Yoga and Chronic Pain

Pain management can be frustrating, especially when looking for alternative methods to relieve chronic pain. Yoga has been known to help physical pain, but why? Here are some insights into the relationship between yoga and chronic pain.

Yoga and Chronic Pain

A better understanding of chronic pain is helpful when attempting to understand how yoga works for chronic pain. Read more about How to Understand Chronic Pain.

Physical Benefits of Yoga

The physical stress of chronic pain on the body can trigger and prolong the flares in pain as well as intensify the physical aspects of it. Other health issues can spiral from the mismanagement of physical pain. Issues can include high blood pressure, muscle tension, and/or spasms.

Yoga is a slow-moving exercise and can be compared to stretching. It can help loosen taut muscles and prevent muscle spasms. Done correctly, yoga can strengthen the body’s central core, relieving pressure on the back and spine. Improving the core and spinal areas will increase the body’s overall function while decreasing pain levels.

Read more about the benefits of yoga in Emma’s article 104 Evidence-Based Benefits of Yoga: Why You Should Do Yoga.

Mental Benefits of Yoga

Chronic pain can trigger mental and emotional responses. These responses can include worries, frustration, depression, anxiety, and more. Unfortunately, this can also alter the way you view your chronic pain, and subsequently, this can heighten the intensity of the pain without intention on your part.

One of the principles of yoga is meditation or breathing techniques. When done regularly, both of these practices lower levels of anxiety, frustration, and irritability. They also lessen emotional and mental stresses by giving the body a sense of peace.

Studies show that yoga releases chemicals in the brain that prove these mental benefits. Cortisol (the stress hormone) levels are lowered and serotonin (the happy hormone) levels are increased. Proper adjustment of these hormones results in a higher quality of sleep which your body needs in order to recover from the physical stress of chronic pain. Getting the sleep you need helps to break the sleep-pain cycle.

Do you practice yoga for fibromyalgia, chronic pain, or as a relaxation technique?