Hands-On Recovery from Arthritis: Manipulation and Yoga

Manipulation: hands-on healing that sometimes gets rough

Chiropractors created their 'natural method of health care' in reaction to what they saw as an overuse of drug treatments by medical doctors of the day, and an overemphasis on curing diseases, as opposed to maintaining health. The name chiropracticcomes from the Greek word for hand, and the hand of the practi­tioner is the primary healing instrument. The hand manipulates and adjusts errant vertebrae in the patient's spine, removing unwanted pressure on the nerves and thus restoring normal 'nerve supply' to keep all parts of the body functioning at peak performance.

Osteopaths practice manipulation, too, but they also use massage and are less focused on the spine. The manipulation techniques vary widely from one practitioner's hands to another's.

Despite all the good reports, this technique is endorsed with caution, as manipulation can cause broken bones and episodes of increased pain that last for weeks or months in some cases.

Most who benefitted from manipulation noted that they had to go for regular treatments to keep up the improvement.

Yoga: away of exercise, a way of life

Yoga is the living heritage of ancient India. Its philosophy may seem mystical and remote, based as it is on a belief in the unity of all that is. The same energy, or consciousness, exists every­where and unites everything with everyone. Mind and body, especially, are united. Indeed the word Yoga means unity.

But many of the Yoga postures, or positions, which students of Yoga use to attain relaxation and open themselves to the flow of universal energy, also have a very mundane aspect. They stretch and strengthen the muscles. And they may look exactly like the range of motion exercises you received from your doctor or physiotherapist. The names have been changed, naturally, from

Sanskrit images to modern descriptions. And the movements pre­scribed for people with arthritis stop far short of the goals in some Yoga texts, which leave you marveling at the way a man can sit with his legs crossed in front of him and his arms crossed in back of him, holding his toes in his fingers!

Yoga differs substantially from most aerobic exercises. The emphasis is on slow motions, awareness of your own physical limits, relaxation, and deep and even breathing. There's no bouncing, no panting, no thought of any given number of rep­etitions of a movement Still, injuries can and do occur.

Usually, novices do better learn­ing Yoga from an instructor instead of a book, so they can have expert guidance on safe positions, but this participant was taking instruction when she was injured. Not all teachers, unfortunately, have the ability to work with people in pain. If you decide to try Yoga, explain your condition to the instructor and find out how much experience he or she has in teaching people with arthritis.