Oftentimes , the individual living with chronic pain believes they are not able to help themselves and become paralyzed with fear of anything that could trigger or increase the pain . In fact , the fear of pain can lead to isolation and opioid addiction . ”
PHYSICAL YOGA
Yoga for Chronic Pain
By Alyssa Pfennig , CAE , E-RYT 200 , RYT 500
Oftentimes , the individual living with chronic pain believes they are not able to help themselves and become paralyzed with fear of anything that could trigger or increase the pain . In fact , the fear of pain can lead to isolation and opioid addiction . ”
Pain is the language of the body . It tells us that something is wrong . Too often we are conditioned to ignore the whispers of sensation , not taking the time and care we need to nourish our bodies . Maybe it ’ s because we believe that we don ’ t have enough time to stop and take notice . Maybe it ’ s that we learned if we admitted we had pain , we were considered weak . Whatever the path that led to more disconnection from the body , the same outcome occurs . When the body is ignored for too long , it will continue to try to get your attention , maybe by shouting this time . And the pain increases .
According to the Institute of Medicine of the National Academies , there are an estimated 100 million Americans living with chronic pain , more than diabetes , heart disease and cancer combined . For years , scientists and the healthcare community thought pain could only be caused by damage to the structure of the body . However , some people suffer from chronic pain in the absence of any past injury or evidence of body damage . Arthritis and back pain , the two most common forms of chronic pain , and other forms could be related to past pain , stress , grief or illness . And recent research has discovered the connection between the experience of chronic pain to our thoughts and emotions — our mind . For example , even though an initial injury such as a car accident damages the physical body , the pain is sustained by how the trauma changes the mind-body relationship . Even further , those with more traumatic initial experiences may end up with chronic pain later in life , including fibromyalgia . No matter where the pain originated , the pain is still real for the person suffering . And by understanding chronic pain as a mind-body experience , we can use yoga as a therapy to help find relief .
Yoga therapy reflects a biopsychosocialspiritual approach to managing conditions such as chronic pain . Oftentimes , the individual living with chronic pain believes they are not able to help themselves and become paralyzed with fear of anything that could trigger or increase the pain . In fact , the fear of pain can lead to isolation and opioid addiction . The emphasis in yoga on selfawareness , self-regulation , effort and grace can help to instill and cultivate an individual ’ s sense of self-efficacy — a crucial component in learning how to manage pain .
Yoga therapists can reach into their yoga toolbox to address the mind-body connection in supporting clients dealing with chronic pain . They often work in conjunction with healthcare professionals to provide complementary support to the individual in creating healthier responses to their pain . Due to the fear of movement exacerbating the pain , the first tools used are often breathing techniques ( pranayama ), isolated , supported or slow movements ( asana ) and guided meditations to get in touch with the pain . If someone is afraid to move their neck , then you ’ re not going to make them , so a yoga therapist works with each individual where
54 INDIANA & YOGA MAGAZINE ISSUE 2