Yoga may speed up recovery time in patients with mild to moderate opioid withdrawal by improving autonomic regulation, anxiety, sleep, and pain, a
study in
JAMA Psychiatry has found.
Why It’s Relevant
Prior research has found that craving trajectories in the first 14 days of treatment are associated with long-term substance use outcomes. “By shortening the withdrawal period when relapse risk and dropout rates are highest, yoga may influence these trajectories, potentially improving long-term retention and outcomes,” the study investigators wrote.
By the Numbers
- The researchers analyzed data from 59 men ages 18 to 50 years with opioid use disorder (OUD) who were experiencing mild to moderate withdrawal.
- Half of the men received 10 supervised sessions of yoga over 14 days alongside buprenorphine treatment; the remainder received buprenorphine treatment only.
- Patients in the yoga group recovered from their withdrawal (Clinical Opiate Withdrawal Scale scores dropping to and staying below four) in an average of five days, compared with nine days for the control group.
- Compared with the control group, patients in the yoga group also had greater improvements in heart-rate variability (a sign of improved autonomic nervous system control), anxiety symptoms, pain perception, and time needed to fall asleep.
The Other Side
The research was conducted at only one center, and the intervention duration was short. In addition, all study participants were men, which limits generalizability.
Takeaway Message
“By targeting parasympathetic restoration, yoga may fill a critical therapeutic gap in standard OUD care, supporting integration into withdrawal protocols as a neurobiologically informed intervention with potential economic benefits,” the researchers wrote.
Related Information
Source
Suddala Goutham, et. al. Yoga for opioid withdrawal and autonomic regulation: a randomized clinical trial.
JAMA Psychiatry. Published January 7, 2026. doi:
10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2025.3863
(Image: Getty Images/iStock/Margaryta Basarab)