Marian Garfinkel, medical researcher and adjunct professor at the University of Pennsylvania Medical School and Temple University, is the founder and director of B.K.S. Iyengar Yoga Studio in Philadelphia. “Yoga is an appropriate complementary medical treatment for patients suffering from anatomical disorders such as bone and joint disorders,” Garfinkel asserts in an article she wrote for Geriatrics & Aging, 2006.
Dr. Timothy McCall, author of Yoga As Medicine, weighs in on this subject. “Yoga is particularly well suited to help prevent or minimize the erosion of cartilage that cause the joint pain of osteoarthritis, and to create greater ease of movement and decrease pain within joints that have already sustained such damage,” he writes.
Hope for Arthritis Sufferers
For the millions of sufferers of arthritis there is hope. Practicing yoga regularly can bring relief from pain if certain and specific yoga postures (asana) are done correctly. That is the rub. “If performed incorrectly, asanas can be injurious and exacerbate the problem being treated. It is critical to know how to begin yoga for treatment. In the arthritic patient, asanas should be developed slowly,” says Garfinkel.
In the practice of Iyengar yoga, one of several popular yoga teachings worldwide, a sequence of yoga poses for the knee is used to create joint space. This is a beneficial healing exercise for people who suffer pain in the knees. Since many musculoskeletal problems are mechanical, yoga can change alignment to alleviate musculoskeletal aches and pains.
Not All Yoga Styles Help Arthritis
There are all kinds of yoga styles being taught and all kinds of arthritis. Not all yoga styles can be adapted, and not all yoga instructors are trained to work with people with arthritis disorders. You cannot go to the local gym and expect to receive therapeutic treatment. Checking credentials is important.Yoga DVds and yoga books often explain the difference among the various yoga styles.
It is up to the individual to learn how their arthritis symptoms can be alleviated through complementary medicine, but the first step is becoming aware. “If you don’t realize you are moving in a potentially injurious way you could continue to do so for many years digging deeper grooves (samskaras) which manifest on the cartilage and ultimately on the bones themselves,” says Dr. McCall. “Yoga can get you out of an unhealthy groove."
Medical Community and Healing Yoga
It has long been advocated by the medical community that exercise is good for over all preventive care. Walking, for example, is recommended for weight loss and prevention of heart disease.
But fewer doctors of traditional medicine really understand the healing aspects of yoga so they don’t suggest yoga to their patients. There is much need for more clinical trials that prove the efficacy of yoga as a legitimate prescription for healing and wellness.
The anecdotal evidence is abundant. More people are taking yoga classes than ever before and many relate improved relief from arthritis pain. But to date, most of the studies, not all, conducted on the therapeutic value of yoga have been inconclusive, or had little objective evaluation, according to Garfinkel.
Body Awareness Through Yoga
Yoga makes you more aware of habitual bad posture; patterns of movement that misalign your body and aggravate arthritis. It could be the way you slouch in a couch, stand on one foot more than another, cock your head while talking on the phone, using your keyboard too many hours. A good asana practice builds body awareness and you learn to correct the postures and misalignments as your body transports you through daily chores. When yoga helps the body it helps you manage your arthritis to live a more comfortable life.
Related Articles
Health benefits of yoga are also explored in this article about reducing stress. And, preventing arthritis and other joint pain can be read in this article about the link between skeletal problems and metabolic acidosis.
References
Marian Garfinkel, EDd. Geriatrics and Aging. Ontario, Ltd. Ontario, Canada. 2006.
Timothy McCall, M.D. Yoga As Medicine. Bantam Books. New York, New York. 2007.
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