Study Finds Yoga Helps Faster Opioid Withdrawal and Better Sleep

Yoga may significantly help people recover faster from opioid withdrawal while also improving anxiety, sleep quality, and pain levels, according to a recent study conducted by researchers from NIMHANS, Bengaluru, in collaboration with Harvard Medical School, USA.

Opioid withdrawal is often a difficult and distressing phase for individuals with opioid use disorder. It is marked by a wide range of physical and psychological symptoms, including diarrhoea, insomnia, fever, body pain, anxiety, depression, nausea, vomiting, excessive sweating, runny nose, yawning, loss of appetite, and restlessness. These symptoms occur due to overactivity of the body’s sympathetic nervous system, which controls the “fight or flight” response, along with reduced calming activity of the parasympathetic system.

The researchers noted that conventional medicines used during withdrawal do not always fully correct this imbalance in the nervous system, which may increase the risk of relapse. This prompted them to study whether yoga could serve as an effective additional therapy during withdrawal treatment.

To examine this, the team conducted a randomised clinical trial involving 59 male participants diagnosed with opioid use disorder. Of these, 30 participants received structured yoga therapy along with standard medical treatment using buprenorphine, while 29 participants received only the standard treatment.

The results were notable. Participants who practised yoga alongside medication achieved withdrawal stabilisation more than four times faster than those who did not practise yoga. In addition, the yoga group showed significant improvements in heart rate variability, an important indicator of healthy nervous system function. They also reported reduced anxiety, better sleep quality, and lower pain levels.

Researchers explained that yoga appears to help restore balance between the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems. By activating calming pathways in the body, yoga addresses not just visible symptoms but also the underlying physiological dysregulation that occurs during opioid withdrawal.

Globally, opioid use disorder remains a major public health concern. In 2022, an estimated 60 million people worldwide used opioids non-medically, yet only a small fraction received treatment. In India, a national survey conducted in 2019 estimated opioid use prevalence at 2.1 per cent.

The researchers concluded that integrating yoga into standard withdrawal protocols could offer a low-cost, scientifically grounded, and holistic approach to opioid addiction treatment. By improving both physical and psychological recovery, yoga may help reduce relapse risk and support long-term healing for people struggling with opioid dependence.

With Inputs From IANS