Yoga for Chronic Pain

To assess the effectiveness of yoga for chronic pain (CLRP) in a Meta-analytic fashion, a data set was assembled from previously published studies. These studies used different types of yoga exercises and different types of control groups. Independent variables included yoga teacher training, years practicing yoga, gender, pain history, and physical condition. Substantial differences in effects were found for all study outcomes when controlling for these variables. In addition, within each sex, significant differences in effect were noted for all categories of exercise and for all types of controls.

As the body and mind become connected through physical postures, the individual can experience a sense of well-being and calmness. This combination of relaxation, increased flexibility, enhanced circulation, and the introduction of meditative breathing can provide a great way to achieve pain relief and balance. In fact, yoga is very beneficial in reducing pain and enhancing healing in postoperative patients.

Back pain is a common problem that affects many Americans. Unfortunately, because back pain typically is associated with an underlying disorder, treatment often involves complex, medical procedures that may not be practical or effective for most patients. For example, most chiropractors recommend manual adjustments to help treat acute back pain, but if these techniques are not practical, there is no obvious alternative. However, a great way to relieve chronic pain associated with illness or injury is to engage in yoga. Yoga provides an excellent alternative because it provides stretching and strengthening muscles and can also relieve pain by stimulating the mind and body.

Studies have shown that yoga is very effective at promoting pain relief and improving functioning for patients suffering from CLNP. In fact, some patients who participated in a chronic pain trial using a standard medical protocol developed better flexibility and strength, and they experienced improvements in both muscle function and pain relief than did patients who took a more traditional route. Additionally, yoga significantly improved mood and decreased depression scores in patients undergoing clinical trials. This finding is significant because mood and depression are key factors in CLNP treatment. The findings are especially encouraging, since almost half of all patients undergoing clinical trials using conventional therapies showed improvement in mood and depression.

Yoga can be used as an additional treatment for several different types of chronic pain conditions. It has been proven to be effective for low back pain, shoulder pain, whiplash, syndromes, migraines, osteoarthritis, and sciatica. However, yoga can also be used to treat many more pain conditions, including lower back pain, knee pain, headaches, dental pain, menstrual pain, and nervous pain, to name just a few. It seems that yoga offers a comprehensive approach to pain relief for many different types of pain perception disorders.

One of the most common yoga poses for pain relief is a forward fold yoga pose. The forward fold is simply a rotation from the hips to the shoulders, followed by a backward fold into the adductor muscles and vertebrae. Another pose that frequently helps relieve pain is Adho Mukta Svanasana or Downward Facing Dog pose. In this pose, your feet will be placed flat on the floor with your forearms on the floor. In order to ease any stiffness in the back, practice pranayama - controlled breathing through your nose - while inhaling and exhaling deeply.