Yoga for arthritis | Natural remedies for arthritis
Exercise for Arthritis
Yoga and arthritis share a particularly important relationship when discussing the therapeutic uses of yoga. Arthritis is quite a common disease that afflicts the joints, severely affecting flexibility and mobility. It can be extremely painful, and may even be debilitating, if not treated appropriately. Arthritis exercise is one of the most important aspects of arthritis treatment, without which there is further deterioration and loss of joint function. There are quite a few popular natural remedies for arthritis, but yoga for arthritis is one of the most potent treatments, and is in fact often recommended as a complimentary therapy.
Arthritis Alternative Treatment
Arthritis alternative treatment requires a multi faceted approach, with changes in diet and lifestyle along with home remedies. Even in conventional medicine, health care practitioners recommend dietary and lifestyle modifications. Yoga exercise is a vital aspect of the necessary lifestyle change, and yoga is most often the medium for such exercise. For those not to familiar with yoga, this may seem strange as the very mention of yoga brings to mind images of complicated poses requiring great flexibility and balance. This however is only true of advanced yoga, while yoga for beginners and therapeutic yoga is generally extremely simple. Yoga for arthritis patients only requires simple and gentle flowing postures that help the practitioner to gradually increase and enhance strength, equilibrium, and flexibility. This makes it one of the most beneficial disciplines for any arthritis patient.Practicing yoga as an arthritis alternative or complimentary treatment offers many benefits. It significantly improves circulation, enhancing blood flow to the joints, while flushing out toxins and other wastes. Arthritis is normally so debilitating because of the nature of the disease. Movement of the joints can be extremely painful, which is why most patients tend to minimize movement of the affected joint, which off course only increases the stiffness. Yoga encourages slow, steady, controlled and deliberate movements that exercise the joints as far as possible.
Practice of yoga for arthritis has two distinct aspects. Asanas or poses are crucial for the patient, but these postures should not be held for too long. Pranayamas or breath exercises are the other area of yoga practice.
Some of the poses included in yoga for arthritis exercise include:
- The Pond Pose or Tadagasana
- The Gas Release Pose or Pavanamuktasana (2 legs),
- The Crocodile Pose or Makarasana,
- The Auspicious Pose or Swastikasana,
- The Cobra Pose or Ekpadsahajhasta Bhujangasana,
- The Warrior Pose or Veerasana,
- The Triangle Pose or Trikonasana,
- The Tree Pose or Vrikshasana