Yoga for Veterans With CLBP
Chronic Low Back Pain
About this trial
This is an interventional treatment trial for Chronic Low Back Pain focused on measuring Yoga, Mind-Body Therapies, Chronic Low Back Pain, Military Veterans, VA patients
Eligibility Criteria
Inclusion Criteria:
- Has a VA primary care provider
- Diagnosis of chronic low back pain > 6 months
- Willing to attend a yoga program or be assigned to delayed treatment with yoga
- Willing to complete 4 assessments
- English Literacy
- Has not begun new pain treatments or medications in the past month
- Willing to not change pain treatments (e.g., discontinue a treatment; increase medication dose) during the 12-week intervention period unless medically necessary
Exclusion Criteria:
- back surgery within the last 12 months
- back pain due to specific systemic problem (eg, lupus, scleroderma, fibromyalgia)
- morbid obesity (BMI > 40)
- Significant sciatica or nerve compression < 3 months or chronic lumbar radicular pain > 3 months
- Unstable, serious coexisting medical illness (eg, CHF, cancer, COPD, morbid obesity; dementia)
- Unstable, serious psychiatric illness (e.g., unmanaged psychosis, active substance dependence)
- Insufficient data to rule out acute, metastatic disease, (unless primary care physician approves)
- Attended or practiced yoga > 1x in the last 12 months
- Positive Romberg test (with or without sensory neuropathy)
Sites / Locations
- VA San Diego Healthcare System, San Diego, CA
Arms of the Study
Arm 1
Arm 2
Experimental
No Intervention
Yoga
Delayed Treatment Control - Usual Care
The yoga intervention will consist of 2x weekly, 60-minute Hatha Yoga classes for 12 weeks, geared toward a CLBP population. Classes begin with a few minutes of simple seated breathing exercises. Depending on their mobility, participants can sit either on the floor or on a chair. This is followed by gentle warm-up stretches. Participants are then led through a series of standing postures, seated postures and floor postures. The difficulty of the poses will gradually increase over the duration of the 12 weeks, and appropriate modifications are offered to participants whenever needed. Deep and rhythmic breathing will be emphasized throughout. Each class will end with a supine resting pose.
Participants randomly assigned to this arm are allowed to continue all existing treatments. Participants and their primary care physician are asked to not change treatments unless medically necessary. participants are asked to not do yoga for 6 months. They are given free yoga and a yoga mat after 6 months.