Archive for the ‘Yoga for Pain Management’ Category

By Paul Jerard, E-RYT 500

So many myths surround Yoga and back pain that Hatha Yoga teachers should inform the public as to what they should realistically expect from a regular practice. Chronic back pain is a very real ailment, while some health professionals hold to the belief that many cases are psychosomatic.

There is room for debate here; as many of us know the possibility of psychosomatic pain does exist. One theory is that psychosomatic back pain is a result of repressed emotions. A medical professional may feel the combination of a patient’s personality type, and the lack of physical evidence in an MRI or X-ray, makes this person prone to have psychosomatic back pain.

On the other hand, fibromyalgia was misdiagnosed in the past, and many patients were sent home, after being told their pain was “all in their heads.” The wide variety of potential problems with the spine, and the fact that the spinal structure is so complex, make it possible for an expert to miss a visible cause of back pain.

It has been said that four out of five Americans will experience back pain at some point in their lives. The reasons are numerous. We have become a “chair sitting” society. At the same time, there are degenerative disc diseases, arthritis, muscular problems, spinal nerve disorders, and herniated discs to be considered.

Hatha Yoga cannot solve every problem, but asana practice can assure a student that muscular balance will be restored. Some medical experts are of the opinion that muscle imbalances are the source of most forms of “real” back pain and sciatica. In the case of a muscle imbalance, the stronger muscles will pull in one direction, while the weaker muscles on the opposite side, “give way.”

This structural imbalance of the spine, as a result of uneven pressure from opposing muscle groups, causes the bones and joints to become misaligned. To elaborate on this a little further – the spine is at the very center of the physical stress between opposing muscle groups, which cause this structural imbalance.

Hatha Yoga offers more to students than asana practice. For instance, pranayama (Yogic breathing) offers a method for establishing a mind/body connection. Some new practitioners do not see the long term value of pranayama. For example: Pranayama, alone, will calm the mind and make a person feel refreshed.

For those, who have difficulty in understanding this concept, my suggestion would be to try a supervised pranayama practice, with a competent Yoga teacher, guru, or swami. Within one hour, anyone who is new to the practice of pranayama should become a believer. 

In addition to pranayama and asana, we also have meditation. Once again, my suggestion would be to seek out a competent Yoga teacher for guidance in meditation.

All of the above benefits and techniques should be found within a single class. It may require some searching on the part of the person who is experiencing back pain. Yet, the time spent searching for a competent source of information, is small in comparison to the chronic physical back pain one is experiencing.

© Copyright 2010 – Paul Jerard / Aura Publications

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FREE CONTENT: If you are a Yoga Teacher, Yoga studio, blogger, e-zine, or website publisher, and are in need of quality content, please feel free to use my blog entries (articles). Please be sure to reprint each article, as is, including the resource box above. Namaste, Paul

By Paul Jerard, E-RYT 500

There are so many forms of back pain, that it seems impossible for Yoga to help them all. Truthfully, Hatha Yoga is great for pain prevention, but it also helps one cope with chronic back pain. If your day is filled with chronic back pain, less or no pain seems like a miracle. On the other hand, long term inflammations and chronic pain can make any form of adjustment or movement a challenge.

What can one do to get enough pain relief to practice Hatha Yoga, exercise, or physical therapy? In the case of a person who is in severe pain, no matter what he or she does, a physician may recommend a shot of marcaine, triamcenalone, or both. There is a school of thought that believes medication should be avoided at all costs. In reality, pain, and your tolerance of it, will make you come to a personal decision quickly. Each of us is different, and there is no need to make comparisons.

Doctors and chiropractors often recommend Yoga for back pain, but we want to make sure there is a doctor’s approval before beginning a practice. Once approval is received, it is wise to seek out a competent Yoga teacher, with expertise in back pain management. If a prospective Yoga teacher shows no sign of compassion and competence, search until you find one who meets your needs.

With safety in mind, each of us learns to explore the body gradually. Never force or lock a joint while practicing Yoga postures. Learn to incorporate Yogic breathing techniques, as you become comfortable with your practice, and do not skip past foundational Yoga instruction. Listed below are details concerning Trikonasana, which should help a person experiencing chronic back pain.

Trikonasana (Triangle Pose): This is an open twist, which is usually practiced from a standing position, but Chair Yoga practitioners may have learned to do this from a seated position. So many muscles are involved when practicing Trikonasana, that many people forget about the benefits to the skeletal structure.

To reduce pain in the back, the parts of the skeletal structure we are concerned with are the spine, shoulders, pelvis, and hip joints. When we consider back pain, all of these parts come into play, but we often forget that hips have limited range of motion while we move them from side to side. The hips have great range of motion going into a forward bend, but they are designed for stability more than mobility. Forcing the hips into abduction puts excessive torque on the SI joints.

One method to consider is the use of a chair, tall block, or a short stool while practicing Trikonasana. Forget the “cookie cutter” photographs of 19 year old models performing this posture. Forget the dogma from Yoga teachers who want to force your hips to rotate forward. Each skeleton is different. When you mindfully practice Trikonasana, you gently work the hips, pelvis, SI joints, and the rest of your spine, to reduce, or prevent, pain.

© Copyright 2010 – Paul Jerard / Aura Publications

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FREE CONTENT: If you are a Yoga Teacher, Yoga studio, blogger, e-zine, or website publisher, and are in need of quality content, please feel free to use my blog entries (articles). Please be sure to reprint each article, as is, including the resource box above. Namaste, Paul

By Paul Jerard, E-RYT 500

Gentle forms of Hatha Yoga can help anyone who suffers from arthritis. Depending on the type, stage, and where arthritis is located in the body, a Yoga session will have to be modified to match the needs of the student. This can make the search for the right Yoga class, and a compassionate teacher difficult, at best.

In some advanced stages, the amount of movement must be reduced, while you hold postures; and areas of the body, where there is chronic pain, may have to be worked gently. At the same time, someone who has the beginning stages of arthritis, may feel relief from classes with flowing movements.

Some flowing styles are quite gentle, while many of them are physically demanding. One way to sort them out is to research the particular styles you are interested in. If you are in search of a style for healing purposes, there is no need to push the body with powerful, flowing movements.

Some of the more dynamic movements may have to be avoided for the sake of preventative health. One good example of taking precautions with movement is – if you have discovered arthritis in your lower back. In this case, movements, such as the “jump back” from forward bend, to plank, may cause excess shock in the lumbar spine.

Yoga sessions, where students hold postures for 20 seconds, to two minutes, usually do not teach jumping movements, which have impact on the joints. Nevertheless, it would be wise to consult with your family doctor or a physical therapist prior to taking a Yoga class. Make sure you inquire about how much warm-up time is recommended.

In this way, you will be advised about which movements will be beneficial and which movements should be avoided. If possible, get a referral to visit a competent Yoga teacher from your family doctor or physical therapist.

If you are a Yoga teacher, and you teach a therapeutic style, you should make an effort to network with local health professionals and make them aware of the services you provide. The difference between a Yoga school that is vibrant with activity, and one that is empty, is educating the community through public outreach.

One method for “testing the potential for student demand,” is to have an open house and invite local health professionals as guests or as guest speakers. Do not forget to reach out to chiropractors and massage therapists. Even if attendance is light, an open house may create a professional network.  Your efforts will enhance community awareness about the programs you have to offer.

© Copyright 2009 – Paul Jerard / Aura Publications

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By Paul Jerard, E-RYT 500

The exact cause of back pain can sometimes be a mystery.  If your physicians cannot come up with a solid reason for your pain, after a battery of tests, you may want to try an alternative method.  Below is a case, when Yoga has helped a back pain mystery.

Q: I have been getting pain in the L-4 and L-5 area of the Lumbar spine for the past six years.  Sometimes, the pain is in my sacrum, but it is a mystery.  My doctors have taken numerous X-rays and MRIs, but nobody has found anything structurally wrong with my spine.

One doctor told me it is all in my head, but the pain is sharp, wincing, and I swear it is real to me.  Another doctor offers me all the pain killers I need.  My Chiropractor suggested I visit a Yoga class.  After listening to her say it ten times, I finally went to a gentle restorative Yoga class, because I was in so much pain that I couldn’t think straight.

After the class was over, I was in complete shock.  The pain was gone and I slept well that night.  After two days, the pain came back. I visit Yoga classes and it goes away again.  Do you have any idea what is going on? 

A: Chronic spinal pain can be a mystery.  It is believed that as many as 85% of patients, who experience lower back pain, cannot be given a precise diagnosis.  Hence the reason why we hear terms such as: “Sprain or “strain,” when no structural damage is apparent. 

There are many approaches to solving back pain, and it seems as if you have experienced many of them.  One of my suggestions would be to develop a daily Restorative Yoga practice that you can perform each day.  You should base it upon what you do in your classes. 

Why change the routine, if you know it works?  Ask your Yoga teacher if he or she objects to your taking notes, and explain why you need to gather information.  It is the combination of postures which adjust your spine, laterally, forward, backward, and twisting during your session that helps; but the combination of pranayama, meditation, and relaxation techniques could also be of therapeutic value.

Consider this: Through your attendance at Yoga classes, you have learned an effective form of pain management, with no side effects.  You may be able to maintain your spine naturally, without spending a fortune.  It would be nice to know the exact cause of your pain, but you have found a solution that may work over the long term.

© Copyright 2009 – Paul Jerard / Aura Publications

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FREE CONTENT: If you are a Yoga Teacher, Yoga studio, blogger, e-zine, or website publisher, and are in need of quality content, please feel free to use my blog entries (articles) – Please be sure to reprint each article, as is, including the resource box above. Namaste, Paul

By Paul Jerard, E-RYT 500

Yoga has been around for centuries. The birthplace of Yoga is the Indus River Valley, of India, and its history started 5,000 years ago. Yoga continued to evolve and grow in popularity, before Alexander the Great was born. Ancient Yogis of the past have left us documentation, philosophy, ethics, and a health maintenance system that continues to evolve to this day.

Family physicians, professional medical specialists, and chiropractors often recommend Yoga to their patients for many different reasons. Yoga classes are cost effective and cost less than the average co-payment for a person who has a good health insurance plan.

This does not mean your doctor wants to abandon you to Yoga, but the cost of standard medicine is not going down. At the same time, doctors are actively seeking solutions for their patients. This is why alternative therapies, such as Yoga, are becoming even more popular than ever. On top of this, the medical system has reach the point of “overload.”

The longer people live, the more potential problems they will encounter with their health. Granted, there are some people who neglect their health, but you can be extremely health conscious and still encounter infections or illness. Below is one major reason why Yoga is linked to humanity for as long as we exist.

Yoga for Pain Management

Pain management does not seem important until the day you find yourself in pain. You can be the most compassionate person, but you cannot feel their pain. Once you experience intense or chronic pain, and suffering, you immediately want to end the experience as soon as possible.

Consider this: Hatha Yoga practice can reduce, or relieve, pain in the head, neck, back, shoulders, chest, stomach, hands, legs, and feet. Did I forget anything? Yes, the list of ways, in which Yoga can help to reduce pain, is only limited by the number of possible pains that humans experience.

Most, but not all, of the pain people experience, is due to chronic stress or the spine. Hatha Yoga is a powerful method for reducing stress to manageable levels. The techniques learned in a typical Hatha Yoga class were designed for the reduction of stress.

Additionally, spinal health and the best possible skeletal alignment is much like an extra lease on the quality of life. If your spine hurts, it is difficult to find peace of mind. Could you be happy with constant pain? In short – No, but the reduction or elimination of pain can be very gratifying. This is why Yoga will be linked to humanity forever.

© Copyright 2009 – Paul Jerard / Aura Publications

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FREE CONTENT: If you are a Yoga Teacher, Yoga studio, blogger, e-zine, or website publisher, and are in need of quality content, please feel free to use my blog entries (articles) – Please be sure to reprint each article, as is, including the resource box above. Namaste, Paul
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