Therapeutic Efficacy of Yoga for Common Primary Care Conditions

Abstract

Introduction: Yoga is a popular form of exercise that uses body postures, meditation, and breathing techniques and has been shown to have many health benefits.

Objective/methods: Our goal for this review is to orient health professionals to the evidence-based uses of yoga most relevant to primary care. We conducted a PubMed search that included meta-analyses, reviews, systematic reviews, and randomized controlled trials.

Results: Results were limited to English language and publication between 2010 and 2020. Yoga was found to help decrease hypertension, relieve back pain, promote overall well-being, and improve mental health.

Conclusions: Yoga is a relatively safe and effective option for patients interested in therapeutic lifestyle change to promote well-being and to help manage hypertension, back pain, and overall mental health.