 Yoga May Provide Pain Releif
Those
who practice yoga are quick to praise this ancient art's ability to
increase flexibility and relieve stress. New research now suggests that
yoga may also be an effective pain management technique. Living
with chronic pain can be the cause of constant discomfort, rob you of
your strength reserves and create feelings of depression and anxiety.
Yoga techniques may minimize pain, medication usage and help you build
a fuller and happier life.
The best Yoga techniques for pain management are breathing, relaxation
and meditation. These three act to distract your mind from the pain,
reduce the sress, allowing you to "move through" the pain, lessening
it's full impact.
Relaxation can be mental or physical. Physical relaxation simply means
reducing muscle tension. It can reduce both acute and chronic pain.
Chronic pain often responds better to mental relaxtation techniques
such as meditation. Meditation is the conscience effort to reduce your
mind's "chatter" and to concentrate on "not thinking".
Yoga is beleived to reduce pain by assisting the areas of the brain
which respond to pain. The spinal cord also has a gate controlling pain
mechanism which Yoga is beleived to influence. Like other forms of
physical activity, Yoga increases the production of natural painkilling
substances called endorphins. Finally, breathing exercises promote an
increased exhalation time which is associated with a natural biological
pain killing mechanism.
If you live with chronic pain, you know how debilitating it can be.
Today, Yoga is a wide spread fitness practice. The breathing,
relaxation and meditation exercises can furthur aid in pain reduction.
Regular yoga practice allows you to build a foundation of internal
strength by opening a window to a part of yourself that is not dictated
by the demands of the physical body. This detachment can lead to a
reduction in pain.
About the Author
Dr. Lanny Schaffer is an Exercise Physiologist and the President of
The International Fitness Academy, For more cutting edge health and
fintess news go to http://www.aerobic-exercise-coach.com
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