RESEARCH PROVES THAT YOGA IS AN EFFECTIVE TREATMENT FOR PTSD
In a study by van der Kolk and others (2013) 64 women with treatment resistant PTSD were randomly divided into two groups.
One group was assigned 10 weekly classes of 1-hour trauma-informed yoga and the other groups the same amount of supportive women’s health education.
PTSD, affect regulation, and depression were all measured.
At the end of the study, 16 of 31 participants (52%) in the yoga group NO LONGER MET CRITERIA FOR PTSD compared to 6 of 29 (21%) in the control group.
The theory is that trauma informed yoga practice assists traumatised people by helping them to re-establish contact with their body and connect to their sensory experiences as well as to increase their emotional awareness.
This can help with dissociation, numbness, anxiety, stress and difficulty sleeping, all common symptoms of trauma and PTSD. Yoga could be an integrated part of a holistic plan to attend to the symptoms of trauma.
(This is not intended as advice, but as information only).
Reference
Van der Kolk et al. (2013). Yoga as an adjunctive treatment for posttraumatic stress disorder: A randomized controlled trial. Retrieved from : http://www.traumacenter.org/products/pdf_files/Yoga_Adjunctive_Treatment_PTSD_V0001.pdf