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Yet another study on yoga reveals it benefits for the body. This one specifically suggests that you can avoid back surgery through yoga. A study on "Yoga for Military Veterans With Chronic Low Back Pain" published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine in 2017 shows yoga improved low back pain among veterans, who also reduced their use of opioids.
It included 150 military veterans with chronic low back pain from a major Veterans Affairs Medical Center in California. They participated in yoga classes twice weekly for 12 weeks, along with a home practice. They practiced Hatha yoga, which consisted of modifiable and accessible physical postures, movement, brief meditations and breathing techniques.
The study was conducted by Erik Groessl, professor of family medicine and public health at the University of California San Diego and director of the UCSD Health Services Research Center.
"In general, the conclusion is that there is solid, high-quality evidence, and we conclude yoga is an effective treatment for low back pain," Groessl says. "Like any treatment, there's an individuality aspect to it, it could make some people worse, if they have a unique type of medical problem or health condition. But it will make more people better."