Yoga for rheumatoid arthritis (RA) may be exactly what you need to relieve the pain and stress of RA - discover the benefits and challenges here.

1. r a p a i n m a n a g e m e n t . c o m
Yoga For
Rheumatoid Arthritis
Pros and Cons Explained

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The word exercise has a totally different meaning to a person
with Rheumatoid Arthritis. There are a lot of people that struggle
to find exercise programs that feel good while working out and
feel good after working out too. There is nothing worse than
over-doing a workout. It’s not only painful, but the next time
you’re getting ready to exercise you have the fresh memory of
that last workout that had you in pain. Even though you may
have experienced this vicious cycle, I encourage you to never
stop looking. It’s that important.

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Many people had used yoga for Rheumatoid Arthritis, and some
with mixed results.
Bikram Yoga is also known as hot yoga. The room is hot so one
immediately feels “loose” and could stretch more easily and
settle deeper into the positions.
A person with Rheumatoid Arthritis will have some struggles on
certain positions — for example, anything that required hands to
be flat on the floor was impossible due to the lack of mobility in
the wrists, but with a good class instructor you should be able to
modify. But overall, after a session, one will feel very well
stretched, mentally stronger.

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BENEFITS OF YOGA

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Because RA is an ongoing illness that’s painful and
unpredictable in nature, the mood-boosting impact of yoga was
a huge bonus. It helps with the increased stress that goes along
with having a chronic disease. There are some relief in physical
symptoms. Over time, more effective poses will work best that
are very effective for stretching and mobility, strength training
with low impact body weight exercises not to mention the
mental benefits. By focusing on calming and quieting the body,
one lets go of muscle tension.

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CHALLENGES OF YOGA

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While there are many benefits from yoga, it comes with some
challenges as well. With so many different types of yoga it’s
important to take the time to find the style that will work best for
you. If you have one bad experience with a yoga class, there is a
good chance you will look past this as a viable exercise routine.

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There are stretches that put a lot of pressure on your knees and
wrists. This can make yoga feel frustrating. It’s important to
consider modifications, and if you’re in a class you’ll definitely
want to discuss your limitations with the instructor so they can
help you with specific poses that are not RA friendly.

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Bikram yoga was much easier on joints and the warmth of the
room works and feel healthy for the joints. However, depending
on your type and severity of arthritis, you may need to choose a
more gentle style or come up with modifications.

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Everyone is going to feel different about their yoga practices
after a few weeks. Most Rheumatologist will agree about the
benefits of yoga related to strengthening and lengthening the
muscles around the joints which can lead to a decrease in
symptoms and pain.

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All things considered, yoga will not totally eliminate rheumatoid
arthritis pain, but it will lead to a decrease in symptoms. Doing
yoga or other forms of low impact exercise feels like another
form of medication. It is better than not doing any exercise at all
and regularly feel more pain. Time spent doing a yoga class will
most likely be your friend. You may look into it as a viable option
for low impact exercise. There will be some difficult times, but
one has a longer life ahead by including exercising in their
routine for managing RA pain naturally.

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Thank you for viewing
this presentation.

13. RA Pain Management provide rheumatoid
arthritis sufferers a website full of information and
encouragement to fight this painful disease. We have
found that meeting other people with similar experiences
is always helpful. Particularly with a disease like RA, it is
even more valuable.
Dedicated to helping RA sufferers
enjoy life more naturally
rapainmanagement.com