Review suggests yoga may help some IBS symptoms, but evidence remains preliminary
Asivana YogaShare
A systematic review led by researchers affiliated with the University of Milan found that yoga may improve some symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome, or IBS, but the evidence remains preliminary and does not establish yoga as a proven treatment.
The review, published October 18, 2025, in Comprehensive Physiology, examined 10 studies of yoga interventions for people with IBS. The authors reported improvements in gastrointestinal symptoms, anxiety, depression and quality of life compared with usual care or wait-list control groups in the included research. They concluded that yoga could potentially support both physical and psychological aspects of IBS management, while emphasizing the need for larger, high-quality studies.
Sportschosun reported on August 3, 2026, that the review found improvements in constipation, abdominal pain, diarrhea and bowel regularity. However, the precise percentages cited in that report could not be independently verified from the accessible abstract and study records. The underlying paper should therefore not be read as establishing that a particular pose, breathing practice or yoga schedule reliably improves those individual symptoms.
The review itself describes the findings as preliminary. Its included interventions differed in style and duration, ranging from six to 12 weeks, and covered approaches including hatha-based yoga, pranayama, ashtanga yoga and other practices. That variation makes it difficult to determine which components, if any, are responsible for reported benefits.
Other evidence reviews have reached more reserved conclusions. A Cochrane review found only a small body of evidence on physical activity interventions, including yoga, for IBS and rated certainty in symptom findings as very low. A separate 2025 meta-analysis of randomized trials reported no statistically significant difference between yoga and control groups for overall gastrointestinal symptom severity and said better-designed trials are needed before yoga can be recommended as an IBS treatment.
IBS is a disorder of gut-brain interaction that can involve recurrent abdominal pain along with changes in bowel habits, including constipation, diarrhea or both. The available research supports reporting yoga as a possible complementary practice under study, rather than a replacement for medical assessment or treatment.
Editorial note: Asivana Yoga prepares Yoga News reports from publicly available sources and aims to present information accurately, fairly, and without editorial opinion. News may develop after publication, and source information may be incomplete, disputed, or later corrected. Although we review the available material, we may get details wrong. Please consult the original sources listed below for the most current information and contact Asivana Yoga if you believe a correction is needed.
Verification status: This report concerns developing or incompletely verified information. Asivana Yoga has attributed claims to their original sources and identified details that could not be independently confirmed at the time of publication. This article may be updated as additional information becomes available.
Sources
- Comprehensive Physiology / PubMed: The Effectiveness of Yoga for Irritable Bowel Syndrome: A Systematic Review
- Cochrane / PubMed: Physical activity for treatment of irritable bowel syndrome
- American College of Gastroenterology / PubMed: Yoga for Irritable Bowel Syndrome: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials
- 스포츠조선: “Less Abdominal Pain, Better Constipation Relief”... Yoga May Help Improve Irritable Bowel Syndrome Symptoms
