Intensive stretching or yoga eases back pain

Lower back pain is a condition that can be extremely painful and many people who work in an office will tell you that it is something that they suffer from. This type of condition is the biggest cause of absence from work as it is very common in today’s workplace. While back pain can be the cause of some distress it is important to remember that it is not due to you having a serious disease.

Recent studies have shown that those who suffer from back pain might be able to relieve it by participating in intensive stretching or by doing yoga, studies have been inconclusive on which type of exercise is best for those who suffer from lower back pain.

Chronic lower back pain is defined by symptoms that persist for longer than three months, figures show that almost 10% of adults will experience this in their lifetime. The number of people who experience some level of lower back pain during their lifetime is around 80%.

The primary method of treatment which doctors pursue is the use of a physiotherapist or the prescription of muscle relaxants and painkillers. There are relatively few studies about whether exercise is an effective treatment for back pain but it is something that doctors will often recommend to patients.

A recent study has compared the effectiveness of yoga and stretching in the treatment of back pain. A control group was also given a book on how to deal with back pain and told to study at. At the end of the study it was shown that those who stretched and participated in yoga were far more likely to relieve their pain.