When practiced together, physical therapy and yoga may offer effective healing benefits. Incorporating yoga into physical therapy creates a new treatment known as physical therapy yoga. This treatment combines yoga breathing exercises, poses, and meditation with physical therapy treatments, which may help in reducing patients’ pain, improving mobility, and increasing function. Here are the benefits of yoga and physical therapy combination treatments.
Body Rehabilitation
Combining yoga and physical therapy offers the best treatment in body rehabilitation. Yoga poses, like the crescent lunge, half-moon pose, and garland pose, stretch the muscles, improving flexibility. When integrated into physical therapy, these exercises enhance patients’ range of motion, allowing them to do other body rehabilitation exercises. Other yoga exercises like the three-legged dog, side plank, and boat pose are excellent for strength training as they require patients to exert their body weight for resistance. The strength-building effect of these exercises is beneficial for physical therapy patients as it can prevent future injuries.
Pain Relief
If you are in physical therapy patient, you can benefit from incorporating yoga into your therapy routine. During physical therapy yoga, you practice poses like child’s pose, butterfly pose, and the downward-facing dog. These exercises gently stretch your body, reducing muscle tension and imbalances in the body, which may alleviate chronic pain. Mindfulness exercises also train you to manage your pain using relaxation techniques and focused breathing.
Improved Balance and Stability
Yoga exercises that improve the body’s sense of movement and positioning enhance the effectiveness of physical therapy treatments aimed at addressing balance issues. Exercises like the mountain pose, chair pose, plank pose, and tree pose strengthen the muscles that stabilize the body, such as the core, obliques, and hip abductors. Exercises like the shoulder stand, tiger pose, and cow face correct posture and alignment, improving balance and stability.
Read also: <strong>How To Select The Right Online Therapy App For Your Mental Well-Being?</strong>
Stress Reduction and Relaxation
Chronic pain resulting from physical injuries is stressful, making physical therapy challenging. Combining physical therapy movements with yoga mindfulness exercises like focused breathing can lower stress levels in the body. Meditation may also reduce stress and anxiety, improving patients’ mental health. After a yoga session, you may experience renewed energy and enthusiasm, helping you maintain a positive outlook throughout your physical therapy treatment.
Faster Healing
The ultimate aim of physical therapy is to facilitate healing in your body, and yoga can contribute to achieving that goal. For instance, a yoga inversion pose that involves lying on your back and lifting your legs perpendicular to a wall reverses blood flow to the brain and improves circulation, reducing swelling in your legs. Improved circulation means that your body can deliver oxygen and nutrients to injured tissues, promoting faster healing. A yoga exercise like the cat-cow pose reduces swelling in the joints, helping your body heal faster from an injury and easing arthritis symptoms. Stress-relieving poses also lower your body’s inflammatory response, which can contribute to a healthier heart.
Book a Physical Therapy Yoga Session Today
Physical therapy yoga is an effective treatment that combines the healing aspects of yoga with physical therapy. Physical therapy patients who include yoga in their routines may experience less pain, faster healing, and reduced stress levels. Consistently practicing weight-bearing yoga poses can strengthen your muscles, making it easier to endure challenging physical therapy exercises. Yoga also stretches out the muscles, increasing their flexibility, which can improve your range of motion. With a combination of physical therapy, you train your body and mind, improving your overall well-being. Book a session with a yoga therapy instructor today to get better results from your physical therapy treatments.
