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Yoga Practice for Chronic Back Pain

This study is looking at whether a 6-week Ashtanga yoga program, designed by Eddie Stern, can help people with chronic back pain. Chronic back pain is pain above the buttocks that has lasted at least 3 months. You might be able to join if you are 18 or older, have chronic back pain, and are able to participate in yoga. You cannot join if you need surgery for your back pain or have other health problems that would prevent you from doing yoga. The researchers will measure success by looking at changes in your pain levels (VAS), how much your back pain affects your daily life (ODI), and your overall health (SF-36) after 6 months. The current recruitment status is unclear.

Study design
This is an interventional study planning to enroll 200 participants. It compares a yoga program to usual care for chronic back pain.
What's involved
You would participate in a 6-week Ashtanga yoga program. Your pain and health will be measured at the beginning and 6 months after starting the study.
Compensation
Not stated in the trial record.
Follow-up
Participants will be followed for 6 months after their enrollment visit.

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NCT04270617

The Effect of Yoga Practice on Chronic Back Pain

Recruiting
NAAges 18+InterventionalTreatment
NYU Langone Health
~200 participants
Updated 2026-06-04 on ClinicalTrials.gov
What's tested:Yoga program

At a glance

Recruiting sites
1 of 1 listed site is recruiting right now
RecruitingSuspended, closed, or not yet open
What they're measuring
Changes in VAS(visual analog scale)
Measured over Enrollment visit, 6 months after enrollment visit
+2 more outcomes measured

Conditions

Chronic Back Pain

Explore related trials

Chronic back pain

Where it's being run

1 sites across 1 states
New York1

Study leadership

  • Erich Anderer · PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR · NYU Langone Health

Who to contact

Erich Anderer, MD
[email protected]
(718) 630-6580
Email the study team

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Eligibility criteria

Inclusion

Willingness to and ability to participate in study procedures
Chronic back pain (pain above the gluteal cleft of at least 3 months duration)

Exclusion

Indication for surgery (i.e., fracture, infection, scoliosis, spondylolisthesis)
Cardiac, pulmonary or other medical comorbidities that preclude participation in yoga practice

What this trial measures

  • Changes in VAS(visual analog scale)Enrollment visit, 6 months after enrollment visit

    The visual analogue scale or visual analog scale (VAS) is designed to measure pain intensity with less pain being experienced by those in the intervention group in comparison to the control group.

  • Changes in ODI (Oswestry Disability Index)Enrollment visit, 6 months after enrollment visit

    The Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) is an index derived from the Oswestry Low Back Pain Questionnaire used by clinicians and researchers to quantify disability for low back pain. Improvement will be measured by the lower score out of a 100, which reflects less disability.

  • Changes in SF-36 (Short Form (36) Health Survey )Enrollment visit, 6 months after enrollment visit

    The Short Form (36) Health Survey is a 36-item, patient-reported survey of patient health. Improvement with those with Yoga will be seen by higher scores in SF-36 which indicate lower disability.