Yoga in the News

 

Please, please, please say yoga helps manage pain, I think as I pick up this week's New York Times.  I'm a fan of the Tuesday edition because of the Science Times/Health section.  If I can remember to get to Copperfield's early enough, I can get the print edition.  If not, I'm out of luck and must spend more time behind the computer at NYT's website.  Anyway, I always enjoy the sidebar article entitled "Really?" that states a "claim" and whether it's true or false ("The Bottom Line").  Like, for example, the claim that a tennis ball on the back of pajamas can cut snoring.  Good question, huh.  According to NYT's reporting, "Research shows that for many people, the tennis ball trick is not a very effective anti-snoring technique."  So, I pick up this week's edition and the "claim" is "Yoga can help manage pain."  Oh, this had better be good.

Having the third largest circulation in the US (and declining), the mention of the positive impact of yoga is good news and I crossed my fingers that the good author would come to a positive conclusion. The article rightly states that studies show that yoga is one of the most commonly used form of alternative therapy in the country and many rely on it to relieve chronic and acute pain.  The reasons vary from alleviation of pain through relaxation and the release of endorphins and it may reduce inflammation and promote positive emotions.  Good so far.

A team of researchers, reviewing 10 randomized clinical trials, looked at yoga's effect on pain stemming from aliments like arthritis, low back problems, pregnancy symptoms and migraines. Nine out of the 10 trials found yoga could relieve pain, but that no definitive conclusions could be reached.  This is understandable because the different studies looked at several types of pain conditions and different styles of yoga.  The yoga in the studies varied in the level of relaxation, intensity, and frequency and time of practice.  The Bottom Line:  "A review of the research on yoga suggests that it may have some usefulness in relieving pain, but more research is needed."  OK, good enough.  It's better than the outcome of the echinacea research that stated it flat out had no effect on colds. 

It's true.  More yoga research is needed and it's happening.  Among other institutions, the NIH is funding studies measuring the effect of yoga for various conditions from insomnia to menopausal symptoms to metabolic syndrome.  What's important is that yoga is available to treat many ailments, including pain.  Regardless of the studies or the type of research or why it does what it does, yoga helps many with pain management.  That's the bottom line.

O'Connor, Anahad, "Really?" The New York Times, October 18, 2011, D5, Print

[Want to read some of my earlier posting.  You can find them here.  Enjoy.]  

AND......there's more.

North Bay Yoga Happenings is a newsletter by MaryEllen Witten dedicated to the spirit and community of yoga!  The idea for this newsletter came to her when she wanted to find out what was going on locally in the yoga community.  She makes searching for individual studios for classes, workshops and other yoga events easy.  To sign up, go to http://visitor.r20.constantcontact.com/d.jsp?llr=qvwhflcab&p=oi&m=1102033705648 or click here.

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