Chair yoga 'can effectively treat osteoarthritis symptoms in older people'

Older people withosteoarthritis could address many of their symptoms and improve their quality of life by practising anexercise technique known as chair yoga. A new study from Florida Atlantic University, published in the current issue of the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, has shown how chair yoga can have a beneficial impact onpain and physical function in older adults with osteoarthritis, showing this could be a valuable new alternative approach to managing the painful condition. How chair yoga can improve quality of life For this study, 131 older adults with osteoarthritis were asked to take part in either a health education programme or a regimen of chair yoga, a form of exercise that involves sitting in a chair or standing while holding the chair for support. Over an eight-week period, it was shown that participants in the chair yoga cohort experienced a greater reduction in pain and pain interference during their sessions, with this reduction lasting for about three months after the programme was completed. The yoga intervention was also associated with reductions infatigue and improvement in gait speed during the study session, though these benefits did not persist over the long term in the same way. The specific benefits for older people This could be a significant development for older osteoarthritis patients, because although it is well-established that regular exercise can help to relieve osteoarthritis pain, the ability to participate in physical acti...
Source: Arthritis Research UK - Category: Rheumatology Source Type: news