Yoga ‘could offer arthritis relief’

These improvements remained evident nine months later.

A study carried out in the US found people with arthritis who practised yoga three times a week had about a 20 per cent improvement in physical health, along with similar improvements in pain, energy, mood and carrying out day-to-day activities and tasks.

Some previously conducted studies have shown that a yoga practice can help reduce inflammation in the joints, which is one of the causes of some types of arthritis.

“There’s a real surge of interest in yoga as a complementary therapy, with one in 10 people in the US now practicing yoga to improve their health and fitness”, said co-author Susan Bartlett of Johns Hopkins and McGill University, in a press release.

When it comes to people with arthritis, yoga is especially well-suited because it respects the body’s limitations while combining stress management with physical activity and relaxation methods.

Thought to be the largest randomized trial ever to explore yoga’s effect on arthritis patients, the research team recruited 75 participants, all of whom had either knee osteoarthritis or rheumatoid arthritis. They were split into two; one group participating in two yoga classes a week, plus another session at home.

The researchers have developed a checklist to make it easier for doctors to safely recommend yoga to their patients, researcher Clifton O. Bingham says, suggesting that people with arthritis who are considering yoga should talk with their doctors about which specific joints are of concern, and about modifications to poses.

Yoga participants also reported improvements in walking speed, though this was to a lesser extent. Results have been published in The Journal of Rheumatology.

Arthritis, when improperly managed, can affect patients’ mobility, mood, and quality of life.

Safety was a priority in the study, the authors say.

“Our first step was to ensure that yoga was reasonable and safe option for people with arthritis”. Not only were they experienced yoga therapists, but they had also undergone additional training for adapting yoga poses for individual abilities. Participants were screened by their doctors prior to joining the study; they continued to take their regular arthritis medications.

“Rheumatoid arthritis disproportionately affects women”, said Bartlett, noting 70 percent of people with this condition are women. While the JHM study’s sample size is small, the new findings suggest even modified yoga positions can ease daily discomforts.