Studies show that a therapeutic virtual yoga program can effectively alleviate chronic low back pain.

Researchers at the Cleveland Clinic have found that a 12-week therapeutic virtual yoga program is a feasible, safe, and effective treatment for chronic low back pain, with findings published in JAMA Network Open.

Chronic low back pain affects up to 20% of adults globally, often interfering with daily activities, work, sleep, and mobility. Current clinical guidelines recommend non-pharmacologic treatments, such as physical therapy or in-person yoga. This study investigated whether virtual yoga could similarly benefit individuals suffering from chronic low back pain. Results showed that participants who attended virtual yoga classes experienced reduced pain intensity and improved back-related function.

“Attending in-person yoga classes can be difficult,” stated Dr. Robert Saper, chair of the Department of Wellness and Preventive Medicine at Cleveland Clinic and senior author of the study. “Our research demonstrates that virtual yoga classes can serve as a safe and effective option for treating chronic low back pain.”

The study included 140 participants with chronic low back pain, with an average age of 48, and over 80% were women. These participants, members of Cleveland Clinic’s Employee Health Plan from Northeast Ohio and Florida, were part of a randomized clinical trial conducted from May 2022 to May 2023. Baseline assessments measured pain intensity and back-related function, after which participants were divided into a “yoga now” group and a “yoga later” control group.

The “yoga now” group received virtual, live-streamed yoga classes for 12 weeks, while the “yoga later” group continued with their usual medical care before being offered non-study yoga classes after the trial. Participants were reassessed at six, 12, and 24 weeks, measuring pain, back function, medication use, and sleep quality.

The results were compelling: after 12 weeks, participants in the yoga now group reported six times greater reductions in pain intensity and 2.7 times greater improvements in back function compared to the control group. Additionally, 34% fewer participants in the yoga now group used pain medication, and their sleep quality improved tenfold. The benefits were maintained at the 24-week follow-up.

“Yoga provides a holistic approach to managing low back pain, often outperforming traditional treatments,” said Dr. Hallie Tankha, first author of the study. “Our next step is to make this accessible to more people.”

Dr. Saper aims to expand this research to a larger, more diverse patient population across multiple health care systems.

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