title: Yoga for chronic neck pain: a 12-month follow-up.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess the effects of a 9-week yoga intervention on chronic nonspecific neck pain 12 months after completion.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twelve-month follow-up of the pooled data of both arms of a randomized, controlled trial.
  
  
  METHODS
  Department of Internal and Integrative Medicine at an academic teaching hospital.
  
  
  METHODS
  Fifty-one patients with chronic nonspecific neck pain (mean age 47.8 years; 82.4% female).
  
  
  METHODS
  A 9-week yoga group intervention.
  
  
  METHODS
  Neck pain intensity (100-mm visual analog scale), functional disability (neck disability index), health-related quality of life (short-form 36 questionnaire, SF-36), generic disability (days with restricted activities), and global improvement.
  
  
  RESULTS
  From baseline to 12-month follow-up, pain intensity improved from 48.81 ± 17.71 to 32.31 ± 20.68 (P < 0.001), neck-related disability decreased from 25.26 ± 9.02 to 19.49 ± 11.52 (P = 0.001), and bodily pain in the SF-36 improved from 49.37 ± 12.40 to 59.26 ± 17.57 (P = 0.005). Improvements in pain intensity were predicted by weekly minutes of yoga practice during the past 4 weeks (r(2)  = 0.12, P = 0.028); improved neck-related disability (r(2)  = 0.24, P = 0.001) and bodily pain (r(2)  = 0.26, P = 0.006) were predicted by regular yoga practice during the past 12 months. Generic disability did not decrease significantly. Twenty-four patients (68.6%) rated their health as at least somewhat improved.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A 9-week yoga intervention improved pain and neck-related disability for at least 12 months after completion. Sustained yoga practice seems to be the most important predictor of long-term effectiveness.
authors: Department of Internal and Integrative Medicine, Kliniken Essen-Mitte, Faculty of Medicine, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany. h.cramer@kliniken-essen-mitte.de
authors: Holger
authors: H
authors: Cramer
authors: Romy
authors: R
authors: Lauche
authors: Claudia
authors: C
authors: Hohmann
authors: Jost
authors: J
authors: Langhorst
authors: Gustav
authors: G
authors: Dobos
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002908:Chronic Disease; D004185:Disability Evaluation; D004522:Educational Status; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D019547:Neck Pain / Q000628:therapy*; D010147:Pain Measurement; D010349:Patient Compliance; D011788:Quality of Life; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D015013:Yoga; D055815:Young Adult