Effect of Different Yoga Therapy Styles on Nonspecific Chronic Low Back Pain: A Narrative Review

Abstract

Nonspecific chronic low back pain (NCLBP) is a prevalent and disabling condition for which conventional medical treatments, such as medication, physical therapy, and surgery, often provide limited long-term relief. This narrative review examines the potential of various yoga therapy modalities, including general Hatha Yoga, Iyengar Yoga, Viniyoga, an integrated approach to yoga therapy, and nonspecified medical yoga in the management of NCLBP, emphasizing yoga therapy’s supportive role. Synthesizing findings from 29 studies, the review offers preliminary insights into how different yoga therapy styles may contribute to the management of NCLBP. The available evidence suggests that yoga interventions are generally safe and may provide varying degrees of benefit, although the strength of these observations differs across styles and study designs. Iyengar Yoga appears to show comparatively stronger trends for pain reduction and functional improvement, while the integrated approach to yoga therapy (IAYT) may offer broader short-term psychosocial and flexibility-related advantages in structured settings. Viniyoga and Hatha Yoga demonstrate moderate improvements that are comparable to conventional therapeutic exercises. Nonspecified yoga protocols indicate potential utility but remain inconsistently defined. These observations highlight plausible biomechanical, neurological, and psychosocial pathways through which yoga could exert therapeutic effects. Thus, yoga therapy emerges as a promising, low-risk complementary option that warrants further standardized, long-term comparative research to clarify efficacy and clinical applicability.