Pain is an unpleasant experience that occurs when the body is dysfunctional. It is a common symptom of many illnesses, and while it is upsetting, it is an essential feature that plays an important role in healing and survival.
Most of the time, the source of the pain can be identified. However, people occasionally experience pain (particularly pain associated with mental health) of unknown origin.
Pain is chronic if it lasts more than three months. A person suffering from chronic pain may feel exhausted, anxious, sad, and have a low quality of life. This can result in temporary or permanent incapacity, reducing a person's productivity.
One of the most common pain management methods is pharmacological therapy with opioids (drugs with significant analgesic and sedative effects). However, there is a risk of misuse, abuse, and dependency. That is why most people in pain seek an alternative to drugs.
Yoga can be an effective non-pharmacological pain management intervention. The National Institute of Health classifies it as complementary and alternative medicine. Yoga is used to treat people's physical, cognitive, and emotional conditions.
While most people think of Yoga as a form of exercise, it can actually help people who are in pain. In this article, you'll learn how Yoga can help you fight pain and how you can incorporate it into your life.
What is Yoga?
Yoga is a practice that began over 2,000 years ago in India. It is a mind-body method that includes stretching and strengthening exercises. This practice has many different branches. The word Yoga in Sanskrit means "union."
Practitioners of all lineages strive for greater integration. This means integration of body and mind, harmony with the world, harmony with the universe, and internal and external balance.
Hatha Yoga is the most well-known form of Yoga in the West, and it aims to promote greater body and emotional awareness through postures, breathing exercises, and meditation.
Is Yoga good for pain?
Yoga has been identified as one of the most effective alternative treatments for patients suffering from chronic pain. Regular practice has numerous advantages, including stress reduction, improved posture, and increased body and emotional awareness.
The practitioner uses the postures to maintain stability and comfort while increasing body awareness. Breathing exercises promote physiological balance, harmonizing the body and mind. Meditation improves concentration, understanding, and self-awareness.
Experts say that chronic pain can be caused by stress. This is because pain is a stressor in and of itself. Stress, on the other hand, exacerbates pain and impairs coping. Yoga has been shown to reduce the stress levels of its practitioners. Also, its postures help reduce muscle tension while increasing muscle strength.
Another benefit of doing Yoga is that it helps practitioners become more aware of their own body posture. Hence, the person begins to seek greater alignment, changing and avoiding specific postures that can cause pain and discomfort. A better posture prevents tendons and ligaments from being compressed, thereby preventing the onset of chronic pain.
Yoga breathing can help to balance the Autonomic Nervous System by decreasing sympathetic activity (the "fight or flight" response) and increasing parasympathetic activity. By doing this, the body will feel more relaxed.
What kind of Yoga helps with pain?
Yoga is a very beginner-friendly practice. It has been shown to reduce the pain level felt throughout the body. Stretching (which you will do a lot in Yoga) is very good for treating pain especially back pain.
Experts say that all types of Yoga is good for the body, But when it comes to pain, some are more beneficial than others. The types of Yoga that help relieve pain are prenatal, hot, power, ashtanga, yin, and Hatha Yoga.
Does yoga help with aches and pains?
A paper published in the Journal of Pain Research & Management examined eight experiments covering 743 participants on yoga practice for chronic low back pain. The article concluded that the practice significantly reduced the levels of disability and pain.
Another study looked into the effectiveness of Yoga in stress management. In total, 17 articles from various countries were examined. According to the authors, 12 showed a significant reduction in the participant's stress levels which reduced their pain.
This means that practicing Yoga can help you relieve aches and pains. However, this takes time. So, you should not expect to see results right away.
What is the best Yoga for chronic pain?
The best type of Yoga for chronic pain is Hatha mindfulness yoga. It also helps you become more aware and boosts your immunity.
Hatha Yoga has been adopted as a complementary health practice in the West due to the numerous benefits it provides to its practitioners. Global research indicates that this practice is effective in preventing health problems and treating various diseases including chronic pain.
To try this type of yoga, you should:
Start by sitting in a comfortable posture.
Place a blanket or cushion beneath your buttocks if desired.
Shut your eyes.
Next, concentrate entirely on your breathing - feel the air entering your nose, warming up within your body, and then flowing out again.
With each breath, notice how your abdominal wall rises and falls.
Then scan your body mindfully. Begin with your feet and work your way up your body. Step by step, maintaining a deliberate neutral stance. For example, if you have discomfort in one area, examine it carefully to see how it feels: warm or cold, selectively or broadly, can you attribute a color or tone to it, and so on. Avoid using familiar, emotive words like "uncomfortable," "everywhere," and so on.
For five to ten minutes, remain intentionally in this neutral attitude.
Take two or three deep breaths, move your fingers and toes, and return your consciousness to the room.
Conclusion
Nobody is immune to pain. It's a widespread concept that we've all struggled with at some point in our lives. Stress can cause pain, and pain can worsen stress. Yoga is one of the most effective ways to manage these conditions. It is ideal for anyone suffering from pain, especially chronic pain. Yoga is simple to do and is a drug-free method of pain management that anyone can use.
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