Yoga for Joint Pain: Poses and Benefits

Persistent joint pain that affects daily activities and overall well-being pulls you away from enjoying what life has to offer. Finding natural ways to support joint health is a priority for those looking to remain healthy and limber. Yoga is an accessible and low-impact practice that may help enhance flexibility and comfort, making it an excellent choice for almost anyone. With a wide variety of yoga styles and intensities, individuals can choose poses that cater to their specific needs and limitations. We will help you answer the question, “Which type of yoga is best for joint pain?”

How Yoga May Help With Joint Pain

Yoga incorporates gentle movement, stretching, and mindful breathing, which can contribute to improved mobility and reduced stiffness. Regular practice may support joint function by promoting better circulation, strengthening muscles around the joints, and encouraging proper alignment. Many people find that yoga helps them feel more in tune with their bodies, allowing them to move with greater awareness and ease.

The Best Yoga Forms for Joint Pain

When it comes to yoga for joint pain, there are different styles that have different focuses and intensities. No matter the form, yoga uses established poses and movements that are common among the types of practice. Incorporating specific poses that emphasize gentle stretching and strength-building can be beneficial. The key is to do them as you feel comfortable and not to force range of motion. Yoga is all about meeting your body where its abilities are. While there are many poses in yoga, here are five of the most common for helping with joint pain relief:

• Child’s Pose: This calming pose helps release tension in the back, hips, and knees while promoting relaxation. Start by kneeling on the mat, bringing your big toes together, and widening your knees. Extend your arms forward and rest your forehead on the mat. Breathe deeply, feeling the stretch in your lower back and hips.
• Cat-Cow Stretch: This movement helps improve spinal flexibility and gently mobilizes the shoulders, wrists, and hips. Begin on your hands and knees in a tabletop position. You’ll inhale as you arch your back, lifting your head and tailbone, mimicking a cow. As you exhale, round your spine, tucking your chin and pulling your belly button in to create the pose of a cat with its back arched. You’ll move gently between the two poses, repeating several times, flowing with your breath.
• Warrior II Pose: Strengthening the lower body while improving balance and stability in the knees and hips can help joints feel better. Stand with your feet wide apart and turn one foot out at a 90-degree angle. Bend your front knee while keeping the back leg straight. Extend your arms parallel to the floor and gaze over your front hand. Pausing here helps build strength as you hold the pose. Next, switch and do the same pose on the other side.
• Chair Pose: This pose helps build strength as well. With your feet shoulder-width apart, raise your arms if able and bend the knees to pretend like you are sitting in a chair, keeping your knees forward. The goal is to hold this posture while keeping more weight in the heels than in the toes. 
• Baby Cobra Pose: While lying on your stomach, place your palms on the floor on either side of your rib cage. Keeping your stomach and legs on the ground, press up through the hands to lift the shoulder and chest areas, creating a gentle backbend. Pause for a few moments, then lower back down. This helps with strengthening the back and improving mobility. 

Yoga for Knee Joint and SI Joint Pain

Selecting gentle yoga variations is key to protecting the knee and SI joints. Avoid deep bends or high-impact movements and instead focus on controlled stretching and strengthening. Using props like yoga blocks or cushions can help modify poses for greater comfort. Yoga for SI joint or knee pain may focus on postures that are more relaxed until strength and mobility have improved. 

Complementing Yoga: Adding to Your Joint Support Routine

Yoga for joint pain works best as part of a comprehensive approach to improving the body. Juvent’s Micro-Impact Platform® offers a unique, low-impact experience that can enhance your day in just a few minutes of use. This FDA-registered Class I medical device is a platform that provides gentle, calibrated impulses to the body, which some users find beneficial in promoting overall movement and joint comfort. Incorporating both yoga and micro-impact sessions into a routine may be a well-rounded approach to joint wellness.

Embrace Greater Mobility and Less Pain

Yoga is a versatile and accessible practice that may enhance flexibility, reduce stiffness, and promote better movement for people of all ages. By incorporating targeted poses and maintaining consistency, individuals can work toward greater mobility and comfort. Pairing yoga with additional wellness tools like Juvent’s Micro-Impact Platform is the path to proactively caring for your joints and keeping mobility possible for years to come.

FDA Disclosure

In the US, the Juvent device is considered investigational for the treatment of osteoporosis or improvement/maintenance of bone mineral density and our claims have not been reviewed or cleared by the FDA to treat any disease or condition. (2) Calculated over the 20+ year expected life of a Juvent. The JUVENT® Micro-Impact Platform® is Registered as a Class I medical device for exercise and rehabilitation. JUVENT products are covered by the following issued patents, pending patents and their foreign equivalents: 6,843,776 6,884,2277,094211 7,207,954 7,207,955 7,985,191 8,114,036 11/369,611 11/486,538. Juvent, Dynamic Motion Therapy, Micro-Impact Platform, and the symbol are Registered trademarks of Regenerative Technologies Corporation.