Yoga cannot only keep your mind and body fit, but additionally have a positive impact on chronic inflammatory disorders like rheumatoid arthritis, a latest study shows.
The newest study, published in Scientific Reports, revealed that practicing yoga recurrently could significantly assist in managing rheumatoid arthritis (RA) by reducing stress and inflammation within the body.
Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune and inflammatory disease that happens when an individual’s immune system attacks healthy cells, causing inflammation (painful swelling) within the affected parts of the body. It mainly attacks the joints, normally many joints directly, and over time, may result in issues like bone erosion and joint deformity.
There is no such thing as a cure available for rheumatoid arthritis. Nonetheless, early treatment and support, including medication, lifestyle changes and surgical options, can reduce the danger of joint damage and minimize the impact of the condition.
In the newest study, researchers analyzed 64 RA patients for eight weeks. The participants were divided into two groups – the yoga group and non-yoga group, each consisting of 32 people.
Participants in the primary group had yoga sessions five times every week for 120 minutes each. It included “asanas” (postures), “pranayama” (regulated respiratory techniques), “dhyana” (meditation) and “savasana” (leisure techniques), followed by interactive sessions on stress management, nutrition, in addition to personal lifestyle management. The yoga program was designed to accommodate energetic RA patients to make sure it didn’t cause any further irritation to the already inflamed joints. Those with joint deformities and limitations were asked to do personalized physical postures, leisure exercises and deep respiratory exercises.
The research team noticed that eight weeks of practicing yoga significantly lowered the disease activity of patients in the primary group and stabilized inflammation-related biomarkers and cell homeostasis.
“The study is compelling since it dives into the molecular mechanisms by which yoga could help alleviate the symptoms of RA,” Dr. Monisha Bhanote, an integrative medicine lifestyle physician who was not involved within the study, told Medical News Today. “This goes beyond symptomatic relief and appears into how yoga impacts the immune system, particularly the Th17/Treg cell balance, which is thought to be disrupted in RA.”
The study requires further research because it was conducted in a small group for a brief duration. Researchers imagine the findings might pave the best way for healthcare providers to recommend yoga as a complementary treatment to disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs), a category of medication used for the treatment of several inflammatory arthritides, including rheumatoid arthritis.
Published by Medicaldaily.com