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Burlington, Ontario, Canada
I choose to focus training and nutrition on the individual. I believe in a totally holistic approach emcompassing body, mind and soul and the interaction between them. Utilizing the disciplines of weight-training , pilates, ballet and yoga to ease pain, heal injuries and strengthen the body,and the spirit. Never give up! Never step down!

Friday, September 17, 2010

Back Pain-Post 1-


So many of my clients have back pain , I have decided to post a series of articles addressing back pain from various different avenues-

Today I will take the approach from using Yoga as a therapeutic tool:


When doing yoga to increase your back's flexibility, balance is the word. Balance is achieved by doing a combination of actions that oppose one another as you move through the poses. For back pain sufferers, it doesn't have to be a challenging workout. But it is important to follow up bending forward, for example, with bending back. Balanced work strengthens and stretches the back and abs, and helps them to coordinate spinal stability. It prevents the predominance of strength in certain muscles over others, a precursor to back injury. This article presents a series of 4 yoga poses for the flexibility of your back.

What Type of Back Injury Do You Have?
It is a good idea to start by assessing any back injuries you may have either currently or in the past. The poses presented in this article alternate between arching the back and rounding it. To know when to take it easy on your back, understand the nature of your injury. As a general rule, facet joint problems such as spondylolysis will be irritated by arching the back. Disk problems may be worsened by rounding the back. Ask your doctor or therapist if you're ready for these spinal movements and to suggest any necessary safety precautions.

•Spondylolysis
•Facet Joint Syndrome
•Disk and Disk Problems

Stages of Healing
If you are working with a back injury, be aware that there are stages of injury healing, each one with its own implication for physical movement. In the acute and subacute stages, which are the first two, you will likely be under the guidance of your doctor and/or physical therapist. Usually, the third and final stage is the most appropriate for taking on yoga to help heal and strengthen your back. Of course, if you don't have an injury, then you can use yoga to maintain your present condition level, to prevent injury and/or to address minor aches and pains.
•Acute and Sub-Acute Stages of Healing
•Chronic Stage of Healing
•Inflammatory Reaction


Cat-Cow Pose
In the cat-cow pose, you move your spine back and forth between rounding and arching. Here, it really pays to know the nature of your injury because one of the two movements may affect it. Cat-cow has several benefits, among them:
1.establishes ideal spinal alignment
2.strengthens and stretches back muscles
3.develops coordination of spinal movement.



Downward Facing Dog Pose
Downward facing dog (or downdog for short) is a basic yet challenging yoga pose that stretches and lengthens the spine, develops shoulder muscles and can address postural conditions such as kyphosis.

Cobra Pose
While the cobra pose is a pose that many people readily associate with yoga, its not safe for all types of back problems. The basic movement of the cobra is to arch the spine backward. People with facet joint problems, for example, spondylolisthesis, should approach cobra pose cautiously, if at all. Facet joint problems tend to become irritated when the spine is arched. Ask your doctor or physical therapist if this pose is okay for your condition.


Child's Pose
The child’s pose is a beginner yoga pose that stretches the muscles of the low back, as well as the inner thighs. For those with tight back and hip muscles, this will, of course, feel like work. But get beyond the tension, and child’s pose is deeply relaxing. It promotes flexibility, stress relief and helps circulation to the muscles, joints and disks of the back.


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Royal Bay offers therapeutic and restorative physical treatments, fitness and nutrition
for further information email me at royalbayfitness@hotmail.com.

1 comment:

  1. Developing a B12 deficiency can drain your energy and wreak havoc on your muscles, and this also means you're at a much higher risk of severe back pain. So it's important that you keep up with your intake of B vitamins. Try vitamin supplements and various meat sources to get the sufficient amount of B12. Chiropractors Denver CO, Denver Colorado Chiropractors

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