RST1: Yoga Accelerates Opioid Withdrawal Recovery and Enhances Autonomic Regulation

RST1: Yoga Accelerates Opioid Withdrawal Recovery and Enhances Autonomic Regulation: Evidence from a Randomized Controlled Trial

Presenter bio: Hemant Bhargav, MD, PhD

The global opioid crisis demands innovative, evidence-based adjunctive interventions. This presentation will share findings from our landmark randomized controlled trial, published in JAMA Psychiatry, which demonstrated that a structured yoga intervention significantly accelerates opioid withdrawal recovery and enhances autonomic nervous system regulation compared to standard care. We will cover study design, key findings on primary and secondary outcomes—including withdrawal severity trajectories, heart rate variability measures, anxiety, sleep, and pain—as well as the clinical implications of integrating yoga into addiction treatment protocols. Attendees will gain insights into how yoga-based approaches can address both the physiological and psychological dimensions of opioid withdrawal.

Learning Objectives

1. Describe the evidence supporting yoga as an adjunctive intervention for accelerating opioid withdrawal recovery and improving autonomic regulation.
2. Identify key physiological and psychological mechanisms through which yoga-based interventions may enhance outcomes in opioid use disorder treatment.