There are many people who are interested in yoga as being a healing factor in recovery from certain injuries. The truth is that it can be extremely helpful if you are trying to get back some of your mobility after being injured. Yoga can actually help with a number of different medical problems including stiffness from arthritis. By performing some simple stretches and poses on a regular basis, you will be able to see a noticeable improvement in how your body feels and what you are capable of physically.
Many people who experience muscle injuries end up doing yoga to soothe the pain and increase their ability to get around and move properly. Tearing a rotator cuff for example, is one of the more common injuries which people sustain and use yoga to heal from. You might be surprised just how powerful of a solution it can be when it comes to healing muscle tissue and making it stronger than ever. It is important to both speak with your physician as well as your yoga teacher about your injury to get their recommendations. If you are in physical therapy already, ask your therapist if yoga would be beneficial.
The fact is that the more you exercise your muscles, the stronger they become, and that includes doing yoga. Those who do yoga are usually more flexible and physically healthy overall. Many people who have arthritis do yoga so they can become more mobile and not quite so stiff. If you feel as though your muscles or joints are atrophying, then doing yoga is a great solution for that.
Yoga can also be great for injuries sustained to the knee or back. As you get older, you are more likely to develop problems with these parts of the body. Slow stretching will slowly but surely increase your ability to get around without being in constant pain or inhibited by stiffness. There are actually quite a few doctors who recognize the health benefits of this, and as a result recommend it to patients. Starting with a gentle yoga or a course of restorative yoga is a good idea as these are designed for those who need to nurture their bodies due to injuries, aging or other conditions. Chair yoga is also available for those with limited flexibility or unable to get up and down from the ground easily. These classes are found in many gyms, studios and senior centers.
While it may be normal to experience slight discomfort when doing certain yoga poses at first, it is never a good thing when you experience pain. Ignoring this type of pain can easily lead to further injuries caused by doing too much yoga or trying poses that are beyond your current ability. When you first start out it is highly recommended that you stick to what you are comfortable with, such as simple poses and stretches. Once you feel better about doing them, you may be able to move on to more difficult poses which will help with your injuries even more with time.
