A little down dog reduces discomfort, increases energy and boosts your mood.
If you’re one of the millions of mid-lifers who avoids yoga because of aching, and creaky joints, feel free to grab your mat now. A new study from John Hopkins University reports that yoga improves arthritis symptoms by 20 percent.
The trial included 75 people with either knee osteoarthritis or rheumatoid arthritis. Some took twice-weekly yoga classes, plus a weekly practice session at home; a control group didn’t. After eight weeks, the yoga group reported a 20 percent improvement in pain, energy levels, mood and physical function, including the ability to complete physical tasks at work and home. Walking speed increased too, although to a lesser extent.
“The yoga group reported a 20 percent improvement in pain, energy levels, mood and physical function”.– Susan J. Bartlett, Ph.D, John Hopkins University
Mood improved first, says Susan J. Bartlett, Ph.D., an adjunct associate professor of medicine at Johns Hopkins, and lead researcher. What’s most heartening is how many participants stuck with yoga, even after the experiment ended. “They told us that practicing yoga helps them to feel like they are in control of their arthritis, whereas before they felt like their arthritis was controlling them.”
Bartlett got the idea after taking up yoga herself. “People with arthritis tend to be more sedentary than their peers, and 90 percent are inadequately active,” she says. “Yoga was especially appealing because it emphasizes listening to your body, learning how to calm your mind and relax deeply, going at the pace that is right for you.”
While plenty of research has shown that yoga has “very predictable effects on lowering stress and improving mood in people with a range of chronic health conditions,” Bartlett says it wasn’t clear that yoga was appropriate for people with vulnerable joints until this study.
The Yoga baby steps for arthritis pain
Are you one of the 27 million Americans with OA or the 1.3 million with RA?
Before you head to your nearest Yoga studio, Bartlett suggests following these steps to make your practice safe:
Ask your doctor whether there are specific activities or poses that should be avoided or modified.
Look for introductory, gentle classes with experienced instructors; avoid “power yoga,” ashtanga, and hot yoga.
Meet the instructor before class, and ask if he or she has experience working with people with Arthritis. Tell the instructor your concerns.
Listen to your body. Clicking and pops in joints aren’t uncommon, even in people without arthritis. “But sensations of crunching, grinding, locking up or giving way are concerning,” says Clifton O. Bingham III, MD, associate professor of medicine, who also worked on the study. “Stop, and discuss them with your doctor and the instructor.”
Pay attention to pain. “As with any exercise, if you have not been active, there may be some initial mild discomfort, but you should not experience pain,” Bartlett says.
Then prepare to fall in love. “We continue to be surprised by the number who told us that yoga changed their life and their relationship with their body,” Bartlett said. “Instead of focusing on what they couldn’t do because of arthritis, yoga helped them increase their fitness, flexibility, balance and endurance.”
This article was originally written by Sarah Mahoney and published on AARP’s Life Reimagined.