Yoga Therapy for Arthritis Pain
A Yoga Practice and Yoga Therapy Can Ease Arthritis Pain Naturally
Jan 12, 2008
Arthritis is the most common cause of disability in the United States. The debilitating effects of arthritis can affect a person’s life physically and emotionally.
A mind-body fitness routine can help maintain joint mobility and provide gentle health benefits while also boosting self-esteem, relieving stress, and alleviating depression. The classroom or studio structure and personal attention of instructors can also help encourage patients to stick with a regular practice and achieve the greatest long term benefits.
Get Moving to Feel Better
One of the major recommendations for ongoing arthritis pain management is an active lifestyle and exercise.
In a recent study performed by the Arthritis Foundation, participants who maintained a regular routine of range-of-motion and low-resistance exercises showed improvement in pain, fatigue and managing their arthritis.
Why Practice Yoga When I Could Go Jogging?
Any activity such as swimming, walking, water aerobics, or even light jogging would also provide the pain relief benefits associated with physical activity, as well as increased strength, stamina and endurance. All of these forms of exercise will also provide stress-relief and mood-lifting endorphins.
What they will not provide are consistent personal attention, supportive studio environments, and the mood-enhancing and emotional lift that comes from a regular yoga practice.
In an article for Johns Hopkins Arthritis Center, Steffany Haaz, MFA and Registered Yoga Teacher notes “These early studies have shown promising results with some improvement in joint health, physical functioning, and mental/emotional well-being. Perhaps most importantly, yoga has an important positive effect on quality of life.”
Social Support and Structure
The Arthritis Foundation's study also indicated that the participants felt more confident about the efficacy of the workouts they were doing when it was completed in a structured class. The positive benefits of a regular class structure, schedule and the social support seemed to help the participants’ perceptions about the work and its ongoing benefits.
Though the study was not about yoga, specifically, the various benefits of yoga have been studied and confirmed, and that these same benefits could pass on to arthritis patients is undeniable.
Practice Yoga for the Long Haul
"People with arthritis may also enjoy yoga more than traditional forms of exercise," Haaz observes, "and exercise enjoyment is an important predictor of adherence. This is particularly important considering that, on average, 50% of sedentary individuals will drop out of exercise within 6 months. "
In Yoga Therapy, the student forms a one-on-one relationship with a Yoga Instructor and through a regular, gentle yoga practice that is tailored to the individual, the student safely and steadily gains new ground in terms of emotional health as well as flexibilty, balance and stamina.
Because there are gentle yoga and chair yoga sessions that incorporate the use of props or tools, there is literally no age limit for trying yoga.
Natural Pain Relief
Even professional athletes and movie stars practice Yoga to stay fit and free of stiffness and soreness naturally. It is a good addition to proper nutrition, and complementary herbal remedies such as essential oils, vitamins and supplements, antioxidants and cleansing.
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