Yoga: Holistic Pain Relief for Arthritis
Suffering from arthritis and living with the pain is not something anyone wants. While many suffer from the aches and pains of the inflamed and damaged joints, it can be a crippling disease for some, and just uncomfortable for others. The disease has only become understood in the past couple of decades, but has been around since the prehistoric era.
In the areas where two or more bones meet, called the joints, is usually where arthritis takes up residence. The joint is comprised of many different parts and as such all can be affected by arthritis. The parts of the joint are the cartilage, synovium, muscles and tendons. Where the ends of bones meet to form the joints, they are covered by a soft, protective material called cartilage. The cartilage cushions the bones to keep them from rubbing together. The joint is encapsulated and lined with a tissue called synovium.
While there are 100’s of different diseases that fall under the title of Arthritis, they all involve inflammation of the joints and pain or discomfort in surrounding tissues throughout the human body. It is sometimes referred to as rheumatism.
Usually a topic of conversation, it is estimated that one out of every seven people in America, suffer from some form of the disease and are always searching for relief from the pain and discomfort. Relief could mean simply taking a pill, some gentle exercises or stretching or trying other means to obtain relief, like yoga.
An ancient practice, yoga uses a system of postures and breathing aimed to achieve perfect harmony of the body, mind, and spirit. Customized yoga routines or exercises help with a wide variety of chronic pain conditions such migraines, fibromyalgia, and arthritis.
Using yoga as a pain relief method from arthritis does not mean that your body needs to be bent or contorted for you to get comfort from the pain. The use of yoga for relief from arthritis pain could simply mean practicing breathing and self-awareness, not weird or impossible body positions. Yoga is about creating balance in the body through developing both strength and flexibility. Achieving balance in the body through the performance of poses or postures has specific physical benefits. They can be done quickly creating heat in the body through movement (vinyasa-style yoga) or more slowly to increase stamina and perfecting the pose.
Depending on the tradition which the instructor has received, their approach will vary but the poses should remain constant.
A common arthritic problem is the swelling of the joints in the fingers and knuckles. A series of poses can be worked on that lengthen and spread the fingers, if the pain is not too severe or the person only suffers from mild or moderate pain. Yoga poses can be customized for different areas of arthritis pain. Hand stretches will help to create an energy flow that eventually moves to the fingers. Heat works well on the joints and experts have confirmed that it is good to the joints. Yoga therapy helps a person generate heat through practiced breathing and movement.
The Holistic Approach to Pain Relief: Methods Across Time
In today’s world people who suffer from chronic pain are seeking natural, or holistic ways to manage their discomfort. Holistic pain relief methods do not rely on non-steroidal anti-inflammatory narcotics, tranquilizers, or anti-depressants. Instead it focuses on the principle that humans have the potential to visualize their whole beings functioning at their very best. It works on the basis that humans desire a fulfilling and satisfying life filled with enthusiasm and vitality.
Holistic health works to achieve not only balance within the body, mind and spirit, but physically as well and also to be in harmony with our environment. It addresses one’s lifestyle, relationships and social interaction, while managing and eliminating stress.
Holistic medicine has many different terms for describing different methods and systems. Alternative, complementary and natural healing are among the most popular and it should be noted that all of these are non-invasive procedures.
Some studies and well conducted trials have shown that acupuncture or acupressure, can relieve pelvic pain. Acupuncture or acupressure is a technique that uses small pins or pressure on specific point of the body. Belief is that the pressure of pins stimulates the nerve in those locations to cause them to interact with pain blockers in the brain. Reflexology has also been reported to give relief with some women. Reflexology is an acupressure technique of applying pressure at vital points of the body. These locations are in the ears, hands, and feet. Acupuncture and acupressure are Chinese holistic pain relief methods. The belief is that health is determined by the level of chi or vital life energy obtained within ones body. Chi or vital life energy is thought to connect organs in the body through pathways called meridians. Another form of traditional Chinese medicine is the use herbs. Herbs have been used through the centuries for their pain relief qualities.
Cochrane researchers discovered evidence that Chinese Herbal Medicine or CHM could possibly provide treatment for pain. The pain relief provided by the herbs could come from their effects on hormones and micro-circulation hemorrheology, but the evidence is not conclusive on the mechanism for the pain relief. Chinese Herbal Medicine or CHM has been used in public schools to relieve pain from menstrual cramps.
Pain relief through yoga and or other meditative techniques which promote relaxation are also helpful. Meditation is a very popular choice for many people for a holistic pain relief. Practiced through out the years, it is a conscious attempt to calm the mind, getting rid of thoughts and anxieties contributing to the unnecessary belief in the existence of pain. There several different techniques for meditating. Most can be put into these three categories: concentrative, mindful and transcendental meditation.
Aromatherapy is used to heal the body and mind from various illnesses but also to reduce stress that can lead to illness. Used through the years by the Egyptians, Indians, and Europeans, the oils assist in relaxing the body and mind. They were also used a medicinal remedy. Geranium, jasmine, juniper, lavender, peppermint, rose, rosemary and thyme are oils commonly used in aromatherapy. It is thought that by applying essential oils to one’s body that it can change brain chemistry so that neuro-transmitters called endorphins are released and relieve pain.
For people in the western world, holistic pain relief solutions like acupuncture, acupressure and herbal medicines are new concepts. However, holistic pain relief has been around from thousands of years and are still widely used and accepted around the world today. The rest of the world is probably wondering why all the fuss!
