Three Concepts You Might be Missing in Your Therapy Treatments
When most people think of Yoga, they think of stretching. While mobility (called “asanas” in yoga) are an important part of yoga, this accounts for only 1 limb of the 8 limbs of yoga!
Below are 3 concepts that yoga has encouraged for 3,000 years, which western treatment strategies have largely ignored.
The Importance of the Breath: I had zero training in breath assessment and treatment in 3 years of PT school. Yet it’s importance is proven in that it’s one of the few autonomic functions under our conscious control. Yoga describes the breath as controlling the “life force,” and uses it to increase vital energy in the body and mind. And it works! Breathing is deeply connected to our emotions and can help us progress emotionally through an orthopedic injury (Lumley, 2011; Johnson, Nolen-Hoeksema, Mitchell, & Levin, 2009; Ericsson et al., 2002; Shin & Liberzon, 2010; Boiten, 1994). Breathing has been shown to reset and calm our autonomic nervous system (“fight or flight”) by synchronizing neural elements in the heart, lungs, limbic system and cortex (Jerath 2006). Clinically, this means we can help calm and center patients during healing so they can focus their energy away from fear and toward healing.
The Value of Mindfulness: mindfulnes describes the ability to observe one’s thoughts emotions actions and experiences from moment to moment with non-judgemental awareness. This is a key component for focusing energy toward healing, instead of seeing distractions and barriers. Mindfulness cultivates attention, develops insight and reduces suffering during the healing process. Not only is it easy to teach to patients when you know how to do it, they will be so appreciative that you are addressing their whole person, and not just their physical ailment.
Addressing the interconnectedness of Fascia: While traditional therapy is looking at one irritated tendon, ligament or joint, the therapist employing yoga sees the body’s whole connected system. Traditional therapy ignores fascia because it’s not an anatomically distinct tissue so it’s difficult to measure. This is not a good reason to ignore it! Yoga poses, on the other hand, elongate and strengthen tissues connected to the injured site but anatomically distant. For example, for a left illiotibial band sydrome, yoga would add in left ankle inversion, right trunk sidebending and left glenohumeral elevation to stretch the fascial connections throughout the left IT band. All these tissues communicate through fascia when we move, so why would we not stretch and strengthen in this manner? Seems strange not to!