Yoga for Arthritis: A List of Yoga Asanas to Help Ease the Pain and Symptoms of Arthritis

Arthritis

Arthritis is a type of joint pain or joint disease. There are different variations of arthritis that come with different symptoms and levels of pain. Certain kinds of arthritis can lead to infections while others can cause a large amount of inflammation. Most people who have arthritis struggle with some sort of pain because of it.

The main symptoms of arthritis include pain, inflammation, wear and tear, swelling, tenderness, and stiffness in a variety of joints in the body. Arthritis is known to get worse over time and the symptoms increase with age. There are specific medications and treatments recommended by doctors for arthritis. One such treatment includes exercise.

How yoga can help with arthritis:

Practicing yoga over time can reduce the pain from inflammation. Yoga poses can help to increase flexibility in the joints, which will improve function. Yoga is also known to decrease stress and anxiety, which aggravates arthritis. Having a larger range of motion and less stress can alleviate symptoms of arthritis and increase mobility.

A list of yoga poses to alleviate arthritis symptoms:

Standing Forward Fold Pose (Uttanasana)

Posture:  Hold the pose for three deep breaths letting the head hang heavy. You can let your hands fall to the floor or grab opposite elbows before rolling up to a standing position.

Benefits:  Standing forward fold is a gentle stretch that slowly mobilizes the joints over time and increases the range of motion in your hips.  An additional benefit of standing forward fold is that it stretches the hamstrings and increases leg flexibility.

Tree Pose (Vrikshasana)

Posture:  Balance on the right leg and use the hands to lift the left leg off of the floor into position against the thigh of your opposite leg.  Hold the pose for two breaths before doing the same on the other side and then releasing it to a standing position.Use a wall or chair for balance if needed.

Benefits:  Practicing tree pose increases flexibility in the hips and the range of motion in the knees and spine.  An additional benefit of tree pose is that it improves balance over time.

Cobra Pose (Bhujangasana)

Posture:  Gently push into the hands to lift the chest off of the yoga mat.  Hold the pose for two breaths before releasing back down onto the mat.

Benefits:  Cobra pose eases the tension that’s been built up from sitting for long periods of time. It stretches the shoulders and spine while increasing the range of motion of the spine.  An additional benefit of cobra pose is that it opens and stretches the chest muscles.

Laying Spinal Twist Pose (SuptaMatsyendrasana)

Posture:  Laying on your back, reach the right leg over the left leg, twisting at the waist and stretching the right arm to the side. Hold the pose for two breaths before doing the same stretch with the left leg. Slowly release from the pose into a neutral laying position like Savasana.

Benefits:  Laying Spinal Twist increases the range of motion and flexibility in the spine while approving alignment.  Over time, the pose can help to improve posture.  An additional benefit of Laying Spinal Twist is that it improves digestion.

Authored by: Kate Viljoen.  Katé is a qualified yoga instructor and freelance writer. She is passionate about copy-writing, the earth, and movement of any kind. In her free time, she focuses on improving her writing skills. You can find her on Upwork.