From pregnancy aches to PTSD: is there any condition yoga can't help?

It might not sound like the obvious way to treat post-combat symptoms suffered by wounded veterans, but the Ministry of Defence has been encouraging yoga for the past two years.

Perhaps we shouldn't be surprised.

Problems such as post-traumatic stress disorder belong to a growing list of ailments and conditions yoga can help with.

Here are some others:

Insomnia

A recent Harvard study showed that by practising 30 to 45 minutes of yoga per day people fell asleep 30 per cent faster and reduced their night-time waking time by 35 per cent.

“Insomnia is often caused by a racing mind and yoga provides us with the tools to find stillness in the mind,” says yoga teacher Rahoul Masrani.

“Mindful breathing is one of the key things in yoga. Learning to breathe mindfully is very helpful in getting people to sleep and also improves the quality of sleep.”

^{Yoga has been shown to help combat sleeplessness (ALAMY)}

Heart problems

A 2010 study at the University of Kansas Hospital monitored the heart activity of 49 patients who had irregular heart rhythms over a six-month period, particularly looking at the role of yoga in the management of atrial fibrillation, a common heart rhythm disorder that is a leading cause of stroke.

The study, published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, found that a regular vigorous yoga practise cut patients’ episodes of atrial fibrillation in half.

Pregnancy

“Yoga is great for pregnant women because it provides a low-impact form of physical activity which helps to strengthen muscles, lubricate joints and get rid of any stiffness that pregnancy might bring,” says Masrani.

A 2014 study by academics from Manchester and Newcastle Universities published in the journal Depression and Anxiety also found that pregnant women who practised yoga had significantly decreased anxiety scores compared to the control group who received normal antenatal treatment.

^{Yoga provides low-impact exercise for pregnant women (ALAMY)}

Lack of libido

A study published in The Journal of Sexual Medicine in 2009 showed that a regular yoga practise improves sexual function and desire in women.

The study involved 40 healthy women between the ages of 22 and 55. At the end of the 12- week program, which involved a daily hour-long yoga practise, 75 per cent of women said they had experienced significant improvements in their sex lives. Interestingly, the group most markedly affected were those aged 45 and over.

^{Yoga can improve your sex life (GETTY IMAGES)}

Back pain

Many people believe that yoga is immensely helpful for people who suffer from back pain and recent studies have proved it.

A 2011 study by academics at York University found that back pain sufferers recorded greater improvements in everyday physical tasks such as walking, bending down and getting dressed if they did weekly yoga sessions.

“Practising yoga is a great way to reverse the damage we do to our backs by sitting at desks all day,” says Masrani. “Forward bending and backward bending when done properly can be extremely healing for the spine. All of the back-strengthening exercises we do in yoga are hugely beneficial for any postural problems too.”

Post-traumatic stress disorder

A study published last year in the Journal for Traumatic Stress found that a regular yoga practise helped people overcome post-traumatic stress disorder.

The year-long study of 21 male veterans who had all served in Iraq or Afghanistan and had all been diagnosed with PTSD found that yoga was extremely helpful in lowering anxiety and respiration rates as well as helping to regulate emotions and painful memories, and aid relaxation too.