Author: Brämberg EB1, Bergström G2,3, Jensen I2, Hagberg J2, Kwak L2
Affiliation: <sup>1</sup>Unit of Intervention and Implementation Research for Worker Health, Institute of Environmental Medicine, Nobels väg 13, Karolinska Institutet, 171 77, Stockholm, Sweden. Elisabeth.bjork.bramberg@ki.se.
<sup>2</sup>Unit of Intervention and Implementation Research for Worker Health, Institute of Environmental Medicine, Nobels väg 13, Karolinska Institutet, 171 77, Stockholm, Sweden.
<sup>3</sup>Centre for Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Stockholm County Council, Solnavägen 4, 113 65, Stockholm, Sweden.
Conference/Journal: BMC Musculoskelet Disord.
Date published: 2017 Mar 29
Other:
Volume ID: 18 , Issue ID: 1 , Pages: 132 , Special Notes: doi: 10.1186/s12891-017-1497-1. , Word Count: 294
BACKGROUND: Among the working population, non-specific low-back pain and neck pain are one of the most common reasons for sickness absenteeism. The aim was to evaluate the effects of an early intervention of yoga - compared with strength training or evidence-based advice - on sickness absenteeism, sickness presenteeism, back and neck pain and disability among a working population.
METHODS: A randomized controlled trial was conducted on 159 participants with predominantly (90%) chronic back and neck pain. After screening, the participants were randomized to kundalini yoga, strength training or evidence-based advice. Primary outcome was sickness absenteeism. Secondary outcomes were sickness presenteeism, back and neck pain and disability. Self-reported questionnaires and SMS text messages were completed at baseline, 6 weeks, 6 and 12 months.
RESULTS: The results did not indicate that kundalini yoga and strength training had any statistically significant effects on the primary outcome compared with evidence-based advice. An interaction effect was found between adherence to recommendations and sickness absenteeism, indicating larger significant effects among the adherers to kundalini yoga versus evidence-based advice: RR = 0.47 (CI 0.30; 0.74, p = 0.001), strength training versus evidence-based advice: RR = 0.60 (CI 0.38; 0.96, p = 0.032). Some significant differences were also found for the secondary outcomes to the advantage of kundalini yoga and strength training.
CONCLUSIONS: Guided exercise in the forms of kundalini yoga or strength training does not reduce sickness absenteeism more than evidence-based advice alone. However, secondary analyses reveal that among those who pursue kundalini yoga or strength training at least two times a week, a significantly reduction in sickness absenteeism was found. Methods to increase adherence to treatment recommendations should be further developed and applied in exercise interventions.
TRIAL REGISTRATION: Clinicaltrials.gov NCT01653782, date of registration: June, 28, 2012, retrospectively registered.
KEYWORDS: Back pain; Disability; Randomized controlled trial; Sickness absenteeism; Sickness presenteeism; Strength training; Yoga
PMID: 28356091 DOI: 10.1186/s12891-017-1497-1