A Controlled Trial of Yoga Benefits Arthritis Patients Save

Yoga and stretching appear to be important forms of exercise for patients with fibromyalgia, but their utility has seldom been explored in patients with rheumatoid or osteoarthritis.

Researchers at Johns Hopkins recruited 75 people with either knee osteoarthritis or rheumatoid arthritis. Participants were randomly assigned to either a wait list or eight weeks of twice-weekly yoga classes, plus a weekly practice session at home. After 8 weeks, the yoga group noted significant improvements (p 0.05) in SF-36 physical, pain, general health, vitality, and mental health scales.  Significant decreases in tender and swollen joint counts and patient global assessments were also noted.  (Citation source: http://buff.ly/1LynMaY)

Lastly, yoga appears to be a safe option for patients with OA and RA.