YOGA AND ITS USE IN MEDICAL TREATMENTS

The practice of yoga has been here for thousands of years in India, but its popularity in the United States has grown steadily only over the last 100 years. Today, yoga classes teach the art of breathing, meditation and posing and are are offered nearly everywhere. So what is yoga and what can it accomplish in the individual?  While traditional yoga philosophy requires that students adhere to this mission through behavior, diet and meditation, chances are most aren't looking for a complete change in lifestyle but rather increased flexibility, relaxation or stress relief.

We here  in the United States, are interested in hatha yoga — a style of yoga designed to encourage a more flexible body and a calm mind. Medical practitioners are employing it along with other treatments in management of chronic health conditions, for instance the breathing and relaxation methods used in yoga might help you if you have asthma, carpal tunnel syndrome, depression, low back pain, multiple sclerosis, osteo-arthritis of the knees or memory problems. Yoga can also be helpful when combined with other therapies for heart disease and high blood pressure. It has also been shown to help in weight loss, and even coping with cancer. Those with cancer, and their caregivers who practice yoga, may improve their quality of life and sleep better at night. For the caregiver in Alzheimer's cases it offers  stress and fatigue relief, and we all know what that can mean. It may even have a place for pregnant women as well.

So does it have a future in more serious medical problems? The researchers are working hard on the answer right now. The future could see less reliance on drug treatment and more on these less traditional methods.