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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 517
Location: New Jersey | Does anyone know anything about starting yoga if you have Arthritis? My mom has rheumatoid arthritis, she has had one hip replacement, and is going to get both her knees replaced in March. She's interested in beginning yoga after she recovers from her surgery. Is yoga reccommended for people with severe arthritis? I know she will have to go to a teacher who is able to work with people with this ailment, and I'm going to investigate finding one. Has anyone had any experience with arthritis and yoga?
Samantha |
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Expert Yogi
Posts: 8442
    
| Samantha, it is possible but she would need a very well trained teacher with experience in special circumstances, as you say. Although yoga doesn't usually cure these various ills, it at least helps cope with the symptoms, which is a blessing in itself. |
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| Yoga can help her feel a lot better, as long as she finds a good teacher that understands how to work with her condition. It may even help bring some fluidity back to her joints, but proceed slowly! Even trying some relaxation practices might be a good way to start - I find that can help people open up to working with their body issues. The fact that she is interested in looking for a class is terrific!
Of course I am biased because this was my school, but Integrative Yoga Therapy has a training program that focuses on specific health concerns (arthritis being one of them). If you like, you could go to their website, www.iytyogatherapy.com, and do a search for a teacher in your area. |
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| Dear Samantha:
As a matter of fact, the only exercise which your Mom should do in this case is Yoga (ONLY). However, the ONLY way she should do Yoga is learn it ONLY from an exeperienced teacher and perform ONLY predecided exercises. In other words, she MUST NOT go to a group class.
Neel Kulkarni
www.authenticyoga.org |
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 517
Location: New Jersey | Thanks, everyone, for your advice! I am definately going to try and find a teacher that specializes in teaching people with her condition. She's excited that there is something that may soothe some of her symptoms. |
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| Samantha,
Yes to starting yoga for your mom. Autoimmune diseases and the symptoms associated with them can be helped quite a bit by yoga. Mobility, stress relief and helping with fatigue will help improve the quality of your moms life.
It is important for your mom to let the teacher know she's got an autoimmune disease and not just tell the teacher that she's got arthritis. RA and other ai diseases are often misunderstood and misconceived so any knowledge she can spread to her teacher would benefit her greatly.
I would suggest she look for beginning classes and/or gentle classes. If she has a driven personality please let her know (and hopefully the teacher will reiterate this) that going into childs pose (or other restful pose for her body) will help her more than trying to push thru to do more than her joints might want to go. :-) Had to say that since I've been there and done that and beging gentle with herself will serve her far better.
Congrats to you and your mom for starting yoga to help her. |
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 517
Location: New Jersey | Thank you for informing me to let the teacher know she has an autoimmune disease. I never would have thought to point that out.
Samantha |
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Expert Yogi
Posts: 2479
Location: A Blue State |
Yoga is good for inflammatory arthritis, like RA or PsA. It keeps the joints flexing,
without impact, which can help mobility without causing damage. It can also strengthen
the muscles around joints, which is good for their health. Also, and maybe most
importantly, it helps lift depression and makes you feel less like you've lost your
physical life. If you have severely damaged joints, you may need to work around
them in your practice and you should certainly tell your teacher.
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Yoga and Arthritis
