The Role of Yoga in Managing Gastrointestinal Disorders: A Systematic Review

Yoga has been increasingly recognized as a potential complementary treatment for various gastrointestinal (GI) disorders. A recent systematic review, published in Neurogastroenterology & Motility, explored its efficacy, examining studies involving patients with different GI conditions such as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), ulcerative colitis, chronic pancreatitis, and gastrointestinal cancers.

Summary of Findings
The review evaluated 12 eligible studies out of 1,275 articles, focusing on the impact of yoga across a spectrum of GI conditions. Notably, yoga interventions were generally compared to control groups across these studies. Key findings included:

• Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS): Yoga was effective in reducing symptom severity, improving mood-related symptoms, and enhancing quality of life compared to controls.
• Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD): One study showed that yoga significantly improved the quality of life in patients with IBD.
• Gastrointestinal Cancer: Yoga helped reduce sleep disturbances and mood-related symptoms in two studies involving cancer patients.
• Chronic Pancreatitis: Evidence suggested improvements in quality of life, stress levels, and reductions in alcohol dependence and appetite issues.

Safety and Recommendations
The studies reviewed reported yoga as generally safe, with no significant adverse events. Despite these promising outcomes, the authors highlighted methodological limitations and heterogeneity in the reviewed studies, underscoring the need for more rigorous trials to confirm yoga’s effectiveness across a broader range of GI conditions.
For healthcare providers, integrating yoga as an adjunct therapy may be beneficial for selected GI conditions, but further evidence is essential to establish standardized protocols.
For more information, please refer to the full article: https://doi.org/10.1111/nmo.14915.