YHLB Mission Statement

Improve the health of those with chronic, persistent and recurring low back pain. The charity, Arthritis Research UK (funders of the original high-profile yoga for back pain randomized controlled trial) and The University of York support this research ‘translational’ project (Annals Intern Med).

Show best practice partnership-working during implementation of integrated services – perhaps with 3-way (NHS, Council and patient) sharing of costs in commissioning/providing of evidence-based YHLB mind-body courses. Save NHS, Councils, Government, societal and economic costs by offering a high value, self-management, educative treatment option with the potential to offer wide-ranging, long-term, positive outcomes. It showed an average 70% reduction in work absenteeism over 12 months, showing how the YHLB course motivates and teaches good self-management skills (Spine Journal).

Help prevent ‘NHS patients’ with chronic/ episodic/ recurring low back pain in Primary Care settings ‘falling into’ costly Secondary Care. Our research showed YHLB would be likely to be cost-effective if offered within the NHS compared to current care pathway treatments.

Give a ‘hand up out of’ NHS Secondary Care, with YHLB’s gently-progressing, multi-modal (biopsychosocial) approach, to patients with non-specific, but nevertheless disabling, low back pain (pain clinics).

Build patient ‘resilience’ to improve quality of life, and to help people to become more active whilst living longer, happier and healthier lives. YHLB proactively addresses ‘secondary preventative care’, i.e. improvement and prevention of co-existing conditions along with back pain, e.g. diabetes, obesity, depression, high blood pressure, and stress-related and musculoskeletal conditions.