People with rheumatism report a 20% improvement in pain, mood and physical function by practicing yoga regularly.
Painful and rusty joints, swollen and deformed fingers… Millions of French people suffer from inflammatory rheumatism. To reduce their pain, physiotherapy sessions are strongly recommended. Yoga exercises are also found to be effective, according to one study published in the Journal of Rheumatology.
During 8 weeks, 75 volunteers aged over 18 suffering from the two most frequent forms of inflammatory rheumatism, osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis, took part in this experiment. Randomly, the patients were divided into two groups: one practiced 3 weekly yoga sessions, one of which was performed at home, and the other was assigned to a waiting list.
Researchers at Johns Hopkins University of Medicine assessed the health and physical and mental well-being of the volunteers before and after the experiment. Doctors did not know who performed the exercises of hatha yoga, considered to be the gentlest of yogas.
Improvements visible for 9 months
Compared to the control group, the volunteers who practiced the lotus position, the upside down dog posture or that of the triangle suffered less and were in a better mood. Indeed, they report a 20% improvement in their pain, their energy level and their physical and mental functions. Benefits still noticeable 9 months after the study, underline the authors.
They also insist that yoga is a safe and effective way to provide relief for people with rheumatism. However, they advise patients to discuss this carefully with their doctor and to follow the lessons of a trained teacher who will respect everyone’s limits while providing individual support. They also specify that it is better to start with gentle yoga.
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