D
r Timothy McCall, author of
Yoga as Medicine, reports
that there are now more
than 100 health conditions
benefited by yoga, according
to scientific studies. Research trends indicate
that more than 300 new yoga studies are
published each year – almost one every day.
US physician Dr Dean Ornish, who
pioneered research into yoga in the 1990s,
recently said: “We’ve been able to show with
over three decades of research that lifestyle
changes, which include yoga and meditation,
can not only prevent but reverse chronic
diseases.” In his research using yoga for
reversing heart disease, Ornish found that
patients who followed his programme for
one year had a 55% reduction in emergency
room visits and an 84% reduction in
inpatient admissions.
Recently, two UK scientific studies have
described promising results of yoga for NHS
patients and staff.Yoga for NHS patients
In 2012, researchers from the University
of York revealed that a 12-week ‘Yoga for
Healthy Lower Backs (YHLB)’ programme,Yoga for NHS patients and staff. By Dr Ned Hartfiel
involving more than 300 NHS patients,
resulted in improved wellbeing, reduced
back pain, and a 70% reduction in work
absenteeism when yoga participants were
compared with a control group.
Delivered at 12 UK sites, the YHLB
programme includes flexibility and
strengthening exercises with an emphasis
on breathing, a positive mental attitude,
relaxation techniques and low back
education. The YHLB programme has been
designed to be taught by yoga teachers from
a variety of different schools and methods
of yoga.
Since 2012, more than 200 yoga teachers
have been trained to deliver the YHLB
programme, which is now endorsed by Public
Health England.Yoga for NHS staff
In 2017, researchers from Bangor University
reported that an eight-week ‘Dru Yoga’
programme, offered to more than 150 NHS
staff in three Welsh hospitals, resulted in
improved wellbeing, reduced back pain, less
visits to healthcare professionals for back
pain, and a 90% reduction in sick leave due
to musculoskeletal conditions.The Dru Yoga programme featured in this
study consisted of a series of gentle warm-
up movements, a sequence of stretches to
release tension from the shoulders and hips,
back care postures to develop suppleness in
the spine and improve posture, and relaxation
techniques to create an overall feeling of
positive health and wellbeing.
The study results also showed that NHS
staff who improved the most were those who
practiced yoga at home for an average of 60
minutes or more each week. Ten minutes or
more a day of home practice was associated
with doubling the reduction in back pain.
Since 2017, Dru Yoga’s ‘Healthy Back
Programme’ has been introduced for NHS staff
at Great Ormond Street Hospital as well as for
employees in organisations such as Kellogg’s
and the Merseyside Police.For more information on Dru Yoga’s
‘Healthy Back Programme’ visit:
healthybackprogramme.comDr Ned Hartfiel will be presenting on the
‘cost-effectiveness of yoga’ at the Yoga in
Healthcare Conference, February 15-17, at
Westminster University, London.yoga in the NHS