Abstract
Background and Purpose. Low back pain, as a work-acquired musculoskeletal injury (WAMI) is prevalent among physical therapists. Research suggests that yoga is a growing practice that is used as an effective therapeutic tool in alleviating pain through postures that increase flexibility and improve function. The objective of this case report is to illustrate the establishment and application of an approach of hot yoga in combination with physical therapy in the management of low back pain on a physical therapist assistant (PTA) who sustained a work-acquired musculoskeletal injury. Case Description. A 47 year-old male PTA with a five week history of low back pain participated in this case report. The PTA was chosen based on a musculoskeletal injury sustained at work who demonstrated low back pain with numbness on his right anterolateral thigh, tightness and tenderness of his lower thoracic and lumbar spine. The intervention consisted of seven physical therapy sessions and seven hot yoga classes. Outcomes. After four weeks of intervention, low back pain resolved, right thigh numbness significantly decreased from 100% to 10%, and trunk flexibility increased with absence of tenderness at the thoracolumbar junction. Discussion. A significant decrease in back impairment was observed on a patient with sub-acute low back pain after participation in the intervention of physical therapy and hot yoga. Clinical trials in the future are required to evaluate the thermoregulatory mechanism, the physiological and biomechanical effects of hot yoga, and whether it is a beneficial complement to physical therapy in the rehabilitation of low back pain.