YOGA may help reduce pain and improve physical function in people with knee osteoarthritis, according to an Australian study published today.
The team compared outcomes from two groups of almost 60 people, with one doing an evidence-based strength training program and the other a yoga program, and found both were similarly effective.
The 24-week programs comprised 12 weeks taking place in-person and at home, with the final 12 weeks at home only.
At the end of the study, the yoga group had modestly better improvement in some aspects of pain, physical function, stiffness and walking speed compared to the strengthening group, but looking at knee pain specifically, there was no difference between the two groups.
People in the yoga group were slightly more likely to stick with the program, especially the final 12 weeks in the home.
"Exercise therapy is recommended by all international guidelines as a first-line treatment for knee OA to improve pain and function," wrote the authors.
"Overall, these findings suggest that integrating yoga as an alternative or complementary exercise option in clinical practice may help in managing knee OA," they concluded.
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