Effects of Yoga Therapy on Pain, Quality of Life, and Functional Ability in Chronic Low Back Pain Patients: A Systematic Review

Chronic Low Back Pain (CLBP) is a common musculoskeletal condition that often results in significant physical and psychological impairments. Although conservative therapies are available for treatment, they don't always address the comprehensive nature of pain. Yoga is an ancient discipline that incorporates practices to develop mental and physical health, and may be an effective intervention for treating chronic pain conditions. The purpose of this systematic review is to determine the effectiveness of yoga therapy for the treatment of CLBP. A comprehensive search using a combination of the words “yoga” and “chronic low back pain”, “yoga” and “back” and “yoga” and “chronic pain” was conducted, After meeting the selection criteria, articles were further analyzed and assessed for quality. Thirteen randomized control trials met the criteria for inclusion into the review. Post intervention, yoga therapy was highly effective treatment for reducing pain intensity and back related function, and moderately effective at improving quality of life, as compared to inactive controls. Limitations of this review include the high percentage of studies designed with inactive control groups and the use of non-study treatments, making it difficult to determine if the results are specifically attributable to yoga. This systematic review suggests that yoga therapy can have a positive effect on pain, functional disability, and quality of life in individuals with CLBP. Future research will need to be focused on establishing a dose response relationship that best treats CLBP.