Yoga for Chronic Lower Back Pain in Nurses

This paper summarises the prevalence of and risk factors for chronic lower back pain (CLBP) among nurses, reviews the effectiveness in treating pain and disability of mind-body exercises (yoga and tai chi) for CLBP among the general and nursing population, and describes implications.

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Heather Mason
Founder of the Minded Institute, The Minded Institute
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http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27446610

Chronic lower back pain is highly common among nurses and health care assistants and a major reason for sick leave and compromised emotional health in this population. The statistics really are staggering - prevalence estimates of chronic lower back pain among nurses range from 50% to 80%. This paper summarises the prevalence of and risk factors for chronic lower back pain (CLBP) among nurses, reviews the effectiveness in treating pain and disability of mind-body exercises (yoga and tai chi) for CLBP among the general and nursing population, and describes implications.

No published studies were identified that evaluated yoga or tai chi for nurses with CLBP. Studies in the general population suggested that these interventions are effective in reducing pain and disability and may improve factors/processes predictive of CLBP in nurses. We desperately need more research into yoga for nurses with CLBP people!

Go to the profile of Heather Mason

Heather Mason

Founder of the Minded Institute, The Minded Institute

Heather Mason is a leader in the field of mind-body therapy and the founder of Yoga Therapy for the Mind. She develops innovative methods for mental health treatment drawing on her robust educational background including an MA in Psychotherapy, an MA in Buddhist Studies, studies in Neuroscience and a current MSc in Medical Physiology.. She is also a 500 RYT, a yoga therapist and an MBCT facilitator. Heather offers various professional trainings for yoga teachers, healthcare professionals and therapists, lectures around the world, and delivers training to medical students. She also develops protocols for different client populations by translating cutting edge research from the psycho-biology and neuro-biology of stress into yoga practices, breathwork, mindfulness interventions and therapeutic holding. Further she is involved in research on the efficacy of these practices, holds the annual UK yoga therapy conference and is blazing the trail for the integration of yoga therapy into the NHS