A centuries-old tradition can help relieve chronic back pain with a modest investment of time or money. Millions of Americans have turned to Yoga practice and its easy yoga accessories to cure one of the most incapacitating problems of modern life – chronic back pain.
Yoga History – It is estimated yoga began in India in prehistoric times, more than 5,000 years ago. Although Yoga probably arrived in the United States in the early 1900s, it did not become fashionable with it’s use of various yoga accessories to aid the practice until the 1960s.
Growth of Yoga in America – Yoga’s enormous growth is a reflection of how hot this solution has become for chronic pain. A 2008 study by the Harris Interactive Service Bureau indicates that 15.8 million people practice yoga, with almost half (49.4%) of current practitioners using yoga accessories such as blocks or straps in concurrence with their practice to improve their health overall. Numerous people state that a doctor or therapist recommended yoga as beneficial if they were undergoing treatment for chronic pain.
With the comparatively low cost of yoga accessories such as videos for private practice, it is no wonder that this economical and proven relief for chronic back pain has grown. “Yoga is no longer simply a singular pursuit but a lifestyle choice and an established part of our health and cultural landscape,” says Bill Harper, publisher of Yoga Journal.
Scientific Research – In 2005 researchers at Group Health Cooperative and the University of Washington looked at patients suffering from back pain and concluded that yoga used in combination with simple yoga accessories was the most effective relief method resulting in the most mobility and the least pain. A similar study by West Virginia University found that participants who completed a yoga program reported appreciably lower levels of back pain. In addition Harvard Medical School reported that mind-body medicine including yoga is the most widely used and effective alternative therapy for such chronic pain as back pain.
Yoga Heals Back Pain Quickly – “Yoga works on stretching and strengthening, and the key to long-term healing is strength,” says Liz Owen, who studied with B.K.S. Iyengar, founder of the Iyengar yoga discipline. “Since the emotional effects of chronic pain are often devastating, the calming, grounding benefits of yoga can be very therapeutic.” Viniyoga is an modified form of yoga that focuses on slow stretches and deep breathing and the use of several yoga accessories such as blocks. It is used in many medical institutions such as UCLA’s Pediatric Pain Program which features yoga, and the Seattle Cancer Treatment and Wellness Center which offers yoga classes along with acupuncture and nutritional counseling.
Get Relief Now – For many people who suffer chronic pain, yoga has proven to be a simple and economical first step in becoming knowledgeable about how to cope with their pain. By using a few yoga accessories to help them achieve the poses, even a beginner can find relief quickly. Their symptoms vary-from headaches and arthritis to chronic back pain and anxiety – but their stories are astonishingly similar: For those looking for help in coping with their pain problems, yoga works.