Yoga For Arthritis And It's Health Benefits
Last Updated: Jan 20, 2025
Benefits of yoga for arthritis
Anyone who is suffering from the condition of arthritis can tell how painful the condition can be for that person. Arthritis leads to inflammation, stiffness, loss of mobility, and excruciating pain in the joints. Majority of the people suffering from the problem of arthritis take over the counter painkillers for relief. For people suffering from arthritis, yoga provides a natural way of alleviating the condition without experiencing any side effects. Every joint in the body has its own range of motion. A person suffering from arthritis has a restricted range of motion.
Yoga helps in improving the range of motion by providing more flexibility to the joint. There are asanas in yoga that help in improving the strength of the muscles around the joints. The inflammation caused due to arthritis gets treated when reduces the stress and tension the muscles supporting the joints. Yoga improves the blood flow in the body which provides freshly oxygenated blood to the muscles. Yoga improves the lubrication of the joints which limits the degenerative nature of arthritis. Yoga can provide relief in arthritis of any joint. Given below are some of the asanas of yoga that help in alleviating the problems associated with arthritis.
Yoga asanas for arthritis
Sun Salutation
Child’s Pose
Bridge Pose
Downward Dog
Conclusion
Besides the yoga eating a healthy diet is also important. Eating healthy is important as it helps in maintaining a healthy weight. An overweight person exerts more pressure on the joints of the body. There are certain foods which help to fight the inflammation and pain associated with arthritis but they should not be considered as magic food as nothing of this sort exists. Adding veggies like cabbage, broccoli, and Brussels sprouts in the diet can be beneficial as they are rich in sulforaphane which restricts the damage of the cartilages of the joints due to arthritis. Including Omega-3 fatty acid in the diet has its own advantages as it is known to reduce the inflammation. Researchers have found that incorporating foods rich in vitamin C like kiwis and pineapple can be advantageous as they have the capability to restrict the progression of arthritis.
A study has revealed that incorporating food products comprising of tart cherries can be advantageous as they not only reduce stiffness but they also have anti-inflammatory properties. Apart from these food products if a patient suffering from arthritis is taking any medication as per the advice of his/her doctor then the medicine should be taken regularly as it plays an important role in slowing the progression of the disease. Combining yoga with a healthy diet and medication can alleviate the discomfort associated with arthritis at a faster pace.
References
- Haaz S, Bartlett SJ. Yoga for arthritis: a scoping review. Rheumatic Disease Clinics. 2011 Feb 1;37(1):33-46. [Cited 23 April 2020]. Available from:
- Moonaz SH, Bingham CO, Wissow L, Bartlett SJ. Yoga in sedentary adults with arthritis: effects of a randomized controlled pragmatic trial. The Journal of rheumatology. 2015 Jul 1;42(7):1194-202. [Cited 23 April 2020]. Available from:
- Sharma M. Yoga as an alternative and complementary approach for arthritis: a systematic review. Journal of evidence-based complementary & alternative medicine. 2014 Jan;19(1):51-8. [Cited 23 April 2020]. Available from:
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