The Effect of an 8-Week Yoga Training Program on Disability, Quality of Life, and Mental Health in non-athlete Women with Chronic Nonspecific Low Back Pain

Introduction: Chronic nonspecific low back pain is associated with increased functional disability and reduced quality of life and mental health. This study aimed to examine the effects of an eight-week yoga intervention on functional disability, quality of life, and mental health in non-athlete women with chronic nonspecific low back pain. Materials and Methods: This quasi-experimental study included 32 non-athlete women with chronic nonspecific low back pain, who were assigned to either a yoga exercise group (n = 16) or a control group (n = 16). Functional disability, quality of life, and mental health were assessed using the WOMAC, Short Form Health Survey (SF-8), and Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), respectively. The intervention group participated in an eight-week yoga program. Data were analyzed using paired-samples t-tests, analysis of covariance (ANCOVA), Mann–Whitney U tests, and Wilcoxon signed-rank tests with SPSS version 24. Results: Yoga training was associated with significant improvements in the physical (ηp² = 0.64, p = 0.001) and mental (ηp² = 0.68, p = 0.001) component scores of quality of life, mental health (ηp² = 0.78, p = 0.001), the various dimensions of functional disability (ηp² = 0.68–0.79, p = 0.001), and the total disability score (ηp² = 0.79, p = 0.001). Furthermore, between-group comparisons showed statistically significant differences between the control and yoga exercise groups in the physical and mental component scores of quality of life, mental health, the various dimensions of functional disability, and the total disability score (p = 0.001). Conclusion: Eight weeks of yoga training was associated with significant improvements in mental health and quality of life and a reduction in functional disability among non-athlete women with chronic nonspecific low back pain. These findings suggest that yoga may be a promising nonpharmacological approach for improving physical and psychological outcomes in this population.