The practice of yoga is now recommended as a treatment modality for people in pain. Yet, the idea that yoga would be beneficial when it hurts to move, sounds ridiculous - especially to the people experiencing pain - In. This. Moment. Many health professionals would agree that Yoga seems like a bad idea, based on the postures they think will harm people in pain. On the other hand, scientific research strongly suggests that yoga practices help to improve ease of movement, decrease pain and improve quality of life in people with many complex pain conditions. Pain is a unique and complex experience. As such the Yoga that will work best for most individuals will be unique to that person.

We need to stop looking for simple solutions to a complex problem. We need to stop looking for an answer that fits everyone with ongoing pain. And in Yoga, we need to look beyond the physical postures as the answer to pain problems. Cleary, the research cannot state that yoga will work for everyone with these conditions, Yet, we should find it difficult to ignore so many research papers showing positive outcomes for people with such divergent pain conditions. We should also wonder why our view of yoga doesn’t match the research evidence. Recent research reports, and meta-analyses suggest that yoga is an effective modality for people with low back pain, whiplash,osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, irritable bowel syndrome, and fibromyalgia. Please explore www.yogamate.org to research these reports.

We don’t know for certain why Yoga works. Is it the postures, or the breathing, or the awareness practices, or changing how we treat ourselves, or finding more peace and joy, or changing how we act in the world? Science provides us some clues, but we are at a point at which there remains considerable conjecture. Neuroscience, psychoneuroimmunology research, mindfulness research, and gaining more insight into the fascinating interactions of how the diaphragm, heart, fight-flight system and emotions interact are news perspective most have only started to consider. It seems clear that the benefits of Yoga cannot be attributed to physical strengthening and stretching. Maybe it is as simple as yoga provides a safe environment in which one can have repeated experiences in which movement is not as dangerous as previously perceived. As enticing as such a premise might be, this seems far too simple a perspective.

Pain is a product of the brain. We believe that it is one of the ways our organism can motivate us to change our behavior in the presence a potentially dangerous situation. When pain persists, we experience pain as a message that we should not move, or that it is dangerous to do so. Unfortunately if we stop moving when the pain increases, or if we decide to ignore these messages, neither approach to the pain is likely to help us recover. Yoga provides a safe environment in which one can have repeated experiences in which movement is not as dangerous has previously perceived.

Yoga practices suggest we try a different approach. Rather than ignoring the pain, we are asked to experience the pain while we keep our body tension low and our breath calm. Rather than gritting our teeth and using our strength of will to persevere through the pain, we are asked to only move so far as we feel safe, and to create a message that this is not so dangerous, by keeping our breath body and mind calmer while we move. Rather than avoiding anything that increases the pain at all, we are asked to explore the edge of the increased pain, only moving so far as we feel safe and believe we will likely be okay later. We do all this in yoga in a safe, quiet, space. Each time we experience that we can move without worsening the pain.

Each time we experience that we actually have some influence over the pain. Each time, we provide the brain with an experience that is inconsistent with its interpretation of how dangerous the problem is. Each time we do all this, Yoga offers an experience with the potential of changing pain, and improving ease of movement. Not all Yoga practices will benefit people with pain. Yet the most important things to know is that the manner in which we practice Yoga that may be vastly more important than the postures we practice or the style of the asana class. When we push too hard, when we hold our breath, when we tense our body too much, when we turn the practice into a fight to recover, these are the approaches least likely to help us through persisting pain. Yes, the practice of Yoga intends to make us more flexible. Often this means learning new options for breathing in the face of pain, improving our ability to feel our body while we move it, and keeping all of our systems calm - before we start to be able to move with more ease.

The postures of Yoga provide a place in which we can practice awareness, self-regulation, compassionate effort, and kind challenge. Yoga is a system of practices, aimed at decreasing suffering. The postures are not intended to be an opportunity to practice enduring more pain. They are a place in which we can practice awareness, self-regulation, compassionate effort, and kind challenge. They are an opportunity to explore how to move again with more ease, while not paying for it later. The magic of Yoga lies in how we approach it. As time passes, hopefully it will gain more acceptance as a system that offers multiple answers for how to move again, with more ease, when pain persists.

Further Reading or Viewing • http://www.canadianpainsociety.ca/page/OnlineResources • Overcome Pain - An Optimisitc Scientific Mode http://www.lifeisnow.ca/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/LMS-pdf-Optimistic-Scientific-Recovery-Model.pdf

*Please Note: The information in this article is intended for your educational use only and does not necessarily reflect the opinions of YogaMate or it's Panel of Advisors. This information it nota substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health providers with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.

The above article has been supplied by YogaMate - a website sharing the depth, breadth and therapeutic application of Yoga. Check out their evidence-informed resources, locate Yoga specialists, or use their marketing and planning tools (Yoga Professionals). Learn more at www.YogaMate.org.

For more wonderful information regarding the efficacy of yoga for Pain Management please click here https://www.iayt.org/page/YTT_IJYT_Pain