Living with chronic pain can be debilitating, affecting both physical and mental well-being. It affects every aspect of life, from physical capabilities to emotional well-being. As someone who has experienced chronic pain firsthand, I understand the challenges and frustrations that come with it. However, through my own journey, I have discovered yoga to find hope, manage pain, recover, and live a fulfilling life.
What is chronic pain and inflammation?
Chronic pain is a persistent or long-lasting pain that lasts beyond the average healing time for an injury or illness, typically persisting for at least three to six months. Unlike acute pain, which is a temporary sensation triggered by an injury or illness, chronic pain can persist for months or even years.
Chronic pain can have various causes, including underlying medical conditions, injuries, nerve damage, or unknown origins.
It can affect different parts of the body, such as the back, joints, muscles, head, or abdomen.
Some common examples of chronic pain conditions include:
• arthritis
• fibromyalgia
• neuropathy
• migraines
• lower back pain.
It can lead to physical limitations:
• emotional distress
•sleep disturbances
• fatigue
•depression
•anxiety
Inflammation is the body's response to injury. It works to help heal wounds, but it can also play a role in some chronic diseases. Inflammation is often associated with chronic pain conditions.
The benefits of yoga on inflammation have been proven by expert healthcare providers. Yoga can potentially benefit chronic pain at any age and regardless of experience level.
What is yoga?
Yoga is a holistic practice that originated in ancient India and has been passed down through generations. It is a system of physical, mental, and spiritual disciplines to achieve harmony and balance in life. The word "yoga" comes from the Sanskrit word "yuj," which means to join or unite.
At its core, yoga is a union of body, mind, and spirit. It encompasses various techniques and practices that promote physical strength, flexibility, relaxation, mental clarity, and spiritual growth. Yoga combines physical postures (asanas), breath control (pranayama), meditation, and ethical principles to create a comprehensive approach to well-being.
The physical aspect of yoga involves performing asanas or postures that promote strength, flexibility, and balance. These postures are often combined with controlled breathing techniques to enhance focus, release tension, and create a sense of inner calm. Yoga is not limited to physical exercise; it is a way of life that encourages self-awareness, self-discipline, and self-discovery.
Beyond its physical benefits, yoga is also known for its mental and emotional advantages. Regular practice can reduce stress, anxiety, and depression, improve concentration and mindfulness, and enhance overall mental well-being. It promotes a sense of inner peace and harmony.
Yoga is not tied to any specific religion and can be practiced by people of all ages, fitness levels, and backgrounds. There are various styles and approaches to yoga, including Hatha yoga, Ashtanga yoga, Vinyasa yoga, Bikram yoga, and many others. Each style emphasizes different aspects of yoga, but they all share the goal of achieving unity and balance within oneself.
How can yoga help with chronic pain?
It can help because we move in many different ways, opening, stretching, and strengthening the whole body. It works like a complete reset for our posture.
One of the primary benefits of practicing yoga is cultivating body awareness. Chronic pain often disconnects us from our bodies, as we focus solely on the discomfort. Through yoga, we learn to tune in and listen to our bodies, developing a heightened awareness of our physical sensations and limitations. By understanding and respecting our body's boundaries, we can prevent exacerbating pain and reduce the risk of further injury.
Yoga postures, known as asanas, involve a combination of strength-building and stretching exercises. Regular practice can help strengthen the muscles surrounding the affected areas, promoting stability and balance. The gentle stretching in yoga improves flexibility, reduces muscle tension, and increases joint mobility, thereby relieving pain caused by tightness and stiffness.
Many yoga poses involve gentle stretching and compression of muscles and joints. This can improve blood circulation to these areas, promoting healing and reducing pain.
Regular yoga practice can increase endorphin levels, promoting a sense of well-being and reducing pain perception. The positive effects of endorphins can also improve sleep patterns, which is crucial for individuals experiencing chronic pain.
Also, yoga focuses on breathing, which relaxes our nervous system and calms the mind.
Chronic pain often leads to heightened stress levels, which can exacerbate pain perception. Yoga incorporates deep breathing techniques and meditation, which induce a state of relaxation and calm the nervous system. By activating the body's relaxation response, yoga can help reduce stress, anxiety, and tension, providing a holistic approach to pain management.
Yoga encourages mindfulness, the practice of paying non-judgmental attention to the present moment. By focusing on the breath, sensations, and movements during yoga practice, individuals can redirect their attention away from pain and toward the present experience. This shift in focus can help break the cycle of negative thoughts associated with chronic pain and promote a sense of acceptance and self-compassion.
Practicing yoga helps develop a heightened sense of body awareness. This awareness allows individuals to identify areas of tension or discomfort and work on releasing or addressing those specific areas, leading to pain relief.
There are literally hundreds of clinical studies demonstrating the positive benefits of yoga, including pain management.
Researchers found that actively meditating participants reported a 32 percent reduction in pain intensity and a 33 percent reduction in pain unpleasantness.
How yoga can be adapted for chronic pain?
The great thing about yoga is eternity adaptable to accommodate the needs of people with limited mobility to modify the poses.
For example, in chair yoga, participants learn poses that can be done while seated. Yoga in bed could also be good for mobility, stretching, breathing, and relaxing. Gentle yoga (restorative yoga therapy, yin yoga) is geared toward people who lack the stamina, strength, or flexibility to do more demanding styles of yoga.
In the emerging field of adaptive yoga, teachers are trained to instruct people with all kinds of disabilities by tailoring the practice to what their students' bodies are capable of.
Flexibility and Range of Motion
Experiencing chronic pain can make it difficult to stay active, which can result in decreased flexibility and limited range of motion. When you start moving your body and doing the right yoga exercises, you will feel experiencing your body will start loosening up, and the pain will be less.
You might feel it right after the first practice or after a while. It depends on the person's situation and the fitness level.
Consistency is the key to progressing in your practice, whether moving towards greater strength & flexibility, a pain-free body, improved mobility, better posture, reduced stress, or a calmer mind. Whatever your intended goal, one thing is sure – your whole body & mind will benefit in the long term.
When I had chronic pain, my body responded pretty well and quickly to the yoga exercises because I was consistent and I knew which exercises were appropriate for my chronic pain.
Exercise can work like natural medicine.
Even if you have a medical condition like osteoporosis or have had surgery for back pain, movement, activity, and exercise form a crucial component of your recovery. Of course, first, you always need to speak to your doctor before you start doing exercises.
Research shows that movement, activity, and exercise can be beneficial in reducing pain and improving function for people with musculoskeletal pain.
Many people avoid exercise, fearing that there's nothing but pain in store for them. But doesn't have to hurt. Exercise is medicine and can feel so good. Sometimes, the pain gets in the way of movement, activity, and exercise.
We may respond to pain by stopping moving. You don't need to stop, just need to move differently or more gently or modify.
Many people avoid exercise, fearing that there's nothing but pain in store for them. But doesn't have to hurt. Exercise is medicine and can feel so good.
Relaxed movement and physical activity are vital to helping you manage your pain so you can do the everyday things that are important to you. For example, working the core muscles for chronic back pain can help rehabilitate the spine and add support.
When you just start exercising, some soreness a day or so after an unfamiliar workout is normal and even desirable since it signals the muscles are reacting as they should to the exercise.
How long does it take to feel the benefits of yoga for chronic pain?
It varies from person to person, depending on the health problems and consistency.
For example, Nick, my 72 -a year-old client with chronic body pain, felt 80% less pain after a few weeks. Nick was consistent with his exercises, which is why he had a quick result,
Another client, Marijana (45), felt immense pain release after two months, but she was under a lot of stress and life drama. Also, she started to be more consistent with her yoga practice after a month.
Chronic pain and mindset
Your beliefs and mindset can have a tremendous impact on your chronic pain recovery.
If you have helpful thoughts and a positive attitude, for example, it is safe to move; some pain is a normal part of recovery and does not necessarily mean damage, then you are less likely to experience ongoing pain.
If you have unhelpful beliefs, for example, I am doing more damage because I have more pain), then your recovery is likely to be slower, and you are more susceptible to getting persistent pain.
If you think the worst or have negative thoughts (worries, fears ) and mood (depression/anxiety) responses to anticipated or actual pain. It means that we tend to magnify the threat value of pain and can feel helpless in the context of pain.
Finding a Teacher
When seeking yoga for pain relief, it’s important to find a teacher who’s experienced with teaching yoga to people with your condition.
I suggest beginning with a private teacher who can offer a structured program tailored to your specific needs.
Here you can download my freebie to start moving your body today. The exercises are safe, and they can help not only with back pain.
You can schedule a free consultation if you would like to know more about my pain-free yoga living coaching program. Don’t be afraid to reach out. I am here to help.
Yoga helped me to recover from chronic pain so can you!
