A study published in the Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine recently reviewed some of the ways in which regular yoga practice may convey physiological benefits to individuals who have chronic diseases.
The millions of Americans who dabble in yoga do not necessarily engage in the regimen just to meditate and relax – although those are certainly two big selling points of the holistic system. Stretching, posing and doing ki energy techniques may also help individuals improve their heart and lung function, increase their flexibility or overcome some of the symptoms of musculoskeletal disease.
A study published in the Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine recently reviewed some of the ways in which regular yoga practice may convey physiological benefits to individuals who have chronic diseases.
The author, Dr. James Raub of the National Center for Environmental Assessment, conducted a thorough review of medical literature to find prior studies concerning the effects of yoga breathing, meditation, stretching or tai chi. The results of this meta-study were quite positive.
Raub noted that previous investigations have associated regular yoga exercises with a number of potential health benefits. These included decreased joint pain among people with arthritis, increased grip strength and flexibility for individuals with carpal tunnel syndrome and improvements in aches related to repetitive stress.
Arthritis and other joint problems are the leading cause of disability in the U.S., according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Being able to reduce one's symptoms may go a long way toward delaying physical immobility.
The meta-study also determined that doing yoga and learning how to use ki energy can improve the heart and lung health of otherwise healthy people. Being able to maintain good cardiopulmonary health is important, since diseases of the heart, blood vessels and respiratory tracts account for three of the four leading causes of death in the U.S.
Heart disease, stroke and lower respiratory tract infections account for 880,000 American deaths each year, the CDC estimates. Roughly 616,000 of these are attributable to heart disease, which is the nation's leading cause of death, the agency states.
