現今大學生雖正值年輕力壯，卻因長期姿勢不良、缺乏適當運或不當使用肌肉群而常有腰酸背痛的抱怨，甚至發現肌力失衡、脊椎側彎等肌肉骨骼系統障礙。長期下來可能導致慢性發炎影響日常生活，甚而日後提早退化。近年來，像是瑜珈這樣的核心強化(core strengthening)運動，已被視為背痛運動治療的主流項目。藉由運動來增強核心肌群的動作控制及腰椎的穩定功能，改善肌力、柔軟度和平衡進而降低背痛，可以說是下背痛的最根本解決方式。
本研究是以大學生為對象，探討power yoga訓練課程對下背痛改善之情形。141名受試者依訓練課程不同分為三組：power yoga組、體重控制組及對照組。實驗結果發現：各組內訓練前、後之效果比較，power yoga組訓練後顯著改善了核心肌群的腹肌耐力（一分鐘仰臥起坐次數增加）及軀幹柔軟度（坐姿體前彎增加），有效減緩背痛症狀（自覺背痛指數降低、背痛發生頻率降低），且皆達顯著性差異(p<.05)。除此之外，power yoga組也顯示：因背痛影響日常生活功能及睡眠品質的人數減少、因背痛就醫的人數減少，其前、後測人數百分比值差距較對照組及體重控制組大。比較組別間訓練後效果的差異，power yoga組較其他兩組在自覺背痛指數有顯著性減低(p<.05)，在背痛頻率方面也顯著低於體重控制組(p<.05)。在體適能表現上不管是仰臥起坐或坐姿體前彎，power yoga組及體重控制組均顯著優於對照組(p<.05)。本研究建議下背痛患者經過專業醫療人員評估許可後，可藉由power yoga 課程訓練改善背痛，並做為長期保健運動以維持健康。未來研究方向將朝向長期追蹤受試者背痛復發情形，並以壓力生物回饋儀對腰椎骨盆進行穩定測試，以更精確評估核心肌群對脊椎的穩定效果。 University students often complain about low back pain because of poor postures and using muscles improperly. Core strengthening such as yoga has already been considered as the major trend for treating back pain in recent years. This kind of exercise decreases back pain by improving motor control of central muscles, stability of spine, muscle strength, and flexibility.This study was designed to investigate the improvements of low back pain in university students. One hundred and forty one subjects were divided into 3 groups: power yoga group、weight control group and control group according to different training programs. After14 weeks training programs, the significant improvements were found in subjects of power yoga group, including: perceived pain scale 、pain frequency 、abdominal muscles endurance, and trunk flexibility. Besides, the influence of daily life and the quality of sleep because of low back pain both decreased in percentage of people in power yoga group. In weight control group, abdominal muscles endurance and trunk flexibility were only significantly improved.Comparing the results after training with different groups, significant results were found in: 1. more improvements of perceived pain in power yoga group comparing with that in other two groups. 2. less pain frequency in power yoga group comparing with that in weight control group. Both yoga group and weight control group showed greater results in abdominal muscles endurance and trunk flexibility comparing with those in control group. Power yoga training program could be suggested as a exercise prescription for back pain suffers to improve their back pain. Further researches should be suggested to investigate the recurrences of low back pain in power yoga group and measure the stability of lumber-pelvic region by pressure biofeedback instruments.
