Yoga Eases Back Pain

So in recent studies it is proven that yoga, yes yoga of all things has lessen back and neck pains."We found yoga classes more effective than a self-care book -- but no more effective than stretching classes," said study leader Karen J. Sherman, PhD, MPH, a senior investigator at Group Health Research Institute.In the trial, 228 adults in six cities in western Washington state were randomly assigned to 12 weekly 75-minute classes of either yoga or stretching exercises, 9 out of 10 of them were primary-care patients at Group Health Cooperative. Participants in the trial typically had moderate -- not severe -- back pain and relatively good mental health, and most had been at least somewhat active before the trial started. The class participants received instructional videos and were encouraged to practice at home for 20 minutes a day between their weekly classes. Interviewers who didn't know the patients' treatment assignments assessed their back-related function and pain symptoms at six weeks, 12 weeks, and six months.

In 2005, Dr. Sherman and her colleagues conducted a smaller study that found yoga effective for easing chronic low back pain. "In our new trial," she said, "we wanted both to confirm those results in a larger group and to see how yoga compared to a different form of exercise of comparable physical exertion: stretching.

This discovery to me is great because my father almost lost his leg a few years back so I think if he can learn to not be lazy and stretch he might be able to walk without a limp. That would be the day I will truly be proud of how many surgeries he went through because it will then be worth it.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/10/111024164708.htm