| When talking to your health care provider on | | | | know that good posture goes a long way to how |
| what to do about back pain there answers are | | | | someone's back feels. |
| usually the same. That is because Western | | | | Yoga, which came from Hindu teachings, is not |
| cultures rely far too much on anti-inflammatory | | | | unlike Tai Chi, its designed to help a person |
| medications and pain relievers. Perhaps it is time | | | | restore both body and mind. By doing Yoga |
| to take a look at other options to strengthen a | | | | exercises you are strengthening your back |
| person's back while diminishing back pain. | | | | muscles, improving posture and bring into line the |
| Exercise is one of the options that are worth | | | | spine. Yoga practitioners believe that if you learn |
| trying. But which one do you choose? Aerobics is | | | | about your body, in this case your back, then you |
| too high impact for people with back problems | | | | become more able to tune into the area of |
| and isometrics are known to cause joint problems. | | | | problems and make them better before they |
| Then there are calisthenics; these are good for | | | | become really bad. |
| your muscles but only help a certain number of | | | | Each one of the many Yoga positions is designed |
| muscles so this is not worth doing either. What | | | | to do something specific. Either to strengthen, |
| options does that leave open to you? | | | | stretch or diminish the tension in the area. It also |
| It gives you the opportunity to try Tai Chi or | | | | boosts blood flow, which is good for healing sore |
| Yoga. Tai Chi helps back pain because, despite it | | | | muscles. One of the benefits of using yoga when |
| also being a marital art, it is designed to enhance | | | | your back is painful is that the yoga exercises go |
| the body's resilience, improve flexibility, keep your | | | | a long way to stretching the spine. By doing these |
| weight in check and help a person to an easier | | | | exercises the stretching is taking the pressure off |
| recovery from injury, all in all a pretty good list of | | | | of the vertebrae and so alleviating the |
| things. One of the reasons that Tai Chi works so | | | | compression. This will greatly reduce back pain. |
| well is that it is based on slow movements of the | | | | The other advantage to using Tai Chi or Yoga is |
| arms, legs and upper body. The person moves | | | | that neither is expensive, they are both good for |
| slowly, using deep breathing as a technique to help | | | | healing as well as a person's long term health. |
| heal. One of the other advantages is that those | | | | They are non-invasive and do not require a |
| who are in the process of healing can do this | | | | person to take medication of any kind. Then |
| program, even if they are still in pain, because it is | | | | when the pain is gone either one is still good to |
| not stressful on the body. Tai Chi also encourages | | | | keep up for your overall physical wellbeing. |
| better posture through its exercises and we all | | | | |