Durability of Yoga for Veterans With Low Back Pain

Launched by VA OFFICE OF RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT · Jun 27, 2025

Keywords

ClinConnect Summary

This study is looking at how well yoga can help veterans with long-lasting low back pain over a longer period of time. Many veterans with chronic low back pain face difficulties in daily activities and often find that current treatments don’t fully relieve their pain or come with unwanted side effects. Previous research showed that yoga helped reduce pain and improve function up to six months, but this study aims to see if those benefits last for 12 to 18 months by encouraging participants to keep practicing yoga regularly.

Veterans who have had low back pain for at least three months, with pain levels of moderate intensity or higher, may be eligible to join. Participants should be willing to attend yoga sessions, complete a few check-in assessments, and respond to text messages about their progress. People who have had recent back surgery, certain serious medical or mental health conditions, or specific types of back problems may not qualify. If you join, you can expect to participate in a yoga program designed to help maintain long-term benefits and be asked to share updates about your pain and activity over time. This study is not yet recruiting but aims to provide helpful information on managing back pain through ongoing yoga practice.

Gender

ALL

Eligibility criteria

• Inclusion Criteria:
• • VA patients \> 18 years
• • Diagnosis of chronic low back pain \> 3 mos
• • Pain rated 4/10 or higher
• • No new pain treatments in the past month.
• • Willing to attend intervention;
• • Complete 5 assessments;
• • Respond to text assessments
• • Practiced yoga \< 3x in the last 6 months
• • Unless medically necessary, agree to not change pain treatment during intervention
• Exclusion Criteria:
• • Back surgery within the last 1 year
• • Pain due to specific systemic (eg, scleroderma, fibryomalgia) or non-musculoskeletal problem (neuropathy)
• • Positive Romberg test (with or without sensory neuropathy)
• • Severe vertebral disk problems, sciatica or nerve compression \>3 months
• • Serious or unstable psychiatric illness (e.g., unmanaged psychosis, manic episode, or substance dependence)
• • Serious coexisting medical illness (eg, cancer, COPD, bmi\> 40)