Yoga is Best for Back Pain Relief

In an earlier post, Geezer found evidence that the best exercises for relieving low back pain have little to do with the lower back. Rather, a recent study found, relief came from doing things like walking–several times a week. Now another study suggests that back pain sufferers are even better off with yoga. The Seattle-Post Intelligencer reports that research conducted by the Group Health Cooperative and the University of Washington compared three remedies for people with chronic back pain: a gentle yoga program, a self-care book and an exercise regimen developed by a physical therapist. At 26 weeks, the paper reports, the yoga group was less likely to take pain medication than the other two groups and reported less pain and more mobility than the group that relied on the book alone. The yoga group also reported less pain than those who stuck to a more standard exercise routine. Why? Geezer would like to know too, but the story reports that researchers don’t have an answer.