Evaluation of the Effectiveness and Efficacy of Iyengar Yoga Therapy on Chronic Low Back Pain

Kimberly Williams, PhD

Department of Community Medicine
West Virginia University
Morgantown, West Virginia

Low back pain is prevalent and expensive, often causing job-related disability, interfering with activities of daily living, and adversely affecting quality of life. To treat back pain, many patients turn to complementary and alternative medicine modalities, such as meditation, yoga, biofeedback, hypnosis, and acupuncture. Iyengar yoga is a popular style of yoga that incorporates props to ensure correct body alignment together with specific sequence and defined timing for postures. In this study, Williams et al have assessed the effects of Iyengar yoga therapy on functional disability, pain intensity, depression, and pain medication usage in patients with nonspecific chronic low back pain.

References

Williams K, et al. Evaluation of the Effectiveness and Efficacy of Iyengar Yoga Therapy on Chronic Low Back Pain. Spine (Phila Pa 1976). 2009;34(19):2066-2076.
Iyengar BKS. Light on Pranayama: The Yogic Art of Breathing. New York, NY: The Crossroad Publishing Co; 1989.
Eisenberg DM, Davis RB, Ettner SL, et al. Trends in alternative medicine use in the United States, 1990–1997: results of a follow-up national survey. JAMA. 1998;280:1569-1575.

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