Dear Yogaforbacks supporters of the ‘Yoga for Healthy Lower Backs’ (YHLB) programme,
Thanks for being interested in our news.
We’ve been finding our feet running this Social Enterprise – Yogaforbacks. Yogaforbacks promotes evidence-based, proven effective yoga courses, books and CDs. We have:-
· monitored more than 300 research mentions on the web
· answered more than 3000 emails
· despatched many CDs and books
· written magazine articles
· talked to yoga teachers, the public and media about ‘Yoga for Healthy Lower Backs’
· talked to organisations, health professionals, other research academics.
The University of York’s results press release of yoga’s 30% improvement in back function in those with chronic low back pain compared to usual care literally went global. Arthritis Research UK gave it cover story in their current Arthritis Today magazine – (http://www.arthritisresearchuk.org/arthritis-information/arthritis-today-magazine/155-winter-2012/yoga-trial.aspx) This goes to GPs, academics and the public. Yogaforbacks was in a Press Association New Year’s health article. It will feature in the British Wheel of Yoga’s Spectrum magazine (Feb), Top Sante, Woman’s Own, Red magazine (March), Saga magazine (April?), International Business Traveller, Good Housekeeping, The Guardian and more.
‘Yoga for Healthy Lower Backs’ is taught by experienced yoga teachers with extra training in back care yoga that works effectively. ‘Yoga for Healthy Lower Backs’ is mentioned by name in our research results paper published by one of the top international peer-reviewed journals, The Annals of Internal Medicine. A clear distinction needed to be made so as to avoid the possibility that people would think they could step into just any yoga class with their low back pain. The ‘Yoga for Healthy Lower Backs’ programme consists of the 12-week course taught by a trained teacher (following 12 differing class plans) with the book, the CD and home practice. It offers ideal, gentle, safe and effective entry-point yoga for Beginners to yoga wishing to focus on back health. The aim is to gain a life-long solution to what GPs call a ‘heart-sink problem’ with our evidence-based approach. At a time when there is negative press about the potential for injuries resulting in attendance at inappropriate level yoga classes with inexperienced yoga teachers (William Broad’s book launch and ensuing press), our ‘Yoga for Healthy Lower Backs’ counters this beautifully.
GPs we have spoken to are generally convinced that this cost-effective treatment option should be made widely available. Discussions are going on in the UK about how YHLB can fit into NHS, Occupational Health, Social Care and Health Promotion scenarios. You may have more ideas and some expertise that may be of help to us? Please get in touch about this or anything else.
A copy of a YHLB promotional letter is on our website on the Promotional Resources page. Please download it, add your name to it and help us to pass on details of our yoga programme.
Yogaforbacks have a new tri-fold flier/leaflet that anyone can download and use to spread the word at http://www.yogaforbacks.co.uk/qualified-teachers/ - top of the page. www.yogaforbacks.co.uk should be the first reference point for everyone. We’ve had great feedback on how professional, educational and interesting our website is. Please tell people who might be interested to visit our site and to become a subscriber to get free updates.
Relaxation CD sales are helping fund the work we’ve done and that’s ongoing – thank you for helping to promote sales. Bulk orders are encouraged to you as a subscriber. Discounts are £10 each when ordering 5 or more - order through the Contact The Authors page with the heading ‘Subscriber Discount’ and we will action your order and send a simple email Paypal invoice. Please consider ordering some CDs to sell on to your students or friends and tell others about it.
2012 YHLB teacher training courses are in Cornwall x 2 (SW), Cumbria (N), Dublin (Ireland), Sheffield (Mid/N), Swansea (Wales/W)), Devizes (South) and London. More dates are being planned, e.g. Birmingham and Liverpool. Many of these trainee teachers are travelling to these course locations. Back pain sufferers will therefore soon be able to access YHLB 12-week courses in a large spread of new areas – see the end of our Find a Yoga Teacher page for areas where trainees live http://www.yogaforbacks.co.uk/qualified-teachers/
We are aiming to have trained 200 UK teachers by the end of 2012.
Please continue to tell people about ‘Yoga for Healthy Lower Backs’. Thank you for handing out or drawing people’s attention to the YHLB flier/leaflet on the Promotional Resources, Course and Teacher pages. Thank you for telling yoga teachers about our courses, helping us to spread the word further.
If someone wants to buy the book and does not want to get it via the internet (our website, Amazon or Yogamatters), they should be able to obtain it by walking into their local bookshop and ordering it.
We would be delighted to have more reviews of our book and CD printed and thank you to those of you who may like to submit a review on our major online suppliers websites – for example on Amazon and Yogamatters. Press copies of the book for magazine or newspaper reviews are available from Lotus Publishing at and of the CD from us at Yogaforbacks.
We hope to be able to tell you the results of our health economics paper addressing the cost-effectiveness of YHLB soon.
YHLB T-shirts for promotional purposes are available at http://www.redbubble.com/people/grahamcsmith/works/7946651-yoga-for-backs-tee-shirt?c=107329-t-shirts&p=t-shirt Also at http://www.redbubble.com/people/grahamcsmith.
Some fascinating statistics to show why this project is so important:-
80% of people have or will suffer from low back pain
1 in 3 people answered ‘Yes’ to the question ‘Have you felt back pain in the last month.’
12 million GP consultations in the UK for low back pain (although only 1 in 15 episodes of back pain actually bother to consult)
Approx. 97% of low back pain is not due to serious pathology, but is nevertheless unnecessarily disabling (physically, mentally, socially and emotionally)
70% of acute episodes of low back pain will recur within 12 months
4.9 million working days per year are lost to back pain
£1.6 billion = annual costs to the NHS of treating back pain in the UK; £2.1 billion total costs to the UK healthcare sector
£15 billion = estimated annual loss to the UK economy
‘40% reduction in pain intensity and 57% less unpleasant’ was how those in a study published in the Journal of Neuroscience described ‘directed meditation’ affected their pain – that’s better than morphine! and our Relaxation CD could be described as just that.
Apologies, if you live outside the UK and feel that this seems rather UK-oriented – for 2012 we need to focus our attention in the UK as the research was based here. There are plans to help other countries in the future. Enjoy your yoga. Keep looking after your back and thanks very very much for your time and for any help you could offer us. We are keen for you to feel a part of what we are trying to do and would be grateful for any comments or offers of help you may be able to give.
Alison Trewhela, IYA (UK), SBCRP-Yoga and Anna Semlyen, BWY Dip
The Yogaforbacks Team
www.yogaforbacks.co.uk