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Yoga 'aids recovery from low back pain'
August 17, 2012
A study has shown that yoga is a cost-effective way to treat chronic and recurrent low back pain.
A 12-week group yoga programme could help people with chronic low back pain to recover, a study has shown.
Researchers at the University of York studied two groups of back pain sufferers.
The first group took yoga classes that were designed to improve back function alongside standard GP care such as referral to a physiotherapist or painkillers, while the second group received GP care alone.
After 12 weeks had passed, the researchers found that patients who did yoga had taken an average of four days off work as a result of their back pain.
This compared with 12 days off work for the patients who received GP care alone.
Commenting on the findings which are published in the journal Spine, chief investigator Professor David Torgerson said: "As well as the associated health care costs, [back pain] is also a major cause of work absenteeism which leads to a productivity loss to society.
"We conclude that 12 weekly group classes of specialised yoga are likely to provide a cost-effective intervention for the treatment of patients with chronic or recurrent low back pain."
Professor Alan Silman, medical director of Arthritis Research UK, which funded the study, added that yoga can help people manage their back pain and results in fewer sick days.
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