Researchers Find Arthritis can be improved with Yoga

Recently at team at Johns Hopkins designed the largest known study on yoga’s wholistic health benefits in patients suffering from different types of arthritis. This study was published in 2015 in the Journal of Rheumatology, The study found that many patients with arthritis that practiced yoga for a period of 8 weeks found  improvements in both their symptoms and feelings of wellbeing.

Susan J. Bartlett, Ph.D., an adjunct associate professor of medicine at Johns Hopkins and associate professor at McGill University  said that “There’s a real surge of interest in yoga as a complementary therapy, with 1 in 10 people in the U.S. now practicing yoga to improve their health and fitness,” also that “Yoga may be especially well suited to people with arthritis because it combines physical activity with potent stress management and relaxation techniques, and focuses on respecting limitations that can change from day to day.”

75 patients diagnosed with either osteoarthritis or rheumatoid were assessed after the randomized clinical trial including a control group. They found that the group that did yoga classes reported 20 %  pain relief and general improvement in energy levels, physical function, mood, mental & emotional states in activities both in the work place and at home. There were also improvements in walking speed, balance, and upper body. Improvements were still noted in the group up to 9 months after the 8 week program.

 “For people with other conditions, yoga has been shown to improve pain, pain-related disability and mood,” says Clifton O. Bingham III, M.D an Associate professor of medicine at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and director of the Johns Hopkins Arthritis Center. “But there were no well-controlled trial of yoga that could tell us if it was safe and effective for people with arthritis, and many health professionals have concerns about how yoga might affect vulnerable joints given the emphasis on changing positions and on being flexible. Our first step was to ensure that yoga was reasonable and safe option for people with arthritis. Our instructors were experienced yoga therapists with additional training to modify poses to accommodate individual abilities.”

It is recommended that patients check with their doctors before starting yoga classes and “Find a teacher who asks the right questions about limitations and works closely with you as an individual. Start with gentle yoga classes. Practice acceptance of where you are and what your body can do on any given day,” Bingham says.

“Yoga in Sedentary Adults with Arthritis: Effects of a Randomized Controlled Pragmatic Trial,”

Gentle Restorative Yoga Classes suitable for those with arthritis are available at the Wellness Centre Wollongong, 81 Keira Street.  Restorative Yoga Classes are held  Mondays at 10.45am (Physio Yoga), 9.30am Weds, 9.30am Thursdays, , Yin Yoga Thursdays 5.15pm  and Fridays at 5.45pm. at the Wellness Centre.(Map Here)

Please phone 02 42263777 for more information