Re: How Yoga Can Wreck Your Body

[Guest guest]

Yes of course too much of anything is too much. He makes a point in that the benefits of Yoga for most of us are gained from simple stretches, and when we compete with those more flexible, ant there are always people more flexible, we can get injured.Lonnie > > From: drjdyson1@...> Date: Wed, 11 Jan 2012 18:28:50 -0800> Subject: How Yoga Can Wreck Your Body> > Dr. Sears & Group,> > What do you think of this article in the New York Times titled "How Yoga Can Wreck Your Body"? Is there a point where too much stretching and yoga are a bad thing? > > http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/08/magazine/how-yoga-can-wreck-your-body.html?_r=1 & pagewanted=all%3Fsrc%3Dtp & smid=fb-share> > Curious about your thoughts,> > Jamey Dyson, DC> > > > ------------------------------------> > All posts must adhere to OregonDCs rules located on homepage at: /> Tell a colleague about OregonDCs! (must be licensed Oregon DC)

[Guest guest]

Jamey,The answer to your question is plainly, yes.

As someone who does yoga, and has treated myself and patients with yoga

for 8 years, and now utilizes two yoga therapists as CA’s, the article brings

up some good points while sensationalizing the risk. There are something like 7 ping pong related deaths each

year. So lets keep things in

perspective like we do with VBI and chiropractic.

(Soap Box) The average American for the last 30+ years has

gone from the breakfast chair, to the car chair, to the work chair, to the car

chair, to the dinner chair, to the TV chair and to bed. He has lost much of the function of the

hips. His arms rarely leave the

2’X2’ box in front of him or her. Now

take this person and put them in a yoga class, zumba class or crossfit class

and there is bound to be some injuries without one-on one instruction and modification

of technique.

This is the gap that Pillip Snell and the rehab renaissance

folks are trying to fill, and yoga therapists are working to improve.

Most of us guys with tight hips mess things up in the first

5 min while we are sitting waiting for class to start cross-legged on our mats

in a C-spine with flexion demand on the lumbar discs. After predisposing the discs to this flexion demand, who knows how many forward folds it will take for the disc material

to blow out the back? The same goes for deadlifts done pushing

huge weight with poor form.

Imagine what happens to shoulders when arms that have not been raised overhead for 20

years and are asked to do a kipping pull-up.Oddly enough, the deadlift can be a wonderful rehab tool as can yoga and modified pull-ups, like a scap-pull-up.

I would encourage anyone who wants to use yoga with their patients

to pick up some of Dr. Sears’ videos, do the exercises yourself, and then sell

the DVD’s to your patients. The

unloaded poses in the modified Savasana position is a great way to “erase†some

of the compensation patterns the body develops. The DVD’s only cost the doctor $10 and you sell them

for $20. It is a cheap and appropriate place for many patients to begin. I have sold dozens of them over that past few years.

If the patient is excited to get to a class, have them work

with a yoga therapist at the same time or prior to going to class to learn some

guiding principles.

Lindekugel, DCConcordia Chiropractic CenterPortland Or.

From: Jamey Dyson <drjdyson1@...> DCs < > Sent: Wednesday, January 11, 2012 6:28 PM Subject: How Yoga Can Wreck Your Body

Dr. Sears & Group,

What do you think of this article in the New York Times titled "How Yoga Can Wreck Your Body"? Is there a point where too much stretching and yoga are a bad thing?

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/08/magazine/how-yoga-can-wreck-your-body.html?_r=1 & pagewanted=all%3Fsrc%3Dtp & smid=fb-share

Curious about your thoughts,

Jamey Dyson, DC

[Guest guest]

Dr. Lindekugel is pretty spot on with his post here. I’ll just add my two cents.

I also focus a lot of energy on Rehab, but no matter how well we prepare someone or attempt to prepare someone for a given activity, the potential for injury is there. It exists for virtually EVERY activity that would be deemed exercise. All we can do is attempt to reduce the chances and teach folks to listen to their bodies. Pain is a signal to ease up not power through.

Yoga specifically. I have done and still do some yoga myself, use a lot in rehab exercises and see a lot of patients that not only practice it, but teach it. I have to say that many times it’s the instructors with the more serious issues. What I’ve seen is moderate hypermobility. We must keep in mind that the muscular system which includes ligaments and tendons are intended in part in stabilizing the joints they surround. A certain amount of tension is indeed a good thing and necessary. Obviously hypermobility can lead to problems, particularly in the spine.

I stress to folks that are doing yoga arduously and daily to implement strengthening exercise in addition to their yoga practice.

BALANCE

ph Medlin D.C.

From: Lindekugel

Sent: Thursday, January 12, 2012 8:37 AM

DC Listserve

Subject: Re: How Yoga Can Wreck Your Body

Jamey,

The answer to your question is plainly, yes.

As someone who does yoga, and has treated myself and patients with yoga for 8 years, and now utilizes two yoga therapists as CA’s, the article brings up some good points while sensationalizing the risk. There are something like 7 ping pong related deaths each year. So lets keep things in perspective like we do with VBI and chiropractic.

(Soap Box) The average American for the last 30+ years has gone from the breakfast chair, to the car chair, to the work chair, to the car chair, to the dinner chair, to the TV chair and to bed. He has lost much of the function of the hips. His arms rarely leave the 2’X2’ box in front of him or her. Now take this person and put them in a yoga class, zumba class or crossfit class and there is bound to be some injuries without one-on one instruction and modification of technique.

This is the gap that Pillip Snell and the rehab renaissance folks are trying to fill, and yoga therapists are working to improve.

Most of us guys with tight hips mess things up in the first 5 min while we are sitting waiting for class to start cross-legged on our mats in a C-spine with flexion demand on the lumbar discs. After predisposing the discs to this flexion demand, who knows how many forward folds it will take for the disc material to blow out the back? The same goes for deadlifts done pushing huge weight with poor form.

Imagine what happens to shoulders when arms that have not been raised overhead for 20 years and are asked to do a kipping pull-up.

Oddly enough, the deadlift can be a wonderful rehab tool as can yoga and modified pull-ups, like a scap-pull-up.

I would encourage anyone who wants to use yoga with their patients to pick up some of Dr. Sears’ videos, do the exercises yourself, and then sell the DVD’s to your patients. The unloaded poses in the modified Savasana position is a great way to “erase†some of the compensation patterns the body develops. The DVD’s only cost the doctor $10 and you sell them for $20. It is a cheap and appropriate place for many patients to begin. I have sold dozens of them over that past few years.

If the patient is excited to get to a class, have them work with a yoga therapist at the same time or prior to going to class to learn some guiding principles.

Lindekugel, DC

Concordia Chiropractic Center

Portland Or.

From: Jamey Dyson <drjdyson1@...> DCs < > Sent: Wednesday, January 11, 2012 6:28 PMSubject: How Yoga Can Wreck Your Body

Dr. Sears & Group,What do you think of this article in the New York Times titled "How Yoga Can Wreck Your Body"? Is there a point where too much stretching and yoga are a bad thing? http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/08/magazine/how-yoga-can-wreck-your-body.html?_r=1 & pagewanted=all%3Fsrc%3Dtp & smid=fb-shareCurious about your thoughts,Jamey Dyson, DC

[Guest guest]

Hi Dr Dyson,You've read some good responses to this by now, and I agree mostly with what's been said; although the majority speak of the physicality of yoga, without touching on the mentality aspects. In such, yoga and chiropractic are the same: most people think about yoga as physical stretching, and most chiropractors and patients think about the profession as CMT. Both fail to see the importance of the intellect to the process.At the extremes of any and all activities, danger increases. Investigating life leads to some strange places at times, but it's always how we're thinking at the time that gets us in trouble. It's the intellect, or our self-knowledge or consciousness that "must be adjusted as well," to quote D.D. Palmer. I think we've arrived at a transitional moment for chiropractic and for yoga with the health care reforms underway and chiropractic (in Oregon) at the table. What yoga is really about is training a person's mental focus so they may successfully apply their intelligence to their own self-healing. Yoga: the union of body and mind, or union with the divine. The body intentionally endures postural stress in order to practice a focused mind in spite of the stress. Viewed from the chiropractic POV, it's the practical application of voluntary control over the ANS, for beneficial ends. It's an active care protocol that is accessible to just about everyone (certainly to the Oregon Health Care Plan cohort, Medicaid, and most other chronic disease patients), is evidenced-based, low-tech/low cost, and points health care in the direction of inner-directed self-healing, rather than externally-directed ends. Yeah, too much stretching and yoga can be a bad thing; same for whatever else humans can think of to do outside of moderation. Too much water is drowning. But, learning the consequences of our own consciousness moment-to-moment awakens us to decision-making for much more beneficial and healthful possibilities. There are gems that can be harvested from the research coming out of ancient human practices that can be applied by Oregon chiropractors. Potentiating oneself in this regard is the first and highest priority, from which the ability to serve Oregonians will follow. Cheers, Sears, DC, IAYT1218 NW 21st AvePortland, Oregon 97209v: 503-225-0255f: 503-525-6902www.docbones.comOn Jan 11, 2012, at 6:28 PM, Jamey Dyson wrote: Dr. Sears & Group, What do you think of this article in the New York Times titled "How Yoga Can Wreck Your Body"? Is there a point where too much stretching and yoga are a bad thing? http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/08/magazine/how-yoga-can-wreck-your-body.html?_r=1 & pagewanted=all%3Fsrc%3Dtp & smid=fb-share Curious about your thoughts, Jamey Dyson, DC