Yoga and Chronic Arthritis - Literature review Example

Yoga and Chronic Arthritis Health is an important aspect of human well being. This is due to the fact that it is only when human beings are in the right state of health is when they can take part in various activities that lead to the self improvement as well as the development of the society as a whole. Thus, it is mandatory for everyone to be in the right state of health at all times. To achieve this, people will always seek medical attention when they feel unwell. The most common form is the hospital where the services of certified practitioners such as doctors and nurses are sought. However, some people resort to other means of getting well when they fall sick. In such situations, methods such as the use of herbal medicine, meditation and other manipulative practices come into use. These are known as alternative medicines. Yoga is one of the most commonly used forms of meditation as part of alternative medicine, it has been in practice for more than 5000 years and currently 11 million Americans are enjoying its health benefits. This paper will explore how Yoga has evolved and is in use in combating arthritis. According to Medline Plus, 2012, Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) is the term for medical products and practices that are not part of standard care. Standard care is what doctors and other related health professionals, such as nurses and physical therapists provide. Thus alternative medicine means treatments that one uses instead of the standard ones. Complementary medicine means nonstandard treatments that are used along the standard ones Types of CAM in use include natural products, where the use herbal medicine is involved, mind and body medicine where meditation, yoga and acupuncture are employed. Lastly, there is the use of manipulative and body based practices where there is spinal manipulation and massage therapy. In yoga, various styles combine physical posture, breathing techniques and meditation as part of general health regime and for a variety of health conditions such as arthritis (NCCAM, 2012). According to Bance, 2012, Yoga is said to have started as early as when civilization began, however, there is no physical evidence to support this claim. The earliest archeological evidence on the practice of Yoga was found in stone seals which depict figures of Yoga poses. These stone seals place yoga’s existence to around 3000B.C. However, scholars believe that yoga existed long before that and is traced with the beginning of the Stone Age Shamanism. The history of Yoga is divided to four periods, the Vedic, Pre-classical, classical and Post-classical periods (Bance, 2012). The Vedic period is marked by the existence of sacred scriptures of Brahmanism that make the basis of the modern day Hinduism known as Vedas. This is a collection of hymns which praise a divine power and contain the oldest known Yoga teachings. These include rituals and ceremonies that aim at surpassing the limitations of the mind. The pre-classical period is marked with the creation of the Upanishads whose 200 scriptures describe the inner vision of reality resulting from devotion to Brahman (Bance, 2012). In the sixth century B.C, the teaching of Buddhism that stresses on the importance of meditation and the practice of physical postures came into place. After that, the Gita, that focuses on facets in the present lifestyle such as loving devotion, knowledge or contemplation and selfless actions came into place. This is the period that brought the classical period (Bance, 2012). At this point in history, the Yoga Sutra was written by Patanjali around the second century in an attempt to define and standardize classical yoga. These contained the 8 paths of Yoga which emphasize on social restraint or ethical values, personal observance of purity, physical exercises, breath control or regulation, sense withdrawal in preparation for meditation, concentration, meditation and ecstasy (Bance, 2012). Patanjali believed that each individual is made up of matter and spirit and that the two must be separated in order to cleanse the spirit. During this period, main focus was on changing the body and making it immortal. This led to the development of the Post-classical yoga era where there was creation of literature as well as the practice of yoga. This period is different from the rest in that it focuses more on the present. It does not strive to separate one from reality as classical yoga does, rather it helps one to accept it and live at the moment (Bance, 2012). Yoga was introduced in the west during the early 19th century where it was studied as part of Eastern Philosophy and began as a movement of health and vegetarianism around the 1930’s. In the 1960’s, there was an influx of Indian teachers that expounded on yoga and even opened schools in America and Europe and modified principles of yoga came up (Bance, 2012). These included proper relaxation, proper exercise, proper breathing, proper diet and positive thinking and meditation. This was propagated by Sivananda a doctor from Malaysia and it is what encompasses modern yoga, he also wrote more than 200 books on Yoga and Philosophy (Bance, 2012). There are various forms and exercises of yoga. One of the most common forms is the Hatha yoga. This involves the body and breath and helps individuals promote health and well being through physical exercises. In turn it helps with relaxation, flexibility, strength, vitality, concentration and immune systems functions (Barr, 2012). This helps in keeping all systems of the body radiant leading to greater energy, better concentration and a more fulfilling happy life. Hatha yoga is also used as therapy for healing muscle and skeletal tissues (Maddern, 2002). Another form of yoga is Iyengar yoga which focuses on proper alignment and precise movements. Blocks and straps and sometimes cushions are used as props for the people that are not flexible in order to compensate for injury. This form of yoga is good for people with back and neck pain (Barr, 2012). Restorative yoga is another form that focuses mostly on relaxation and quieting of the mind. This may be appropriate for people who have had a stressful day maybe at the place of work and are looking for a way to relax their mind. Ashtanga yoga is commonly known as the power yoga due to the stamina that is needed to carry out the exercises involved. This form of exercise is appropriate for people who have successfully rehabilitated from injuries and are looking for practice to help them concentrate back on their exercise routines. This is fit for people who are quite athletic such as runners and cyclists (Barr, 2012). The Bikram yoga is a scientifically designed form of yoga that uses a 26 pose series to enhance physical strength and balance. It is also known as the “hot yoga” since it is practiced in a heated room and accelerates detoxification (Barr, 2012). This exercise increases flexibility because the heat in the room helps tissues to stretch. However, this type of yoga is not appropriate for people that have heart diseases because of the strain that is placed on the body when exercising (Barr, 2012). With all these forms and exercises in yoga, it is appropriate that one discusses with their instructor the problem that they have or what they wish to achieve so that they may find the most appropriate form of yoga that will help them get what they want. One of the health conditions that can be controlled through the use of yoga is arthritis. Over 40 million Americans are struggling with arthritis, however, many continents are continually discovering that yoga can help heal and rehabilitate joints affected by arthritis. The term arthritis literally refers to the inflammation of joints thus it is a number of diseases that cause deterioration of different joint structures (Schatz, 1985). This results to pain, immobility and sometimes loss of function in the affected regions. Normally, the ends of two bones meet to form a joint; this is lined by a synovial membrane. The synovium generates a thick mucus-like fluid known as the synovial fluid; this fluid lubricates, nourishes and cleanses cartilage at the end of the bones. Healthy joints must move and bear weight, and this is facilitated by the existence of synovial fluid since bones do not have blood supply (Schatz, 1985). However, arthritis changes this structure of the joints; the cells of the immune system receive a signal that causes them to attack the joint lining. They migrate to the synovium and congregate there in large numbers releasing tissue destroying enzymes that cause inflammation. The inflammation is manifested by swelling, redness and pain in the affected joint and may sometimes cause deformity. If affected further, the inflammation can weaken and cause tendons to rupture thus leaving muscles functionless (Maddern, 2002). As a result of this, the synovium swells and stretches the ligaments, the joint capsules and the muscle tendons that support the joint. This causes reduced joint support which permits abnormal movements which causes further damage to the bones and they may even become dislocated. The synovium, in an attempt to heal itself grows over the surface of the cartilage by cutting it off from its source of nutrition, which is the synovial fluid. Therefore, the synovial fluid declines in quality, as a result of the inflammation of the synovium and the cartilage begins to deteriorate (Schatz, 1985). The cartilage may even form fragments and break off into loose bodies that float within the joint space. It is at this point that a person is said to have arthritis, the parts of the body that are most affected are fingers, wrists, shoulders, knees, feet and the spine, however, in unique cases, the heart, skin and kidneys may also get affected. This is rheumatoid arthritis and is common in young and middle aged persons. Rheumatoid arthritis patients may be nervous, tense, worried, depressed and moody. These symptoms seem to be exaggerated when a person is in great stress (Maddern, 2002). The surrounding of joints would become cold and blanched till a time when the stressful situation subsided. The cells that develop in the muscles seem to be triggered by exposure to stressful situations. Yoga can be used in managing arthritis; this is done by restoring not only the health of the joint but also psychospiritual health of the person including mental wellbeing and emotional balance (Haaz, 2009). Through yoga, there is provision for internal healing processes and creation of an environment where other therapies such as meditation and diet may not work (Schatz, 1985). Through the practices carried out by breathing practices (pranyama) and yoga poses (asanas), the movements that occur can restore health to the synovium and cartilage (Haaz, 2009). With improved health, strength improves and joint vulnerability decreases. This causes muscles to stretch and the normal range of motion returns. On the other hand, yoga in the Iyengar form brings about movement with proper joint alignment, this helps in moving the deformed joints back to their normal positions. This is due to the lengthening and strengthening of muscles that come about as a result of the Iyengar exercises. In addition to this, constant awareness that yoga puts on position ensures that there are no injuries in joints (Schatz, 1985). Moreover, yoga psychology stresses on the importance of positive state of mind, this encompasses friendship, joy, compassion and love. Therefore, while focusing on these positive emotions while someone is working out on yoga, people are able to regain hope. This way self-awareness develops and helps one to avoid getting overtired thus despairing factors that facilitate the development of arthritis (Schatz, 1985). Another type of yoga practice, the savasana helps in fighting energy draining effects that are caused by prolonged stress and chronic pain. The deep relaxation present in this exercise helps to restore normal functioning in the immune system which deteriorates when one is undergoing chronic stress, pain, grief and depression (Maddern, 2002). In yoga, smart exercise is mandatory in restoring health to chronic arthritis joints. However, one must work within the limitations imposed by the disease and this is the reason why one must work under a certified yoga instructor (Haaz, 2009). Improper movements of deformed and unstable joints can cause further deformity and injury. Properly aligned movement provided by Iyengar yoga are designed to strengthen weak muscles and stretch shortened tight ones thus restoring stability and range of motion. This movement enhances health of the synovium, bone and cartilage which are instrumental in the prevention of arthritis (Schatz, 1985). Hatha yoga is instrumental in weight bearing exercises, since they increase strength and flexibility, stimulate bone development and build bone strength. This form of yoga also contributes to healthy hormone levels and calcium balance thus limiting bone loss. In addition to this, Hatha yoga improves muscle awareness and strengthens body and mind connection thus developing and improving balance (Maddern, 2002). With regular yoga exercise, endocrine glands function more effectively contributing to the formation and maintenance of strong and healthy bones. At the same time, yoga works on the adrenals, thus keeping stress levels manageable and helping to avoid excess calcium excretion. It also works on the parathyroid which maintains calcium levels in the blood (Maddern, 2002). Nowadays yoga is widely used by a number of people and there are various DVD’s in the market that outline steps in various yoga processes. Through these DVD’s people, people are able to practice yoga at the comfort of their houses and many have reported tremendous improvements in their bodies. This is especially the old people that have bone problems including arthritis and fibromyalgia. Yoga has physical and psychological benefits that are beneficial for people with chronic illnesses (Haaz, 2009). Despite the fact that there are many yoga poses, there are some that will be more beneficial to arthritis patients than others. Experts say that yoga should not be painful in any way; therefore, if one experiences any kind of pain when carrying out any yoga pose, they should immediately stop and find an alternative form of yoga that best suits the problem that they have. There have been questions as to how one should find the appropriate form of yoga with the many exercises available. According to Steffany Haaz, 2009, one should find a certified yoga instructor who will guide them on the right form of practice for the ailment they have. With proper practice, gentleness and patience yoga works significantly in reducing chronic pain in arthritic people. In conclusion, Complementary and Alternative Medicine options have been instrumental in managing a variety of medical conditions. Despite the fact that people had reservations for this kind of care, many people have benefitted from various forms of CAM and the viewpoint of people is continuously changing. Yoga is one form of CAM that is widely used all over America and its popularity with arthritic patients is high. Many people with arthritis are resorting to the use of yoga other than going to the hospital to get their arthritic joints treated. The various forms and exercises in yoga and relaxation that it offers only work to increase its popularity in many people. These include those that are arthritic and many others who are merely seeking to find a form of relaxation and regulation of their breathing. Yoga has come a long way and its popularity is increasing each and every day. References Bance, S. (2012). History of Yoga – A Complete History of the Yoga History. Retrieved on 6th May 2012 from http://www.abc-of-yoga.com/beginnersguide/yogahistory.asp Barr, K. (2012). Types of yoga. Retrieved on 5th May 2012 from http://www.spine- health.com/wellness/yoga-pirates-tai-chi/types-yoga Haaz, S. (2009). Yoga for people with Arthritis. Retrieved on 6th May 2012 from http://www.hopkins-arthritis.org/patient-corner/disease-management/yoga.html Maddern, J. (2002). Yoga Builds Bones: Easy, Gentle Stretches That Prevent Osteoporosis. New York: Fair Winds Medline Plus (2012). Complementary and Alternative Medicine. Retrieved on 6th May 2012 from http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/complementaryandalternativemedicine.html National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine, NCCAM (2011). What is Complementary and Alternative Medicine? Retrieved on 6th May 2012 from http://nccam.nih.gov/health/whatiscam Schatz, M. (1985). Yoga Relief for Arthritis. Yoga Journal. Issue 62. Read More