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(ARA) - More and more people
are performing the age-old practice of Yoga. Yoga can stretch
you, it can relax you and now it may help people with arthritis.
According to the American Yoga Association (AYA), Yoga may help
people with arthritis deal with pain and stiffness, improve range
of motion and increase strength for daily activities.
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One of the most common forms
of arthritis is rheumatoid arthritis (RA), which affects approximately
two million Americans, of which more than 75 percent are women.
RA is a chronic, autoimmune disease in which the body's immune
system attacks healthy tissue lining the joints, leading to pain,
deformity and disability that may be permanent. Now available
is a first-of-its kind online Yoga guide specifically for people
with RA, developed by the AYA, in collaboration with the Arthritis
Foundation and support from RAacademy.com.
For thousands of years people
have used Yoga to build flexibility and strength, improve concentration,
relieve stress and increase energy. Today the benefits of Yoga
may extend to people with RA. According to a pilot study published
in the British Journal of Rheumatology, people with RA who participated
in a Yoga program over a three-month period experienced greater
handgrip strength compared to those who did not practice Yoga. |
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"People with RA may benefit
from low-impact exercises like Yoga to help improve overall health
and fitness without further damaging or hurting the joints,"
said Dr. Cheryl Lambing, M.D., Assistant Clinical Professor at
the University of California Los Angeles. "Physical activity
may optimize both physical and mental health and plays a vital
role in disease management."
The unique Yoga guide, Remain
Active with RA, encompasses traditional Yoga poses including
range-of-motion, muscle strengthening, and endurance exercises
- the three major forms of exercise typically prescribed for
people with RA. Each exercise contains detailed photographs and
instructions indicating the proper way to perform each movement,
with variation of exercises based on disease severity. It is
important for people with RA to speak to their physician before
embarking on any new exercise program.
"With my rheumatoid arthritis,
I never thought I would be able to do an exercise like Yoga,"
said Lynn McKenzie-Collins, Ph.D. "I am now reassured that
there is a Yoga guide tailored for people with my disease that
may help my pain and stiffness." |
