Virtual Yoga Reduces Chronic Back Pain
A Cleveland Clinic study of virtual yoga for chronic low back pain shows reductions in pain, reductions in use of pain-relieving medications and improvements in sleep. The randomized clinical study of 140 Cleveland Clinic employees with chronic low back pain investigated virtual yoga delivered in 12 weekly 60-minute sessions. The control group received the same yoga later after the study was over. Participants completed a pain rating scale ranging from 0 to 10 and the Roland Morris Disability Questionnaire measuring back-related function. At 12 and 24 weeks, there were greater reductions in pain and improvement of function for the yoga group compared with those on a waitlist. Yoga participants used 21% less pain medication at 12 and 24 weeks. Sleep also improved more in the yoga group. The participant workbook describing the yoga poses and sequence is available here: https://tinyurl.com/virtualyogaforpain.
