Background/Purpose: Physical activity is reported to improve physical function and reduce disease symptoms in adults with rheumatoid arthritis (RA); however adults with RA are less likely to participate in physical activity than adults with other chronic diseases. The dynamic mind-body physical activity of yoga may be an acceptable and beneficial way for RA adults to increase physical activity. However, little is known about how patients with RA are practicing yoga in the community and about the benefits they experience. The objective of this qualitative study was to explore yoga practice characteristics in addition to perceived benefits and facilitators of yoga practice in adults with RA.

Methods: A convenience sample of 17 adults, with rheumatologist-diagnosed RA, who had participated in yoga within the previous year, completed a semi-structured telephone interview. An interview guide was used to explore: the decision to start, continue and stop yoga; perceived benefits of yoga; importance of components of a yoga session; and general thoughts about yoga as it relates to RA. Thematic analysis was used to analyze interview transcripts.

Results: The majority of the 17 participants were white (71%), female (94%), employed full-time (53%), had mean age of 56 years, had an average disease duration of 21 years, and had bachelor’s or graduate degrees (65%). The primary style of yoga practiced was Vinyasa and Restorative/Gentle (47% combined). Four main themes were identified: (1) Facilitators, (2) Barriers, (3) Benefits, and (4) Harms of yoga practice. Facilitators included: socialization, physical fitness, and improving practice. Barriers included: finances and class mismatch. Benefits included: increased coping abilities and improved sleep, flexibility, energy, strength, balance, pain, mood, and physical function. Harms included RA flares and muscle strain injuries. There were many styles of yoga practiced and participants described various ways to adapt or change an existing yoga practice to meet the physical and emotional needs of the practitioner on any particular day. Study participant quotes illustrated how the dynamic exercise of yoga, which can be gentle with breath exercises, meditation, and relaxing stretches or can be a vigorous exercise with fast moving strenuous poses, suited their dynamic needs as a person with fluctuating symptom burden.

Conclusion: In this study RA patients described how yoga practice helped improve physical function and numerous RA disease symptoms. Yoga practice can provide many benefits for adults with RA when it is practiced at the right pace for the individual. Yoga practices vary and yoga may not be beneficial for every adult with RA, in fact it may be harmful if practiced inappropriately. Next steps include further investigating the role of the yoga teacher and the physical yoga practice environment as facilitators and barriers to practice.