Yoga should be considered as a low-cost supportive therapy for a person undergoing conventional medical treatment for chronic health conditions.
“Over Half of American Adults are Taking Prescription Medications for Chronic Conditions.” This was the headline of an AP article discussing the results from a recent survey conducted by Medco Health Solutions, Inc., a company that manages prescription benefits for one fifth of all Americans. This boggles my mind. This means that over half of all Americans 18 and older are taking at least one prescription medication daily for an extended period of time, possibly for the remainder of their lifetime, in order to manage an ongoing health problem. What is the top medical condition treated by these drugs? High cholesterol and blood pressure! Also cited were medication for asthma, diabetes, and ADD/ADHD. Also ranking high, particularly in the 20 to 40 age group, were antidepressant medications. Among seniors, 28 percent of women and 21 percent of men take at least 5 different prescriptions daily!
After hearing this on NPR this morning and tracking the AP article down, I can’t help but think how most of the medical conditions listed in the article are caused or exacerbated by inactivity and poor diet and how something as simple as a relaxation yoga practice could help many. I’m not saying that by simply doing a forward bend that a person with diabetes could stop taking insulin or that an obese person could lower his or her cholesterol simply by chanting and a few sun salutations. There has been a lot of work done, however, with yoga as an alternative therapy for many common health conditions.
I’ll share with you a personal experience. At age 25 I was of normal weight. I worked out at the gym 1.5 to 2 hours a day, 5 to 6 days a week. I was a vegetarian. I also had borderline high blood pressure. My blood pressure was around 145 /85. Nothing to be alarmed about but a concern nonetheless given my age. My doctor suggested that I cut back on salt. This had no effect. He suggested that my high-stress lifestyle may be to blame. I had a 4-hour daily round trip commute to a 10.5 hour workday in a demanding job for the federal government. However, I was doing all the “right” things with respect to fitness and diet. I then began to do Bikram yoga, a decision that was totally unrelated to my blood pressure. Over time, I began to attend yoga class 5 to 6 days a week instead of going to the gym simply because I like the way I felt during and after the workouts. After a few months of this new routine I went to the doctor and my blood pressure was 110/65! My doctor was amazed. He asked me what I did to get my blood pressure down. It was only then that I made the connection. I remember the exchange 6 years later.
“I started doing yoga!” I exclaimed as I had an “ah-ha” moment.
“And what else?” he asked.
“Just that. That is the only thing I’m doing differently. Oh, well I stopped going to the gym too, I guess.”
“Well, whatever you are doing, keep doing it,” He said, looking down and scribbling something in his notes.
I’m not sure he believed that was the only thing I changed. Truly, it was. I have had a regular yoga practice ever since. Even through my pregnancy, my blood pressure has remained low.
I don’t advocate quitting the gym altogether like I did. However, if a person doesn’t currently exercise, beginning a gentle yoga class can be a great step back to an active lifestyle!
Given that weight gain and depression are linked to stress and stress is linked to many chronic health conditions, simply affording oneself the opportunity to relax and get centered could provide far-reaching health benefits. It is empowering to do something that is health promoting rather than giving your power over to a pill. In addition to improving your sense of well being, yoga helps you to reconnect with your body. It could help to stabilize a chronic condition and potentially allow a person to reduce the amount of medication needed to control the condition. Yoga should be considered as a low-cost supportive therapy for a person undergoing conventional medical treatment for chronic health conditions.
Link to the AP article.
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2008/05/13/national/a210122D22.DTL
International Association of Yoga Therapists
http://www.iayt.org/