I Know About Joint Pain! And I Know What Helps!
Updated: Aug 18, 2020
I know about joint pain.
Over the years I've had my share of knee and hip pain, probably a result of stressing my knees and hips from years of dance and running.
I'm happy to say since I stopped dancing seriously and don't run much if at all anymore, and took up yoga, my knee and hip pain is much improved, though it still comes back every now and then.
My experiences with joint pain motivated me to research what works to relieve pain and stiffness in the joints including pain and stiffness from osteroarthritis. And guess what? Yoga works!
But don't take my word for it, here's what the Cleveland Clinic has to say, "The pain and stiffness of osteoarthritis can make you feel like the last thing you want to do is move around. And yet movement is critical to keeping the joints flexible and reducing your pain. However, if you have osteoarthritis, your exercise programs must be gentle and low-impact to keep painful joints from being jarred or injured. The perfect solution? Yoga!"
(Source: The Cleveland Clinic/https://health.clevelandclinic.org/how-yoga-can-help-you-combat-the-effects-of-osteoarthritis/)
Here are my 7 reasons why yoga works to relieve pain and stiffness in the joints.
1. Yoga strengthens the muscles surrounding the joints to keep the joints supported, relieving pain.
2. Yoga improves joint flexibility maintaining or improving the joint's range of motion, reducing stiffness and pain.
3. Slow controlled movements like those done in a gentle yoga class lubricate the joints, increasing cellular nutrition in the joint.
4. Yoga's emphasis on breathing and meditation relax the muscles, release anxiety and induce feelings of peace and calm which reduce a person's experience of pain.
5. Yoga focuses on proper alignment of the skeleton, which helps alleviate joint pain caused by joint misalignment.
6. Yoga's mind/body connection helps people to identify the sources of pain or anxiety and to relax them, helping to manage their experience of pain.
7. Yoga's cardiovascular benefits support overall health, and we know in the body, everything's connected!
Many studies confirm the benefits of yoga on people with osteoarthritis. One study of people with knee osteoarthritis found that people taking 90-minute, modified Iyengar (alignment based) yoga classes once a week for eight weeks reported reductions in pain and improvements in physical function and joint stiffness. Yoga poses were modified and used props to ensure the practice was accessible to all participants. Another University of Pennsylvania study showed that yoga could provide relief for people with hand osteoarthritis, a problem that can impair daily activities like dressing or cooking. An eight-week yoga regimen improved hand pain and finger range of motion in the participants. (Source: Arthritis Foundation/arthritis.org)
More and more research and anecdotal evidence is proving that people with joint pain from osteoarthritis who practice yoga regularly feel better!
So, give yoga a try!
To help you with this, starting Saturday, August 29th, I'll be offering a FREE 60 minute Gentle Yoga for Joint Pain class via Zoom. This class will happen the last Saturday of every month at 9am CT/Jamaica time. Registration required.
And if you don't suffer from joint pain now, this class will help to prevent you from getting it!
Please REGISTER USING THIS LINK:
https://app.acuityscheduling.com/schedule.php?owner=20301000
Space is limited.
This class is appropriate for people of all shapes and sizes as well as beginners - no yoga experience necessary.
Don't miss our new blog posts and updates! Click the link to be added to our mailing list, "One Cool Thing for Your Health." Each week I share one cool thing you'd want to know for your health!
You'll also receive our free 2 minute video of an easy neck and shoulder stretch for neck and shoulder pain!