Question
- What is the clinical effectiveness of yoga for chronic non-malignant pain in adults?
- What is the cost-effectiveness of yoga for chronic non-malignant pain in adults?
- What are the evidence-based guidelines regarding the use of yoga for chronic non-malignant pain in adults?
Key Message
Evidence of limited quality from one randomized study suggested that yoga plus conventional treatment with analgesics was effective for reducing chronic pelvic pain, while conventional treatment with analgesics alone was not. One high-quality systematic review did not identify any studies of relevance to this report. No evidence regarding the cost-effectiveness of yoga compared with pharmacological treatments was identified. Seven guidelines (one of which was included in a systematic review) of moderate- to-high methodological quality included recommendations in favour of yoga for the treatment of non-malignant chronic pain.