Yoga for Aches & Pains

Yoga can help people with arthritis, fibromyalgia, migraine, low back pain, and many other types of chronic pain conditions. Yoga is a practice that connects the mind and body and can help people with chronic or short-term pain by improving flexibility, reducing inflammation, and helping to mentally cope with their pain. Inflammation is often associated with chronic pain conditions, especially autoimmune, where the body’s immune system attacks itself. Research suggests that yoga can reduce inflammation by decreasing the body’s stress response. When we’re stressed out, our sympathetic nervous system responds as if we’re in danger — aka the fight-or-flight response. And while not all stress is bad, chronic stress can lead to a myriad of health problems. Studies have shown yoga to be linked to lowered cortisol levels (the stress hormone), increased resilience and pain tolerance, improved mood, and reduced anxiety. Certain yoga poses and longer hold times are even believed to activate the parasympathetic nervous system — our rest-and-digest response, which is the body’s antidote to fight or flight.