A new study done by Boston University School of Medicine and Boston Medical Center has found that yoga may be more effective than traditional treatments in alleviating back pain, especially in minorities.
Researchers studied the effects of yoga therapy compared to standard treatments like doctor’s visits and medications on racially-diverse, low-income adults with chronic lower back pain. They found that participants who took part in weekly 75-minute yoga classes that included postures, breathing techniques and meditation for 12 weeks reported about a 30 percent decrease in pain, compared to a 5 percent reduction in those who had traditional care.
In addition, the yoga participants reported an improvement of function and an 80 percent decrease in use of medication to treat their muscle pain.
"Our pilot study showed that yoga is well-received in these communities and may be effective for reducing pain and pain medication use," said the study’s lead author Dr Robert Saper.
While low back pain is a common problem in the U.S., using alternative and complimentary therapies like yoga is uncommon among minorities and individuals with lower incomes or less education.
In addition to yoga, other alternative therapies suggested to treat back pain include acupuncture, chiropractic therapy and massage, according to the Mayo Clinic.
No comments:
Post a Comment