• Namrata Walia, Jennifer Matas, Acara Turner, Sandra Gonzalez, and Roger Zoorob.
• From the Department of Family and Community Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX (NW, JM, SG, RZ); West Virginia University Health Sciences Center, Morgantown, WV (AT). Namrata.Walia@bcm.edu.
• J Am Board Fam Med. 2021 Sep 1; 34 (5): 964-973.

IntroductionSubstance use disorders (SUDs) are complex interactions between various genetic, environmental, developmental, and social factors. Yoga is recommended as a nonmainstream treatment for many health conditions, including SUDs.MethodsFive databases were searched for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that evaluated yoga as an intervention in adults with any type of substance use disorder. The interventions being studied included Hatha yoga, Sudarshan Kriya yoga, breathing yoga exercises, and meditation. Studies, where yoga was combined with other interventions were excluded. The effect of yoga as an intervention was analyzed using primary outcomes such as anxiety, pain, and craving. Eight RCTs met the eligibility criteria, and quality analysis was conducted using the Cochrane criteria.ResultsAmong the 8 final studies eligible for quality analysis, 2 had undefined substance use, while the others were focused on tobacco, alcohol, or opioids. Seven out of 8 studies showed significant results and improved primary outcomes such as anxiety, pain, or substance use. Seven out of the 8 studies showed significant positive outcomes using yoga in conjunction with other pharmacological treatment modalities like opioid substitution therapy.ConclusionsSix out of 8 studies showed low concerns, while 2 studies showed some concerns about the risk of bias judgment. Although the results look encouraging, RCTs with larger sample size are needed to better evaluate the effectiveness of yoga as a treatment modality for substance use.© Copyright 2021 by the American Board of Family Medicine.

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