Cost Effectiveness of Medical Yoga Therapy on Low Back Pain

This randomized controlled study will evaluate the cost effectiveness of a yoga intervention compared to two evidence based programs; giving advice to stay active and guided exercise sessions. The first active program includes a six week standardized strength training program where the participants are personally instructed by a trained physiotherapist. The second active program is a six week standardized kundalini yoga program with group sessions twice a week lead by an experienced yoga instructor. Both programs consist of two exercise sessions per week and lasts for six weeks. After six weeks the participants are instructed to continue practicing their program twice a week on their own. The hypothesis are that a kundalini yoga program as an early intervention for Low Back Pain (LBP) is more cost effective than the two other interventions studied. Participants were recruited through the occupational health services and by advertisement in the local press. Study subjects eligible for inclusion were informed of the study either by health care personnel at the occupational health care centers or by a research assistant at the Karolinska Institutet. Subjects were informed that if they were eligible to participate in the study they would be given the opportunity to participate in one of three approaches for treatment of neck and back pain.