Yoga and Chronic Pain Have Opposite Effects on Gray Matter

According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), yoga can be an important tool for preventing or reversing the effects of chronic pain on the brain. Researchers from NIH explained that many chronic pain patients show associated anxiety and depression, as well as deficits in cognitive functions. Additionally, imaging studies in rats and humans have shown alteration in gray matter volume and white matter integrity in the brain caused by the effects of chronic pain. However, compelling evidence from studies conducted at the NIH suggest that mind-body techniques, such as yoga and meditation, can counteract the effects of chronic pain in the brain. “Practicing yoga has the opposite effect on the brain as does chronic pain,” said a lead researcher from NIH. Furthermore, the studies show yoga practitioners have more gray matter than controls in multiple brain regions, including those involved in pain modulation. Some gray matter increases in yogis, according to researchers, correspond to duration of yoga practice, which suggests there is a causative link between yoga and gray matter increases. Assessing the impact of brain anatomy on pain reduction, gray matter changes in the insula or internal structures of the cerebral cortex are most significant for pain tolerance. The encouraging news for people with chronic pain is that mind-body practices seem to exert a protective effect on brain gray matter that counteracts the neuroanatomical effects of chronic pain. To read more about this study, click here.