When it comes to easing chronic low back pain in minority populations, yoga may make for a sound alternative to standard treatment. That's the key finding from a recent study of 30 back-pain-plagued adults, all of whom were recruited from community health centers that serve racially diverse, low-income neighborhoods. Use of yoga and other complementary therapies for low back pain is fairly uncommon among minorities and low-income individuals, possibly due to lack of access to such treatments, according to the study's authors.
For 12 weeks, participants either took part in weekly, 75-minute yoga classes (focusing on meditation and breathing in addition to yoga poses) or received standard treatment for their back pain. Members of the yoga group were also given yoga CDs, mats, and props in order to keep up a daily yoga practice at home.
By the study's end, pain had decreased by one-third among those practicing yoga (compared to just 5 percent in the participants receiving standard care). What's more, pain medication use in the yoga group dropped by 80 percent, but remained the same among the other study members.
Good article. Incredible what a bit of stress relief (yoga) can do to your whole body. If we weren’t living in such a stressful world and always on the go everyone would be healthier and heal faster.
Nice! Actually the common cause of bone failure is excessive smoking. Many would recommend a combination of YOGA and VirtuSmoke when you start to quit smoking. Isn’t it healthy?
I 100% agree that relaxation, meditation and forms of energy exercise such as Yoga and tai chi should be available to everyone. How much pain could be cured naturally. I bet they had lots more benefits by the way too. It is suprising how much you can get from making a simple routine of relaxation every day, http://www.thepeaceclub.com are dedicated to helping people who may not have had the chance to learn meditation.