What Do You Think About Yoga?
Hey Doc, is Yoga okay during my treatment… I am often asked what I think about Yoga, Pilates and other forms of exercise.
I have nothing against Yoga, Pilates, or any other form of stretching or exercises (maybe arm wrestling where you only overdevelop one arm). The biggest concern is with your underlying structure and anything you do that either hurts or preferably assists – in the efforts to make structural changes to improve any negative spinal shifts.
When I inform patients to avoid certain movements, and it just so happens that the movements to which we refer, are a part of their yoga routine; the response from some of our patients goes something like this: “I thought yoga was supposed to be good for you?”
Two common misconceptions are
Something that is supposed to be “good for you” is going to be good for everyone, and
Everything about something that is supposed to be “good for you” is always ‘good’.
To our knowledge, yoga instructors and Pilates instructors, do not perform a complete Structural Correction Chiropractic Examination prior to having you begin your routine. In other words, the instructors don’t have a clue what’s happening structurally with your body.
There are many forms of yoga and to our knowledge at least a few forms of Pilates that may make your condition or structure worse. We don’t make it our business to know every variation. We don’t make it our business to know every variation of every form of exercise and/or stretch. That would be impossible. Likewise, we will never sit down with you and go over an entire list of what equipment you should use or avoid at your fitness club. To try to know the exercise equipment inventory of every club in the area, would simply be unmanageable.
Our primary concern with respect to non-structural exercises and stretching is to have you understand the general positions and movements that will inhibit your progress and/or make your condition worse. Our goal is to show you what not to do – whether it’s in the gym or on the yoga mat.
If you understand what not to do, then – no matter where you are (gym, yoga, Pilates, work, home, out on the town), you’ll know how to prevent further injury, while at the same time, help you get better.
At Corrective Chiropractic, one of the components of your Structural Correction Care Plan is Corrective Exercises. These specific exercises are designed to improve the structural integrity of your spine. Because these exercises target the ligaments (not the muscles), they differ from strengthening movements typically administered by physical therapists and personal trainers. These exercises are not optional. In fact, they are an integral part of your improvement in our office, and they account for one-third of your corrective care treatment.
If you need more information or would like to discuss more with Dr. Wickstrom please remember to schedule up front for a consultation (where it’s just a conversation).
