Yoga For Osteoarthritis: How Much Does It Help?

Did you know that yoga is useful for osteoarthritis? Yoga is an ancient practice that originated in India. It is considered a lifestyle rather than a sport or a physical activity. The benefits of practicing yoga are many and varied, from maintaining a correct posture to coping with daily stress and avoiding various diseases.

With this in mind, yoga could help against osteoarthritis. In the article below, we will analyze the symptoms of this disease, as well as some simple workouts that you can practice at home.

What is osteoarthritis?

Osteoarthritis is a chronic disease that most often occurs in people over the age of 60. But it can occur in people of any age, especially adults. This disease affects the musculoskeletal system and especially compromises joint health. The most common symptoms of osteoarthritis are:

• Stiffness in the area
• Synovitis
• Edema

There are several risk factors that experts associate with osteoarthritis, such as age, gender (women are more prone), obesity, injury, stress, or overwork (in sports and at work). There are also genetic factors and some metabolic diseases, such as hemochromatosis, which lead to this disease.

Osteoarthritis is a disease that develops slowly and progressively and affects the quality of life of those who suffer from it. So far, there is no definitive cure.

However, there are a number of treatments that help fight osteoarthritis. These mainly concern the symptoms and consist of the following:

Yoga for Osteoarthritis: How Much Does It Help?

Research on yoga in the treatment of osteoarthritis

A 2019 review of the effectiveness of yoga practices for the treatment of osteoarthritis analyzed studies on this topic. They looked at 640 patients between the ages of 50 and 80, mostly women, with osteoarthritis of the lower extremities.

The results showed little evidence of positive effects in the treatment of pain compared to other types of exercise. There was also no strong evidence of the effects of yoga practice on quality of life. However, researchers consider yoga effective in osteoarthritis of the knee.

Another review looked at the effect of practicing yoga on patients with osteoarthritis of the knee. It focused on issues such as pain reduction, functional recovery and the general well-being of patients suffering from this condition in the aforementioned joint.

13 clinical trials were reviewed, involving 1,557 patients with osteoarthritis of the knee and rheumatoid arthritis. The results indicate that group yoga training is useful for reducing symptoms, promoting physical function and improving general condition.

Regarding the actual clinical trials, an analysis involving 66 patients aged 30 to 75 years who suffered from osteoarthritis of the knee investigated the effect of integrated approach yoga therapy (IAYT). The results obtained in the experimental group, which benefited from IAYT, show that there were significant improvements in LHGS (left grip resistance) and knee extension, compared to the control group.

Another study on the effects of Hatha Yoga on osteoarthritis of the knee found that after eight weeks of exercise, pain and other symptoms were alleviated, in addition to improved performance in daily activities and an increase in quality of life.

Yoga for osteoarthritis

There are several ways to practice yoga. However, the Arthritis Foundation has some recommendations because it believes that some types of yoga are more suitable for arthritis patients than others. These include iyengar, anusara, kripalu and viniyoga.

There are also certain yoga workouts, exercises and positions that we can practice at home to alleviate the symptoms of osteoarthritis. These include the following:

So, can you do yoga for osteoarthritis?

If you suffer from osteoarthritis, yoga is a useful complementary therapy. But yoga cannot replace the treatment recommended by your doctor. It is best to look for a professional instructor who has experience working with people with similar symptoms. You should also ask your doctor what type of exercises you can perform.

Remember that yoga includes three aspects that you need to consider in order to get the greatest benefits:

As with any other type of exercise, practicing yoga should start slowly and have little difficulty until you feel your body warm up. Therefore, it is important to warm up very well before training.

Finally, it is imperative to listen to your body and pay attention to the symptoms. If you feel pain or discomfort, it means you should stop. The idea is to reduce pain and improve your quality of life, not the other way around.