People who took yoga classes for chronic lower back pain experienced more lifestyle improvements and better overall health than those who sought a doctor’s advice, said a study.

The research in the US journal the Annals of Internal Medicine was led by scientists at the University of York, included more than 300 people and was described as the largest of its kind till date in the United Kingdom.

Researchers derived their study samples from a group of people who were already seeing a doctor for chronic or recurrent back pain. They assigned 156 of them to yoga classes and left 157 to the care of their physicians.

After three months, the yoga group reported they “were able to undertake 30 per cent more activities compared with those in the usual care group,” said the study published on Monday.

The main advantage appeared to be having more confidence to perform daily tasks such as “walking more quickly, getting dressed without help or standing up for longer period of time,” and not necessarily pain relief, it said.