Back pain, general weakness, high blood pressure, stiffness and numbness in the limbs, dizziness and tingling in the heart area – all these symptoms deprive life of ease and joy and indicate the presence of osteochondrosis. If earlier this disease was characteristic of older people, now it is getting younger every year. Continuing the series of articles on yoga for health , let’s consider this topic in more detail. A method of combating the consequences and preventing diseases has been known since ancient times. Yoga for osteochondrosis is recognized by modern specialists as an effective method of treatment that has no analogues.
Osteochondrosis and yoga
In medicine, osteochondrosis is understood as the degeneration (destruction) of intervertebral discs, and the subsequent involvement of the vertebral body, joint structures, and ligaments in the destructive process. As a result, there is a decrease in the mobility of the spine, the height of the intervertebral discs. In complex and neglected cases, osteochondrosis can provoke complications in the form of intervertebral hernias, protrusions. Modern medicine has not given a definite answer regarding the origin of osteochondrosis and has classified it as a group of poly-etiological diseases.
In simple words – this violation arises for a number of reasons.
- Lack of physical activity. Office or home work at the computer, monotonous physical activity, sedentary lifestyle.
- Congenital diseases of the musculoskeletal system.
- Physical overload without proper training.
- Spinal injuries.
- Excess weight – the scourge of the 21st century, which causes a number of pathological changes, including in the joints.
- Natural wear and tear of the intervertebral discs as a result of aging processes.
- Metabolic disorders due to improper nutrition.
Yoga is a system that includes exercises and meditative practices that have a comprehensive beneficial effect on a person:
- relaxes muscles – relieves tension, eliminates muscle blocks;
- strengthens the muscles of the body;
- improves microcirculation of blood, including in the joint tissue and cartilaginous joints;
- eliminates violations in the structure of the spine, corrects posture;
- thanks to breathing practices, improves the nutrition of all organs and tissues;
- contributes to the normalization of metabolic processes in the joints and the removal of salt deposits;
- improves and restores the mobility of the musculoskeletal system;
- stimulates the body’s immune system;
- increases resistance to stress and reduces the influence of negative irritants;
- has a general health-improving effect on the body.
Yoga for cervical osteochondrosis
The cervical spine is the most mobile part of the spine. With osteochondrosis of the collar zone, cerebral blood circulation worsens (due to vascular spasms), neuralgia develops, visual impairments are observed, and exhausting pain appears due to the wear of intervertebral discs. In this case, the following yoga asanas for the neck are effective.
- Uttanasana – relieves tension from the cervical spine, opens the shoulder girdle, improves the mobility of the hip joint.
- Parivrtta Trikonasana – has a tonic effect on the back muscles, eliminates spasms from the cervical spine.
- Vrksasana – relieves spasms from the muscles of the cervical spine, shoulder girdle, promotes the development of the vestibular apparatus.
- Virasana 1 – has a relaxing effect on the upper spine and shoulders, stimulates the strengthening of the leg muscles.
- Virasana 2 – has the same effect and additionally tones the abdominal organs.
- Parsvottanasana – improves the flexibility of the spine, eliminates poor posture and tightness of the hip joint.
- Shalabhasana – due to the stretching of the spine, it prevents the displacement of the intervertebral discs.
- Bhujangasana – eliminates violations in the position of the intervertebral discs, stretching the vertebrae and relieving tension from the thoracic spine.
Yoga for lumbar osteochondrosis
Disorders in this part of the spine can provoke pain in the lower back, which spreads to the lower extremities, causing difficulty in movement. Yoga poses for relieving lumbar osteochondrosis.
- Ardha Chandrasana.
- Ardha Matsyendrasana.
- Eka Pada Raja Kapotasana.
- Shalabhasana.
- Setu Bandha Sarvangasana . These asanas normalize blood supply in the lumbar spine, relieve muscle tension and restore joint mobility. In addition, the blood flow to the pelvic organs has a beneficial effect on the reproductive organs.
Yoga for thoracic osteochondrosis
When the disease is localized in the thoracic spine, pain spreads to the chest area. There is shortness of breath, tingling in the heart area and stiffness in movement. Asanas for thoracic osteochondrosis.
- Tadasana .
- Virabhadrasana.
- Bhujangasana.
- Marjaryasana.
- Ardha Jathara.
- Supta Talasana.
- Shalabhasana.
- Ardha Navasana. These poses normalize blood supply, relieve tension from the back muscles, make breathing easier and relieve pain. Before performing these complexes, it is recommended to take a warm bath to more effectively work out the muscles and joints. Yoga has been developing for millennia as a teaching capable of developing the spirit in a healthy body, and now this knowledge is available to almost everyone. Unique physical exercises in combination with breathing and meditative practices make yoga an indispensable component in the treatment of osteochondrosis.
Ella
Thank you for the information. It would be desirable to have a picture of the execution after writing each pose.
Olga
I am very tired from working at the computer. I have osteochondrosis from sedentary work. My friend invited me to yoga. It helped me a lot. I feel light from these exercises. I also do yoga exercises at home. I especially like the Setu Bandha Sarvangasana pose - Bridge pose. My lower back and neck no longer bother me as much as before yoga.
Zhanna Arbuzova
Very useful information. I have a sedentary job. I have to spend 5-6 hours sitting. My back just hurt terribly at the end of the day. Friends advised me to do yoga. I didn't really believe it, but it turned out to be just wonderful. A few exercises and my back is as good as new.
Alena
Since I started attending yoga classes, I have felt much better and less tired. There is lightness in the body, especially after performing asanas. We perform almost all the poses described in the article. The tightness in the neck has completely gone over time.