Yoga, tai chi may help manage chronic pain

Is your back pain unmanageable even after taking pain relieving drugs? Try non-drug approaches such as yoga, tai chi as well as acupuncture, which may act as effective tools to help manage chronic pain conditions, suggests a study. The study found that these popular health interventions could better help patients suffering from five painful conditions - back pain, osteoarthritis, neck pain, fibromyalgia, and severe headaches and migraine. 

“For many people who suffer from chronic pain, medications may not completely relieve pain and can produce unwanted side effects. As a result, many people may turn to non-drug approaches to help manage their pain,” said a lead author. The study found that these interventions had no significant side effects. While acupuncture and yoga were found to be beneficial for back pain, a combination of acupuncture and tai chi - a form of Chinese martial art - was best for knee osteoarthritis. Massage therapy and certain relaxation techniques helped patients with neck pain and severe headaches as well as migraine. In addition, massage therapy, spinal manipulation, and osteopathic manipulation also provided some help for back pain, while relaxation approaches and tai chi helped people with fibromyalgia, said the paper published in the journal Mayo Clinic Proceedings.