Iyengar Yoga for Back Pain

One of the most common reasons people come to yoga is to address chronic back pain. Those of us who practice yoga regularly know from our own experience that yoga is effective in easing back pain. A recent study in the journal Spine now backs those observations with facts. The study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of Iyengar Yoga therapy on chronic low back pain. Iyengar yoga focuses on correct musculoskeletal alignment in poses and uses props when necessary to achieve alignment. The subjects in the study participated in 24 weeks of bi-weekly yoga classes and were evaluated for pain intensity, depression, and use of pain medication. The yoga group “had statistically significant reductions in functional disability, pain intensity, and depression…and tended to reduce pain medication usage.” It’s always nice when science adds objective proof to your subjective experience.