which increase the support of your skeletal system as well.

Thanks for this great post! I'm a passionate amateur golfer, and I know how back pains can spoil even a tournament victory...Yoga is incredibly effective in instant help, as well as ongoing relief. Only recently, I've tried to make a personal research and find out possibilities about golf yoga lessons in city where I live. Thanks to this general guide about yoga in Toronto, I got to know about some gorgeous yoga studios. Unfortunately, I didn't find any offers tailored to specific needs of golfers. Well, hopefully we are still just about to see rise in this area on global scope.

Yoga through meditation works remarkably to achieve harmony and helps the mind work in synchronization with the body.

A great fitness tips that many runners do not realize is that they can become faster if they incorporate a resistance training routine to their workout. Studies have shown that a two month long weight lifting routine can significantly increase the speed at which a person runs. So all runners should lift weights.

Yoga is essential for restoring health and reducing stress. I will not help the pain, but it can help to deal with the pain!

The benefits of yoga are just mind boggling. It can be used for stress relief through meditation and just increase of general health. I was using a cybertech medical back brace that I bought that was my chief back pain reliever. Since I started Yoga, however, I have been able to ditch the brace!

Hi, Do you know which yoga is best for overcoming lower back pain. I am suffering from lower back pain from last week and not able to find the way to get rid from it.

I'm been teaching a couple of yoga classes for some time now and most of my students come for the sole benefit of getting rid of their back aches and pains. I've been trying to introduce some yogic philosophy in the class but most of my students are not interested in it.

I think yoga can make everyone happy. Yoga can help keep you on a schedule to make sure you are regularly stretching your core. I recommend it for all my patients.