Fibromyalgia Sufferers May Benefit From Yoga Practice

Meditation, poses, breathing exercises ease symptoms, aid coping

THURSDAY, Oct. 14 (HealthDay News) -- Yoga might provide an effective counterpart to pharmacotherapy in helping patients cope with and manage fibromyalgia, according to research published in the November issue of Pain.

James W. Carson, Ph.D., of the Oregon Health & Science University in Portland, and colleagues randomized 53 women with fibromyalgia (FM) to eight weeks of a yoga program (involving gentle poses, meditation, breathing exercises, yoga-based coping instructions, and group discussions) or a wait list with standard care to evaluate the effect of a comprehensive yoga intervention on FM coping and management of symptoms.

They found that the women who took part in the yoga program had significantly greater improvements in pain, fatigue, mood, acceptance, and other standard measurements of FM symptoms, functioning, and coping strategies.

"This pilot study provides promising support for the potential benefits of a yoga program for women with FM," the authors write.

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