So, it’s official. Back pain is the leading disability and cause of pain and discomfort in the world, and it’s having some seriously negative effects on society. In fact, it’s estimated that in the US alone, 4/5 people will experience some level of chronic back pain at some point in their lives and in the UK, back pain is the most common cause of missing work.
It’s actually estimated that this costs the UK employers around £3 billion every single year. However, there is a simple solution that can not only help these employers but can also benefit you in your life and help you to reduce those levels of pain and discomfort that you might be feeling; yoga.
Reducing the Pain & Discomfort
Back pain is not a comfortable thing to deal with, and some say it’s even on par with a toothache, which we all know can be extremely horrible to deal with. However, the benefits of yoga are irrefutable, and the National Health Service (NHS) from the UK has even started to upload posts and information pages of the benefits that it can provide.
One NHS study took 150 employees from three hospitals in the North of Wales. Randomly, the group was divided into groups that either partook in an education session or a 60-minute yoga session. These yoga sessions took place once a week for a total of eight weeks. The yoga group were also given a home DVD that they could use and an informational poster and were advised to practice at home for 10 minutes a day over the course of six months.
The Results
The results of this small study were pretty clear. The participants of the yoga group claimed much larger reductions in the effects of back pain that the educational group and that the yoga group had 20 times less absence from work that the educational group average. It was also shown that the yoga group visited health professionals for back pain 50% less than the educational group.
In regard to practising for ten minutes at home, the participants were able to double their reduction in chronic back pain as well as a notable reduction in the amount of stress that they were feeling.
Try It Yourself
This is just another study to come out that can prove the benefits that even a little yoga practices every single day can have on your life. If you’re suffering from any level of back pain and you’re looking for a quick and easy solution that you can try yourself, try yoga.
Whether you’re buying yourself a DVD, a book or signing up for a class, there’s so much you can try. So what are you waiting for, change your life today!
