An experiment was conducted by some German researchers who compared a self-care exercise program with Iyengar Yoga among patients suffering from chronic neck pain. The result of the test showed that yoga reduced the pain intensity by more than half. In an attempt to further examine the effect of Yoga on a different chronic pain condition, UCLA researchers examined young women who were diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis - a devastating autoimmune complication where a patient’s immune system fights his/her joint lining. These patients were made to undergo Iyengar Yoga for six weeks and after the period, about 50% of them reported a reduction in the pain measure as well as depression and anxiety.
