Can Yoga Help With Chronic Pain?

Yes it can! Although, as you might imagine, every case is unique and different. I work with a few yoga students with chronic pain in private sessions and they have gone from being on medications to going off and, in one case, eliminating the concern about needing future surgery.

To be able to be a part of helping someone in this way feels simply amazing. Also, to be completely honest, it's not me that is helping reduce or eliminate the pain. It's the yoga and I am just the funnel through which this ancient wisdom travels.

I'm a part of several yoga groups and one beautiful lady, in the above photo, created this post and I wanted to share with you!

"I just wanted to share with you that I have bursitis in both hips, a chronic condition I've had for over 10 years. Several years ago, I needed a cane - and even a walker for around the house as my hips were so stiff (having tried all the traditional medical options except surgery). I was at a pain level of an 8.

I went for a custom yoga routine at a local yoga studio and started doing the exercises daily. Over the year, I brought my pain level down to about a 5. Now I'm at a pain level of about a 3 or 2 and sometimes don't even have pain. I loved it so much, I became a yoga teacher, I teach and practice daily!

This is a recent picture of me, I most definitely would not have been able to do this pose had it not been for yoga saving my life and keeping me mobile.

I absolutely love yoga."

Past success does not guarantee future success. However, no matter what ails you, (or if nothing ails you now, you might just want to be proactive to keep it that way), giving yoga the opportunity to positively affect your physical well-being and your healthy aging journey might be worth the commitment.

I use the word 'commitment ' because like dieting, or any form of exercise, doing something once in a while might not get you the benefits you're looking for. Doing something consistently is more likely to get you there.

While I have been fortunate to not be personally dealing with chronic pain, I have to agree wholeheartedly with the woman above - I absolutely love yoga too!

Karen