Integrated effect of yoga and mindfulness meditation on pain, functional disability, and spinal flexibility in computer users with chronic low back pain: A prospective randomized active control trial
Chametcha Singphow, Satya Prakash Purohit, Padmini Tekur, Suman Bista, Surya Narayan Panigrahy, Nagarathna Raghuram
Yoga Mimamsa 2022 DOI: 10.4103/ym.ym_51_22 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Randomized controlled trial Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 80 |
| Population | Computer users with chronic low back pain in Bengaluru, Karnataka, India |
| Interventions | Yoga and mindfulness meditation physical exercise |
| Duration | 16 weeks |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Key findings | Yoga and mindfulness meditation reduced pain and functional disability and improved spinal flexibility more than physical exercise alone in computer users with chronic low back pain. |
Abstract
Introduction: Chronic low back pain (CLBP) is two and a half times more prevalent in the working population than in nonworking population. The 1-year prevalence of low back pain (LBP) in working population ranges from 23% to 38%. However, the 1-year prevalence in computer professionals was found to be 31%–54%. Studies have demonstrated the vast mental and physiological health advantages associated with yoga.
Objective: We planned to investigate the effect of yoga and mindfulness meditation in computer users with CLBP.
Methods: Eighty computer users (42.6 ± 8.45 years of age; suffering from CLBP for 5.20 ± 3.01 years; 51 males and 29 females) were recruited from Bengaluru, Karnataka, India. Subjects were randomized into two groups; yoga and mindfulness meditation/YM group (n = 40) and physical exercise/PE group (n = 40). YM group practiced an integrated module comprising yoga practices and mindfulness meditation, while PE group practiced physical exercises designed for LBP (1 h per day, 3 days per week for 16 weeks). Assessments were done at baseline, after 8 weeks, and after 16 weeks.
Results: Seventy-seven participants (39 in YM and 38 in PE) completed the study. Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) scores and Numerical Rating Scale (NRS) scores decreased significantly, and the Sit and Reach Test (SRT) scores improved significantly in both groups after intervention (p < 0.001). Between-group analyses demonstrated that there was a significant difference in ODI scores (YM = 7.28 ± 5.68, PE = 15.53 ± 8.13, P < 0.001), NRS scores (YM = 1.00 ± 0.89, PE = 1.82 ± 0.73, P < 0.001), and SRT scores (YM = 26.41 ± 5.03, PE = 22.82 ± 4.96, P = 0.002) between the YM group and PE group at 16 weeks, favoring the YM group.
Conclusion: A 16-week yoga & mindfulness meditation program appeared to be effective in reducing pain and functional disability, and in improving spinal flexibility in computer users with CLBP.
Comparable studies
Other randomized controlled trials on meditation, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alterations in Brain and Immune Function Produced by Mindfulness Meditation Healthy employees in a work environment | 2003 | Randomized controlled trial | n = 41 |
| Prevention of relapse/recurrence in major depression by mindfulness-based cognitive therapy. Recovered recurrently depressed patients | 2000 | Randomized controlled trial | n = 145 |
| Open hearts build lives: Positive emotions, induced through loving-kindness meditation, build consequential personal resources. Working adults | 2008 | Randomized controlled trial | n = 139 |
| Short-term meditation training improves attention and self-regulation Undergraduate Chinese students | 2007 | Randomized controlled trial | n = 40 |
| Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy for Depression: Replication and Exploration of Differential Relapse Prevention Effects. Recovered recurrently depressed patients | 2004 | Randomized controlled trial | n = 73 |
Citations in the library
Cites 9
- How Does Mindfulness Meditation Work? Proposing Mechanisms of Action From a Conceptual and Neural Perspective Perspectives on Psychological Science October 14, 2011
- Mindfulness meditation–based pain relief: a mechanistic account Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences June 1, 2016
- Yoga and health Indian Journal of Community Medicine 2014
- Views on a brief mindfulness intervention among patients with long-term illness BMC Psychology November 14, 2016
- Alterations of regional cerebral glucose metabolism using18F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron-emission tomography/computed tomography and electroencephalography analysis during mindfulness breathing in Anapanasati meditation: A preliminary analysis. World journal of nuclear medicine 2021
and 4 more in the library