Yoga for Pain Management
Did you know that in February this year, the federal government banned over-the-counter sales of codeine based pain killers? That has left many people looking for alternative pain relieve and, as a yoga teacher, you are in a strong position to help people find natural pain relief.
While doing a yoga class might be the last thing people think of when they experience pain, getting on the yoga mat could be the passport to pain-free living. Here’s how everyday pain such as tension headaches, lower back and neck pain can be relieved with yoga.
A real pain in the neck
According the GSK 2017 Global Pain Index, 90% of Australians will experience both head and body pain in their lifetime. While regular exercise helps (Hayden, J; Tulder, M; Tomlinson, G., 2005), it turns out that yoga is even more effective. What’s more, you don’t have to be an expert to get the benefits.
According to a study from Germany, people doing yoga reported significantly less neck pain than those following a standard exercise program — in just nine weeks (Cramer, H et al. 2013). The story’s the same for back pain, where yoga has been shown to be more effective than either aerobic exercise or education programs for relieving lower back pain (Wren, A et al. 2011).
Moving on up
It isn’t just neck and back pain that improves with yoga. Headaches can be dissolved through regular practice, too. A 2014 study found that people who practice yoga experience fewer and less severe migraines (Kisan, R; et al. 2014), while participants in a 2013 study experienced a significant reduction in tension headaches while taking a regular yoga classes.
How yoga beats pain
Yoga places great importance on calm breathing and every movement is accompanied by a smooth breath. This combination of flowing breath and movement has a powerful impact on the body’s nervous system (Sharan, D; et al. 2014)
When we experience pain or stress, we go into ‘fight or flight’ mode. In this state, the body produces stress hormones that can increase inflammation and slow down cellular repair.
Calm yogic breathing activates the ‘relaxation response’, reducing heart rate, stress levels and muscle tension (Streeter, C; et al., 2012). Because pain is made worse by tension and inflammation, switching on the ‘relaxation response’ can make a big difference to how much pain you feel.
Here’s a simple yoga routine that can help you keep day to day pain at bay.
1. Cat to Cow Pose
· Start on all fours
· Inhale: Tilt your tail bone upwards, dip your belly towards the floor and lift your chin.
· Exhale: Tuck your chin under, round your back to the ceiling, tuck your tail under.
· Repeat 6 times.
2. Cat to Downward Dog
· Starting on hands and knees, take an inhale.
· Exhale: push your hands into the floor and lift your hips up to the ceiling, raising your knees off the floor.
· As you inhale, gently lower your knees back down on to the floor.
· Repeat 4 times.
3. Locust Pose
· Lie flat on your belly with your arms straight down along your sides.
· Inhale: slowly lift your straight legs, arms, head and chest up off the floor.
· Exhale: gently lower back down again.
· Repeat 6 times.
4. Child Pose
· Move back onto hands and knees.
· Press your hips back towards your heels and lower your forehead to the floor.
· Rest here for 6 breaths.
5. Calming Breath (extending exhale)
· Sit comfortably.
· Close your eyes and notice your breath.
· Start to count the inhale and exhale for 4 counts each.
· Try increasing the exhale to 6 counts.
· Take 12 breaths, breathing in for 4 counts and out for 6 counts.
The next time pain strikes, head to the yoga mat — and don’t forget to breathe!
Nikola Ellis is the founder of Adore Yoga, yoga therapist, counsellor and teacher trainer. She conducts regular trainings that help people of all ages, shapes and abilities enjoy the benefits of yoga and meditation, including Meditation Facilitator Certificate Trainings; Level 1 200hr Teacher Training and Post Graduate Yoga Teacher Training in Mental Health, Adaptive Asana and the Foundations of Yoga Therapy and a highly regarded professional 650hr Graduate Certificate of Yoga Therapy.
Hayden, J; Tulder, M; Tomlinson, G., (2005). Systematic Review: Strategies for Using Exercise Therapy To Improve Outcomes in Chronic Low Back Pain. Annals of Intl.Med. 142(9):776–785. DOI: 10.7326/0003–4819–142–9–200505030–00014
Cramer, H; Lauche, R; Hohmann, C; Lüdtke, R; Haller, H; Michalsen, A; Langhorst, J; Dobos, G. (2013) Randomized-controlled trial comparing yoga and home-based exercise for chronic neck pain. Clin J Pain. 29(3):216–23. doi: 10.1097/AJP.0b013e318251026c.
Wren, A; Wright, M; Carson, J; Keefe, F. (2011). Yoga for Persistent Pain: New Findings and Directions for an Ancient Practice. Pain. 152(3): 477–480.
doi: 10.1016/j.pain.2010.11.017
Kisan, R; Sujan,MU; Adoor,M; Rao,R; Nalini,A; Kutty,BM; Chindanda Murthy, BT; Raju,TR; Sathyaprabha, TN. (2014) Effect of Yoga on migraine: A comprehensive study using clinical profile and cardiac autonomic functions. IJOY 7(2) 126–132. doi: 10.4103/0973–6131.133891
Menon,B; Satyanand,V; Karishma, PH. (2013) Effects of yoga on tension headache. Jl.DrNTR Health Sciences 2(3), 167–170.
Sharan, D; Manjula, M; Urmi, D; Ajeesh, PS. (2014) Effect of yoga on the Myofascial Pain Syndrome of neck. IJOY 7(1):54–59. doi: 10.4103/0973–6131.123486
Streeter, C; Gerbarg, P; Saper, R; Ciraulo, D; Brown, R. (2012). Effects of yoga on the autonomic nervous system, gamma-aminobutyric-acid, and allostasis in epilepsy, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder. Med.Hypotheses 78(5) 571–579. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.mehy.2012.01.021
