I have been asked dozens of times over the years, but especially the past two or three years, if it is ok to continue or start doing yoga while under chiropractic care. I thought it would be prudent to examine some of the current information when it comes to its effectiveness and safety.
As of 2012 yoga was practiced by 15.8 million Americans. The highest prevalence of increase from 2002 to 2012 was by adults between the ages of 18 and 44. Injuries related to yoga are infrequent and the most common type of injury is a sprain of the lower extremity. A recent systematic review of controlled trials concluded yoga appears to be as safe as usual care and exercise. (1)
Research suggests yoga may be effective for a wide variety of conditions, such as arthritis, chronic low back pain, fibromyalgia and balance in the elderly. A 2014 study compared yoga therapy to conventional exercise therapy on pain intensity and health related quality of life in subjects with nonspecific chronic low back pain. Results showed yoga provides better improvement in pain reduction and health related quality of life measurements. (2)
A 2015 study on balance in the elderly had a large group perform yoga two times per week for eight weeks. Compared to controls, the yoga group had significant improvements in balance as indicated on the Berg Balance Scale. (3) Another study found that yoga significantly reduced pain and symptoms in a group of women with osteoarthritis. (4)
Each case I see is unique and incorporating yoga into your chiropractic health regimen can be a valuable adjunct to care and a healthy lifestyle.
Russell K, et al. Epidemiology of Yoga Related Injuries. Int J Inj Contr Saf Promot. May 8, 2015;1-7
Nambi GS, et al. Changes in Pain Intensity and Health Related Quality of Life in Non-specific LBP. Int J Yoga, Jan 2014;7(1):48-53
Howe T, Rochester L, Neil F, et al. Exercise for Improving Balance In Older People. Cochrane Database System Review. Nova, 2011:(11)
- GHasemi GA, et al. Effects of Yoga on Knee Arthritis. Int J Prev of Osteoarthritis Med. April 2013;4