Yoga - The New Prescription
Yoga - The New Prescription
It seems many athletes are beginning to catch on to yoga and all of it’s many benefits. I know I restarted my practice because it seemed I was getting one injury after another. Frustrated and getting really discouraged in my training I began to realize my body was feeling a lot older than it was. It was a realization that I needed to treat my body well in order for it to return the favor for all the demands of my training. I began to think that I was going to have to go into the doctor, MRIs were in my future and possible medication to eliminate the ongoing pain.
The goal of many doctors are to treat their patients, relieve symptoms, maintain mobility, and minimize disability when it comes to injury. It is not preferred to treat without medications, pain killer and anti-inflammatory, which should not be used as primary treatment; however a new approach may be to add Yoga, and I knew this was my choice. Several natural remedies are available and Yoga seems to be an ideal method of injury relief and recovery.
Strengthening, stretching, and relaxing muscles can improve injuries and help in recovery. Yoga has shown to be an overall healing process among patients with the help of alternative medicines. Yoga practice is well known for its physical, psychological, emotional, and spiritual benefits and is often recommended in the West to relieve musculoskeletal symptoms. In one clinical trial study, the group practicing in yoga showed significant decrease in pain and improved range of motion compared to those participating in non-yoga stretching and strengthening sessions. (Peter Brooks, 1995) Certain yoga “asanas” (postures) strengthen the quadriceps and emphasize stretching, both of which benefit people with injury of the knee.
Yoga therapy hasn’t been widely studied in the U.S. Most of the research has taken place in India where yoga originated 5,000 years ago. But today, several reputable American doctors are pursuing randomized yoga studies, and the National Institutes of Health is funding clinical trials of yoga for treating insomnia and multiple sclerosis. With all recent studies, many have come to the conclusion that Yoga has helped many and doctors are in the process of making yoga an ailment/injury cure. Yoga is the most effective and benefits persist longer than any medication can provide. Doctors are studying yoga extensively in hopes that Yoga will become the new prescription.
It has definitely worked for me and I’ve never felt so good in my 36
years. My runs are strong, my mood is more mellow and I feel I can push my body a little harder and in return thank it by practicing my yoga.
Namaste…:)
