A recent study conducted by AIIMS Delhi suggests that yoga can have a significant positive impact on the health of individuals with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). This condition is a long-term autoimmune disease characterised by joint inflammation and related pain, with potential effects on other body systems such as the heart, lungs, and brain. Yoga has long been recognised for its beneficial effects on both physical and mental well-being.
The Lab for Molecular Reproduction and Genetics, the Anatomy Department, and the Department of Rheumatology AIIMS conducted a joint study to investigate how yoga could provide potential benefits to patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) at the cellular and molecular levels, going beyond just alleviating pain.
A recent announcement from the Ayush ministry revealed that yoga has been found to reduce inflammation by regulating cellular damage and oxidative stress (OS). It achieves this by regulating pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines, elevating endorphin levels, lowering cortisol and CRP levels, and regulating melatonin rhythms. This helps to disrupt the cycle of inflammation and an overactive immune system.
The statement highlights that yoga can slow down the ageing process of cells at a molecular level. It achieves this by enhancing the activity of the telomerase enzyme, genes related to DNA repair, and cell cycle regulation. Furthermore, yoga is said to improve mitochondrial function, which helps protect against telomere attrition and DNA damage by boosting energy metabolism and reducing oxidative stress.
Dr Rima Dada and her team at the Lab for Molecular Reproduction and Genetics, Anatomy Department, AIIMS, backed by the DST, conducted a study that found that practising yoga led to lower pain sensitivity, better flexibility in the joints, reduced disability, and an overall improvement in the quality of life for patients.
The ministry claimed that these advantages were due to yoga’s capacity to promote immunological tolerance and molecular remission. Additionally, the research indicated that yoga might be beneficial in dealing with stress, a well-known factor that can prompt symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis.
Yoga might help decrease inflammation indirectly by reducing stress hormones such as cortisol, enhancing mitochondrial function, which can affect energy production and cellular health, and reducing the seriousness of concurrent depression.
Yoga promotes neuroplasticity and thus aids in better coping strategies and reduces the severity of co-morbid depression. This research provides evidence for the potential of yoga as a complementary therapy for RA patients.
Yoga may not only manage symptoms like pain and stiffness but could also contribute to disease control and improved quality of life. Unlike drugs, yoga has no side effects and offers a cost-effective, natural alternative for managing severe autoimmune conditions, the ministry said.
