Benefits of Yoga for Lower Back Pain

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CLEVELAND - If you struggle with lower back pain, you may want to consider ‘striking a pose’ – with yoga that is. 

A Cleveland Clinic study found those who took an online yoga class once a week for 12 weeks noticed a difference in pain. 

“At the end of the 12-week yoga training, and even up until the 24-week period, the folks who did yoga had reduced pain, their functioning was improved, their sleep was improved, and also they were taking less pain medication,” said Rob Saper, MD, integrative medicine physician for Cleveland Clinic.

Dr. Saper led the study, which involved 140 patients. 

He said the health benefits of yoga have long been known, however, there hasn’t been any research with online classes specifically. 

Now they know it can be just as effective as in-person classes. 

According to his findings, the average participant reported a six out of ten on the pain scale when they first started. 

And when the study was over, it dropped to about a three. 

Dr. Saper said what’s nice about yoga is that it can be done anywhere, at any time and requires almost no equipment. You only need an exercise mat. 

So, how exactly does yoga help with back pain? 

“For back pain, to have strong abdominal muscles, what they call the obliques, the ones on the side of the chest, and your glutes, these are what we call the core muscles, people call trunk muscles, and so yoga exercises do strengthen those muscles,” he explained. “And honestly, we did a study where we compared it to PT, and yoga is similar to PT in that we’re trying to strengthen those muscles. It’s just done a different way.”

Dr. Saper said for those interested in trying yoga, make sure to seek out a class that is for beginners or focused on pain management. 

He does warn those with severe back pain to be careful. 

In those instances, it’s best to consult with a physician.