Yoga As A Treatment For Arthritis

Arthritis involves the breakdown of joints and joint inflammation, causing joint pain and stiffness! Many also deal with swelling in the joints, muscle weakness, and creaking in the joints. Of course, in addition to physical signs, arthritis also comes with psychological symptoms! These include increased stress, anxiety, issues sleeping, and depression. Stress even triggers arthritis flare-ups!

Many turn to medications or arthritis back pain treatment. Physical therapy is a serious option for juvenile rheumatoid arthritis treatment in particular. Of course, many women also employ natural remedies for joint pain and inflammation linked to arthritis. This is where yoga comes in! Yoga courses offer structure to the poses, and at-home yoga videos also help. It’s time to get on the yoga mat for arthritis relief!

Improves Flexibility

One of the major ways in which yoga helps treat arthritis is by improving joint flexibility and muscle strength. In the beginning, people may not be able to touch their toes, but careful practice will make this a reality! Great beginner yoga poses for arthritis relief in terms of flexibility are cow pose, child’s pose, and downward dog. All three improve the spine’s flexibility through gentle stretching. None of them put too much pressure on the joints if they’re practiced correctly!

The hands in cow pose and downward dog should be shoulder-width apart. Cow pose should have the knees hip-width apart. There are variations of downward dog where the feet are hip-width apart and others have the feet together. Comfort is key! Child pose for arthritis should have the feet and knees together with the arms extended and hands placed shoulder-width apart.

Corrects Posture

Countless people have poor posture and tend to hunch over their computers all day. While poor posture doesn’t cause arthritis, it can make the back and neck pain worse! The good news yoga is great at improving posture. Good posture ensures people sit properly at their desks. It even improves their walking! Having good posture will keep the spine straight, thus reducing back pain.

The best yoga poses for improving posture and reducing back pain associated with arthritis include downward dog, forward fold, cat-cow pose, mountain pose, and bridge pose. Those who are further along in their yoga practice can benefit from tree pose. This is best left to more advanced yoga practitioners who have arthritis, since it does put a little more pressure on certain joints.

Boosts Weight Loss

The risk is clear: the more someone weighs, the higher their risk of arthritis is in certain joints. This is because excess weight puts additional pressure on the joints. Someone who is overweight and stands will put more pressure on their ankles than someone who maintains a healthy weight. Increased pressure on the joints for someone who already has arthritis increases the joint pain and swelling they experience. This is why weight loss is beneficial!

Yes, yoga does help with weight loss! Even though it’s a gentler exercise, it is still physical activity. Women tighten their muscles, reduce belly fat, and improve their heart health with yoga. Amazing yoga poses to help with weight loss include plank pose, bridge pose, boat pose, and half-moon pose. The transitions between poses are also incredibly helpful for weight loss!