Arthritis and Yoga

The practice of yoga dates back over 2000 years to ancient India, with a focus on the unification of the mind, body, and spirit through the practice of physical movements, meditation, and breathing exercises. Today, yoga is practiced by more than 300 million people worldwide because when you step out of a yoga class, no doubt you feel better from head to toe: There’s a mental clarity only om-ing can bring, and your muscles and joints feel more relaxed which begs the question, will a simple sun salutation or tree pose give you relief from arthritis, too?

Many arthritis sufferers limit their movement to cope with the pain. But experts disagree with this strategy. in a study published in March 2019, in the journal Restorative Neurology and Neuroscience, people with the disease who, instead of limiting their activity to cope with pain, practiced a significant amount of yoga in addition to taking medication, decreased their inflammatory markers and had less depression after two months than a control group who simply continued their meds. 

The thought is this: The movements or postures in yoga include flexion, extension, adduction, abduction, and rotation, so: by engaging the muscles in isometric contraction, holding the poses builds strength, balance, and improved proprioception; by moving joints through their full range of motion you are increasing flexibility and decreasing stiffness; and by controlling your breath, you are shifting yourself out of your stress response (which people with chronic pain are often in) and into the relaxation response, which all reduce pain. Thus, yoga incorporates several elements of exercise that may be beneficial for arthritis sufferers.

But because arthritis is an umbrella term that includes more than 100 different conditions, there isn’t one best type of yoga for arthritis sufferers. Really, any type of class you choose can yield benefits, so long as it has gentle, flowing movements. A review article that examined more than 300 studies of yoga programs for health conditions, which was published in Complementary Therapies in Medicine in April 2016, concluded that the vast majority of practitioners got positive benefits regardless of the style of yoga they did.

We offer two types of yoga at Success Studio Ivy Road that both can have benefits for arthritis, as well as a mobility group called Foundation at both locations!

Physical activity is essential for managing arthritis symptoms and preserving mobility. And yoga is an excellent, gentle, low-impact form of exercise that offers both physical and psychological benefits like stress management techniques, including breathing, mindfulness and relaxation.

Ready to decrease your arthritis pain? Click the button below to sign up for a yoga class with Rachel at Success Studio’s Ivy location! Namaste.