Cochrane · systematic review · CD010671
Yoga for chronic non‐specific low back pain
Wieland, LS, Skoetz, N, Pilkington, K, et al. · Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews · 2022 · Cochrane Library
SoF tableOnly the outcomes this review put in its Summary of Findings table are listed (the Cochrane Handbook caps them at about seven per comparison). Its other analyses are not shown here.
Questions
22
current version
GRADE rated
13
No studies
9
Included studies
NR
No studies 9 · 40.9%Ungraded 0 · 0%Very low 4 · 18.2%Low 5 · 22.7%Moderate 4 · 18.2%High 0 · 0%
Ungraded means an effect was reported without a GRADE rating; it is not a gap. No studies means the review found nothing to answer the question. The six categories are a display order, not a score.
Questions and results
Current version onlyYoga compared to sham yoga for chronic non‐specific low back pain
Population: people with chronic non‐specific low back pain
| Outcome | Effect | Evidence | Status / GRADE |
|---|---|---|---|
Back‐specific functional status Yoga vs sham yoga | no estimate extracted | NR | No studies |
Pain Yoga vs sham yoga | no estimate extracted | NR | No studies |
Physical quality of life Yoga vs sham yoga | no estimate extracted | NR | No studies |
Mental quality of life Yoga vs sham yoga | no estimate extracted | NR | No studies |
Depression Yoga vs sham yoga | no estimate extracted | NR | No studies |
Adverse events Yoga vs sham yoga | no estimate extracted | NR | No studies |
Yoga compared to non‐exercise for chronic non‐specific low back pain
Population: people with chronic non‐specific low back pain
| Outcome | Effect | Evidence | Status / GRADE |
|---|---|---|---|
Outcomesa Yoga vs non‐exercise | no estimate extracted | NR | No studies |
Back‐specific functional status Yoga vs non‐exercise | no estimate extracted | 11 studies · 1155 participants | Low Downgraded: risk of bias, inconsistency |
Pain Yoga vs non‐exercise | no estimate extracted | 9 studies · 946 participants | Moderate Downgraded: risk of bias |
Clinical improvement Assessed as participant rating that back pain was improved or resolved. Improvement measured differently in each study Yoga vs non‐exercise | RR 2.33 [1.46, 3.71] | 4 studies · 353 participants | Low Downgraded: risk of bias, imprecision |
Physical quality of life Yoga vs non‐exercise | no estimate extracted | 6 studies · 686 participants | Moderate Downgraded: risk of bias |
Mental quality of life Yoga vs non‐exercise | no estimate extracted | 6 studies · 686 participants | Moderate Downgraded: risk of bias |
Depression Yoga vs non‐exercise | no estimate extracted | 3 studies · 241 participants | Low Downgraded: risk of bias, imprecision |
Adverse events (1 participant withdrew due to increased back pain) Yoga vs non‐exercise | RR 4.76 [2.08, 10.89] | 8 studies · 1037 participants | Low Downgraded: risk of bias, imprecision |
Yoga compared to exercise for chronic non‐specific low back pain
Population: people with chronic non‐specific low back pain
| Outcome | Effect | Evidence | Status / GRADE |
|---|---|---|---|
Outcomesa Yoga vs exercise | no estimate extracted | NR | No studies |
Back‐specific functional status Yoga vs exercise | no estimate extracted | 4 studies · 575 participants | Moderate Downgraded: risk of bias |
Pain Yoga vs exercise | no estimate extracted | 2 studies · 326 participants | Very low Downgraded: risk of bias, imprecision |
Clinical improvement Assessed as participant rating that back pain was improved or resolved. Improvement measured differently in each study Yoga vs exercise | RR 0.97 [0.72, 1.31] | 3 studies · 433 participants | Very low Downgraded: risk of bias, imprecision, inconsistency |
Physical quality of life Yoga vs exercise | no estimate extracted | 1 study · 237 participants | Very low Downgraded: risk of bias, imprecision |
Mental quality of life Yoga vs exercise | no estimate extracted | 1 study · 237 participants | Very low Downgraded: risk of bias, imprecision |
Depression Yoga vs exercise | no estimate extracted | NR | No studies |
Adverse events Yoga vs exercise | RR 0.93 [0.56, 1.53] | 5 studies · 640 participants | Low Downgraded: risk of bias, imprecision |
Yoga compared with non‐exercise controls for chronic non‐specific low back pain
Population: adults with chronic non‐specific low back pain
| Outcome | Effect | Evidence | Status / GRADE |
|---|---|---|---|
Back‐specific function at short term (4 to 6 weeks) Oswestry Disability Index or the Roland‐Morris Disability Questionnaire. Lower scores on both scales mean better function. Roland‐Morris Disability Questionnaire used for illustrative risks. Yoga vs non‐exercise controls | no estimate extracted | 5 studies · 256 participants | Low Downgraded: risk of bias |
Back‐specific function at short‐intermediate term (3 to 4 months) Oswestry Disability Index, the Roland‐Morris Disability Questionnaire, or the Pain Disability Index. Lower scores on all scales mean better function. Roland‐Morris Disability Questi... Yoga vs non‐exercise controls | no estimate extracted | 7 studies · 667 participants | Low Downgraded: risk of bias |
Back‐specific function at intermediate term (6 months) Oswestry Disability Index, the Roland‐Morris Disability Questionnaire, or the Pain Disability Index. Lower scores on all scales mean better function. Roland‐Morris Disability Questionnaire use... Yoga vs non‐exercise controls | no estimate extracted | 6 studies · 630 participants | Moderate Downgraded: risk of bias |
Back‐specific function at long term (1 year) Oswestry Disability Index or the Roland‐Morris Disability Questionnaire. Lower scores on both scales mean better function. Roland‐Morris Disability Questionnaire used for illustrative risks. Yoga vs non‐exercise controls | no estimate extracted | 2 studies · 365 participants | Low Downgraded: risk of bias |
Pain at short term (4 to 6 weeks) Aberdeen Pain Scale (range 0 to 100) or a VAS scale (range 0 to 10). Scales were translated to a 0 to 100 scale in which lower scores mean less pain. Yoga vs non‐exercise controls | no estimate extracted | 2 studies · 40 participants | Very low Downgraded: risk of bias |
Pain at short‐intermediate term (3 to 4 months) Aberdeen Pain Scale (range 0 to 100) or a VAS scale (range 0 to 10 or 0 to 100). Scales were translated to a 0 to 100 scale in which lower scores mean less pain. Yoga vs non‐exercise controls | no estimate extracted | 5 studies · 458 participants | Moderate Downgraded: risk of bias |
Pain at intermediate term (6 months) Aberdeen Pain Scale (range 0 to 100) or a VAS scale (0 to 10 or 0 to 100). Scales were translated to a 0 to 100 scale in which lower scores mean less pain. Yoga vs non‐exercise controls | no estimate extracted | 4 studies · 414 participants | Low Downgraded: risk of bias |
Pain at long term (1 year) Aberdeen Pain Scale (range 0 to 100) and a VAS scale (0 to 100) in which lower scores mean less pain. Yoga vs non‐exercise controls | no estimate extracted | 2 studies · 355 participants | Very low Downgraded: risk of bias |
Adverse events Participants were followed 6 to 12 months. Yoga vs non‐exercise controls | RD 5 | 6 studies · 696 participants | Moderate Downgraded: risk of bias |
Yoga compared with exercise controls for chronic non‐specific low back pain
Population: adults with chronic non‐specific low back pain
| Outcome | Effect | Evidence | Status / GRADE |
|---|---|---|---|
Back‐specific function at short term (6 weeks) Roland‐Morris Disability Questionnaire. Lower scores mean better function. Yoga vs exercise controls | no estimate extracted | 2 studies · 248 participants | Very low Downgraded: risk of bias |
Back‐specific function at intermediate term (3 months) Roland‐Morris Disability Questionnaire. Lower scores mean better function. Yoga vs exercise controls | no estimate extracted | 2 studies · 249 participants | Very low Downgraded: risk of bias |
Back‐specific function at intermediate term (6 months) Roland‐Morris Disability Questionnaire. Lower scores mean better function. Yoga vs exercise controls | no estimate extracted | 2 studies · 249 participants | Very low Downgraded: risk of bias |
Pain at short term (4 weeks) VAS 10‐cm scale, which was translated to a 0 to 100 scale in which lower scores mean less pain. Yoga vs exercise controls | no estimate extracted | 1 study · 54 participants | Very low Downgraded: risk of bias |
Pain at short‐intermediate term (3 to 4 months) Yoga vs exercise controls | no estimate extracted | NR | No studies |
Pain at intermediate term (7 months) VAS 10‐cm scale, which was translated to a 0 to 100 scale in which lower scores mean less pain. Yoga vs exercise controls | no estimate extracted | 1 study · 54 participants | Very low Downgraded: risk of bias |
Adverse events Participants were followed 6 to 12 months. Yoga vs exercise controls | RD 1 | 3 studies · 314 participants | Low Downgraded: risk of bias |
Yoga compared with exercise controls for chronic non‐specific low back pain ‐ brief and intensive residential intervention
Population: adults with chronic non‐specific low back pain
| Outcome | Effect | Evidence | Status / GRADE |
|---|---|---|---|
Back‐specific function at very short term (1 week) Oswestry Low Back Pain Questionnaire. Lower scores mean better function. Yoga vs exercise controls | no estimate extracted | 1 study · 80 participants | Very low Downgraded: risk of bias |
Pain at very short term (1 week) VAS 10‐cm scale, which was translated to a 0 to 100 scale in which lower scores mean less pain. Yoga vs exercise controls | no estimate extracted | 1 study · 80 participants | Very low Downgraded: risk of bias |
Adverse events Yoga vs exercise controls | no estimate extracted | NR | No studies |
Yoga plus exercise compared with exercise alone for chronic non‐specific low back pain
Population: adults with chronic non‐specific low back pain
| Outcome | Effect | Evidence | Status / GRADE |
|---|---|---|---|
Back‐specific function at short‐intermediate term (10 weeks) Oswestry Low Back Pain Questionnaire. Lower scores mean better function. Yoga plus exercise vs exercise alone | no estimate extracted | 1 study · 24 participants | Very low Downgraded: risk of bias |
Pain at short‐intermediate term (10 weeks) Oswestry Disability Index Pain item (range 0 to 5), and it was transformed to a 0 to 100 scale in which lower scores mean less pain. Yoga plus exercise vs exercise alone | no estimate extracted | 1 study · 24 participants | Very low Downgraded: risk of bias |
Adverse events Yoga plus exercise vs exercise alone | no estimate extracted | NR | No studies |