Hell I’m Matt Fennemore and I order to complete my degree level BTEC 6 in Advanced Clinic and Sports Massage therapy, I had to write a dissertation. Enjoy the abstract and if you want to know more I can tell you in person when you come and see me at a massage session on Thursdays 8am to 1pm, Friday 8am to 2pm and alternate Saturdays’s At Waterloo Body Station.
Background: Non-specific low back pain has no known cause. It is a highly prevalent and debilitating condition which has a significant impact on quality of life. Whilst encouraging in previous studies, the efficacy of yoga remains unproven.
Aim: To investigate and critically evaluate the evidence regarding the efficacy of yoga in the treatment of non-specific and chronic low back pain as a standalone therapy, versus another physical therapy, education, or no intervention.
Method: Critical literature review. Studies were searched using Pub Med and Google Scholar. Key words/search term: Yoga (low back pain) and yoga + low back pain + RCT.
Results: Nine trials were included. Various forms of yoga were included. Yoga can be effective in the short-term, However, the general quality of the trials, the small sample sizes and the possible bias in the data, do not allow any firm conclusion. The trials compared yoga to no intervention or a non-exercise intervention such as education, an exercise intervention, or both exercise and non-exercise interventions.
Conclusion: Although a few studies highlighted the short-term benefits of yoga for lower back pain, the clinical trials have mixed results, mainly due to a lack of research procedures, different treatment methodologies and small sample sizes. Further research into the efficacy of yoga, particularly regarding the psychological impact would be beneficial.