Breath therapy for chronic low back pain

Summary 

Hands-on mind-body techniques claim to help patients with low back pain (LBP) by focusing on body-awareness. Their efficacy has been studied only in a few controlled research studies of limited rigor. A randomized controlled clinical pilot trial of Breath Therapy (BT) was conducted to determine whether patients with cLBP would benefit from an approach primarily focusing on body-awareness. BT is a Western mind-body therapy developed in Germany that integrates body-awareness, breathing, meditation, and movement. Thirty-six patients seeking primary medical care for chronic LBP of at least 3 months duration were randomly assigned either to receive BT or PT at an academic medical center. Main outcome measures at baseline, 6–8 weeks, and 6 months were pain, function, and overall health. Balance as a potential surrogate for proprioception and body-awareness was measured at the beginning and end of treatment. Patients suffering from cLBP improved clinically with BT. Changes in standard self-reported LBP measures of pain and disability were comparable to changes measured following high-quality, extended PT. The full details of the study are published elsewhere [Mehling, W.E., et al., 2005. Randomized, controlled trial of breath therapy for patients with chronic LBP. Alternative Therapies in Health and Medicine 11 (4), 44–52].

Keywords: Breath therapy, Low back pain, Body-awareness, Physical therapy, Middendorf