Researchers at the University of Witten/Herdecke, in Germany, performed a meta-analysis on the effectiveness of yoga on pain and associated disability.

First, the details.

• 16 studies of varying quality were included in the review.
• 6 studies: back pain
• 2 studies: rheumatoid arthritis
• 2 studies: headache/migraine
• 6 studies: other indications

And, the results.

• All studies reported positive effects in favor of the yoga.

The bottom line?

The authors concluded, “Despite some limitations, there is evidence that yoga may be useful for several pain-associated disorders. Moreover, there are hints that even short-term interventions might be effective.”

They recommend more research to identify patients that might be most likely to benefit from yoga.

12/20/11 19:38 JR