| The most common treatment for back pain for | | | | from traditional medical treatments, trying yoga for |
| decades has been medication and rest, followed by | | | | back pain may be worth considering. |
| physical therapy. The medication most often | | | | A new study from India monitored eighty adults with |
| prescribed is a combination of a muscle relaxer and a | | | | low back pain, according to the Journal of Alternative |
| pain reliever. The theory is that easing the pain, relaxing | | | | and Complementary Medicine (Volume 14, page 637) |
| the muscles that might be in spasm, trying to protect | | | | and reported by Johns Hopkins University, found a |
| the back, and resting for several days can best | | | | 49% reduction in disability and increased spinal flexibility |
| achieve healing. If it is tolerated, physical therapy might | | | | after just one week of intensive Yoga. |
| be recommended as well. | | | | The National Institute of Health has funded new |
| As it turns out, there are some big problems with this | | | | research that clearly indicates that regular Yoga |
| approach. Relaxing the muscles with drugs does ease | | | | classes helps reduce pain in the lower back and |
| the pain somewhat, and pain medications can certainly | | | | improves both one's mood and ability to move |
| make the pain tolerable, however, this approach does | | | | (flexibility). Regular 90-minute classes twice a week |
| not address the basic cause of the pain, and because | | | | resulted in a 42% reduction in pain and a lower intake |
| the medication dulls the pain, it represses important | | | | of pain medication. |
| body signals of when to be careful, and as a result, | | | | And finally, in a 12-week study published in the Annals |
| often predisposes the patient to further injury. | | | | of Internal Medicine, Yoga again proved more effective |
| In addition, anti-inflammatory painkillers may further | | | | than physical therapy exercises designed for low back |
| depress the body's natural immune functions and | | | | pain. In this well-designed study, 101 adults were |
| counteract the healing process. As a result of these | | | | randomly divided into three groups, one of which |
| limitations, while some patients improved following | | | | attended weekly yoga classes for back pain and did |
| traditional steps of back pain treatments, a large | | | | basic yoga practice daily at home. After the 12 weeks, |
| percentage of back pain sufferers got progressively | | | | and in a three-month follow-up, the Yoga group had |
| worse, until therapy had to be stopped. | | | | significantly better pain relief than the other two groups, |
| Many such pain sufferers end up being dependent on | | | | as reported by Dr. Karen Sherman of the Group |
| medications to find relief, whether prescribed or | | | | Health Cooperative in Seattle. |
| over-the-counter (OTC) in an attempt to deal with the | | | | The evidence is consistent and compelling. The holistic |
| pain and get back to work. Years later, many still use | | | | approach of Yoga for back pain provides more |
| such chemicals for back pain relief. | | | | effective, longer lasting pain relief, reduces or eliminates |
| An effective method of relieving and preventing | | | | the need for pain medications, and even reduces the |
| chronic back pain comes from a perhaps unexpected | | | | incidence of depression that so often results from |
| source - Yoga! Not a new science, not a miracle drug, | | | | chronic pain. |
| but a systematic approach to total healing through the | | | | So grab your mat and head for a Yoga class. Find an |
| practice of a mental and physical activity that dates to | | | | instructor that understands and teaches Yoga for |
| sometime before 3000 B.C. | | | | back pain and your back problems may soon become |
| If you have persistent pain and have not found relief | | | | a faint memory. |