Many Turn to Yoga, CAM Where Modern Medicine Fails

Anyone who has gone to see their doctor for back pain can testify to the fact that nine times out of ten, pain killers and/or steroids are the resulting prescription. The other time: back surgery. Because of this, it’s no surprise that more and more Americans are turning to complimentary and alternative medicine (CAM), including yoga, for back pain and other structural health concerns.

A report released by the Center for Disease Control revealed that 38% of adults turned to CAM for health care during a given year, and that nearly half of those who had used alternative health solutions had done so for back pain.

These figures aren’t surprising when one considers modern medicines limited ability to treat back pain, neck pain, and other joint aches. Most of the time, conventional medicine can only apply a “band-aid” or side-effect-eliminating treatment, without addressing the underlying root of the structural issue.

However, CAM such as yoga addresses back pain at its root by stretching and strengthening the core postural muscles that support the spine. But working on the level of the body’s own structure, yoga relieves back pain without invasive surgery or prescription drug side-effects.

And, for anyone whose back pain requires inflammation-reducing steroids or pain-reducing medication, CAM methods such as yoga provide a safe and effective means to aid recovery without interfering with medications. 

With this in mind, it’s little surprise that more and more Americans are seeking out CAM including yoga for back pain to gain true and lasting relief from structural health concerns.