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Is Ashtanga Yoga Good For Patient Having Spondylitis?
By
Patricia | June 15, 2009
If you are suffering from spondylitis, you should never do Yoga uninstructed and unsupervised. Doing so may aggravate your condition. When done in the proper manner, under the supervision of a qualified instructor, Ashtanga yoga can actually be very beneficial for you.
Spondylitis is a group of diseases that are chronic in nature. Spondylitis causes inflammation of the vertebra. The spine and all the joints associated with it are affected by this disease. The major cause of spondylitis is bad posture and it characteristically affects young adults with an average age less than thirty-five. It is a long lasting disease which can get aggravated by sudden movements of the body and awkward stretching.
Even though people have been suffering from spondylitis for quite some time, no absolute cure has been found for it. Prevention still remains the best option to save one’s self from the physical agony of this very painful disease. The symptoms, although they cannot be cured permanently, can definitely be treated to give temporary or even long term relief.
Most physicians prescribe different yoga postures from Ashtanga yoga to ease the pain. The specific poses that can really help you are the Ushtrasana or the Camel pose, Shalabhasana or the Locust pose, Bhujangasana or the Cobra pose, and Garudasana or the eagle pose. There are also several supine poses that provide relief to the vertebra and are highly recommended.
These various yoga poses are intended to increase muscular strength in the areas where the muscles have weakened and are fatigued. Not only does Yoga help you to strengthen those specific muscles but it also helps you to work on the muscles that lie around the affected area. The poses are especially helpful in strengthening the back and the abdominal muscles so that the spine is cushioned properly. Yoga helps correct the structural flaws that develop over time through incorrect postures. The poses will help you to maintain the correct upright postures so that you prevent yourself from damaging your spine.
When you start doing Yoga, you will realize that you are consciously able to utilize only specific muscles for specific movements. This helps you control your muscles to a large extent. Along with the various poses from the Ashtanga yoga, there are preventive measures that you can take. Try to improve your posture. Do not slouch when you are reading, writing or watching TV.
With continued use of Yoga coupled with correct postures, you can alleviate many of the symptoms of spondylitis. In fact, with time, you might even be able to completely eliminate the pain and the other problems associated with the disease.