National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences

Yoga Accelerates Opioid Withdrawal Recovery by 4.4 Times in Clinical Trial

- A randomized clinical trial of 59 male participants found that yoga combined with standard buprenorphine treatment accelerated opioid withdrawal stabilization 4.4 times faster than medication alone. - Participants receiving daily 45-minute yoga sessions achieved recovery in 5 days compared to 9 days for the control group, with significant improvements in heart rate variability, anxiety, sleep, and pain measures. - The study published in JAMA Psychiatry suggests yoga addresses autonomic nervous system dysregulation during withdrawal, potentially filling a critical therapeutic gap in standard opioid use disorder care. - Researchers from NIMHANS Bengaluru and Harvard Medical School recommend integrating yoga into withdrawal protocols as a neurobiologically informed intervention with potential economic benefits.