Does Yoga Really Help Health Conditions? What The Research Shows So Far
Short answer: for a lot of common conditions, yoga and yogic breathing may help, and for some the research is strong. For others, nobody has tested it well yet. This page shows which is which, and how many Australians live with each condition. Last updated: 7 November 2026.
Who was Mr Iyengar, and why does Flametree teach this way?
Mr BKS Iyengar was the 20th-century teacher who codified traditional Indian yoga in his books and teaching. He also pioneered the use of props, so more people can do the poses well. His style is sometimes called modern classical yoga. Flametree teaches it, and Chris is a Certified Senior Iyengar Yoga Teacher and certified Yoga Therapist. Stuart is a yoga teacher at Flametree Yoga Darwin.
How we looked at the research
We started with Dr Timothy McCall’s list of 117 conditions that yoga is said to help, and built on it. For each condition we gathered three kinds of knowing:
- Known from practice. What Mr Iyengar, Geeta Iyengar and the doctors who worked with them teach.
- Supported by modern research. Trials and reviews, with the name of each study and how many people were in it.
- Still being studied. Early signs that need more testing.
Not yet tested is not the same as does not work. Yoga has been refined over thousands of years, and much of it has never been put through a modern trial.
How we rate the research
Study type says what one paper was: a review of many trials, a large trial, a single trial, or an early pilot.
Overall evidence says how much all the research together supports yoga for a condition: Strong, Moderate, Limited, or Not yet tested. It is how much the research supports yoga, not a promise for one person. We rate a condition by its best-supported finding.
Each guide shows its overall evidence and its best study near the top, so you can see at a glance how much the research backs it.
| Overall evidence | What it means |
|---|---|
| Strong | Reviews or large trials that mostly agree, and find a benefit. |
| Moderate | Several smaller trials, or reviews with a more modest result. |
| Limited | Early pilots, a single trial, or evidence only from a related condition. |
| Not yet tested | No trial found. Known from practice only. |
A note on Iyengar yoga: many trials tested yoga in general, not Iyengar yoga taught by trained teachers. Where a trial used Iyengar yoga, we say so. See Yoga Or Iyengar Yoga? Why The Difference Matters.
What we found so far
We have 53 guides covering 74 of the 117 conditions on Dr McCall’s list, plus eight more conditions we added. Of the 53 guides:
- Strong overall evidence: 28 guides
- Moderate overall evidence: 16 guides
- Limited overall evidence: 8 guides
- Not yet tested: 1 guide (foot pain). The 45 conditions with no guide yet have only a first-pass rating, so we have left them out of the tables.
Tap any guide in the tables below to read it. The numbers come from Australian sources and are estimates. Some people have more than one condition, so the numbers should not be added together.
Where the research is strongest
| Guide | People affected in Australia |
|---|---|
| Pelvic floor | Pelvic organ prolapse: 708,500 Pelvic pain: 2,700,000 Urinary incontinence: 6,000,000 |
| Headaches and migraine | Migraine and tension headaches: 4,900,000 |
| Period pain and PMS | Period pain: 4,736,826 |
| Back pain | Chronic back pain: 4,080,000 |
| Anxiety and anger | Anxiety: 3,400,000 Panic disorder: 733,000 Performance anxiety: 1,445,000 |
| Stress and burnout | Stress: 3,322,727 |
| Sleep and insomnia | Insomnia: 3,251,687 |
| High blood pressure | High blood pressure: 3,000,000 |
| Asthma, COPD and breathlessness | Asthma: 2,800,000 COPD (e.g. emphysema): 638,100 |
| IBS, reflux, constipation and colitis | Irritable bowel syndrome: 2,438,765 Inflammatory bowel disease: 179,420 |
| Tinnitus | Tinnitus: 2,400,000 |
| Arthritis | Osteoarthritis: 2,109,000 Rheumatoid arthritis: 456,000 |
| Neck pain | Myofascial pain: 1,960,000 Chronic neck pain: 661,500 |
| Menopause | Menopausal and perimenopausal symptoms: 1,698,465 |
| Depression and low mood | Depression: 1,500,000 |
| Diabetes and blood sugar | Diabetes: 1,300,000 |
| Heart health | Heart disease: 1,300,000 Atrial fibrillation: 500,000 Post-heart attack: 430,000 Congestive heart failure: 144,000 |
| PTSD and trauma | PTSD: 1,109,000 |
| Bones, balance and falls | Gait (walking) problems: 1,100,000 Osteoporosis: 853,600 Balance problems: 132,933 |
| Cancer, fatigue and lymphoedema | Cancer (general): 969,000 Breast cancer: 85,395 Lymphoedema: 9,400 |
| Underactive thyroid | Hypothyroidism: 955,732 |
| Bronchitis and chronic cough | Chronic bronchitis: 638,100 |
| Parkinson’s and MS | Essential tremor: 300,000 Multiple sclerosis: 33,335 Parkinson’s disease: 28,500 |
| Pregnancy and after the birth | Pregnancy: 286,998 Postnatal depression: 57,400 Gestational diabetes: 49,800 |
| Knee and hip pain | Total knee replacement: 44,500 Post joint replacement: 39,628 |
| Inflammation and the immune system | HIV/AIDS: 30,890 |
| Healthy ageing | No single figure |
| Stiff joints | No single figure |
Where the research is moderate
| Guide | People affected in Australia |
|---|---|
| Weight and stress eating | Overweight: 13,028,000 Metabolic syndrome: 4,297,016 |
| Sinus and hay fever | Rhinitis (inflamed nose): 6,100,000 Sinusitis: 1,914,494 |
| Restless legs | Restless legs syndrome: 3,369,164 |
| Chronic fatigue and fibromyalgia | Fatigue: 2,919,927 Fibromyalgia: 1,000,000 Chronic fatigue syndrome: 219,000 |
| Fertility | Polycystic ovarian syndrome: 1,688,000 Infertility: 56,000 |
| Carpal tunnel, wrist and hand | Carpal tunnel syndrome: 729,000 |
| Brain health and memory | Dementia: 425,000 |
| Stroke recovery | Stroke: 425,000 |
| Shoulder pain | Frozen shoulder: 250,000 |
| Prostate and men’s health | Prostate cancer: 106,705 |
| Circulation and fainting | No figure found |
| Long Covid | No figure found |
| Nerve pain (neuropathy) | No figure found |
| Sciatica | No single figure |
| Tension headache | Included in headaches: 4,900,000 |
| Vertigo | No figure found |
Where the research is still limited
| Guide | People affected in Australia |
|---|---|
| Piles (haemorrhoids) | Haemorrhoids: 2,416,795 |
| Hernia | Inguinal hernia: 45,000 |
| Tonsillitis and sore throats | Tonsillitis: 42,509 |
| Overactive thyroid | No figure found |
| Rounded upper back | No figure found |
| Scoliosis | No figure found |
| Laryngitis and voice | No figure found |
| Stomach ulcer | No figure found |
Not yet tested
No yoga trial has been done yet for these. What the guide sets out is known from practice.
| Guide | People affected in Australia |
|---|---|
| Foot pain | Foot pain: 310,000 |
2027 Masterclasses From 28 December
Over four months, learn the poses and breath practices that make the biggest difference for a range of key health conditions: arthritis, sleep and energy, pelvic floors, backs, wisdom, and anxiety, upsets and anger. In Darwin or LIVE online.
Where to go next
- See every guide, by body system or A to Z
- Back to the Flametree health blog
- Yoga and a long, healthy life
- Yoga and weight loss: what 23 studies found
- Stress and sleep: can calmer days and better nights help you live longer?
Yoga works alongside the care you already have. Every figure for the number of people affected is an estimate from an Australian source, listed in each guide.
