Give Yoga a Try

Hi:

I'm a Newbie to Creaky Joints but not a Newbie to Arthritis.  I have JRA since age 4 and am now 37.  Here is a link to an article I wrote for my Yoga Studio's newsletter.  I hope it inspires people to give yoga a chance.  It took me a while to realize how great it was for my joints.

Enjoy:

http://www.yogainstitute.com/Yoga%20Institute%20Newsletter/2008/Summer/CreatingCommunity.html

Namaste,

Sofia

Sofia,

Welcome to Creaky and thanks for the link.  I do yoga when I can (usually when not in too much pain). It does help though with extremely weak wrists, elbows and ankles some of the positions are difficult for me.  But I try anyway.

Tess

I like yoga too- when I first got sick I lost my range of motion for a while (couldn't get my hands behind my back or anything) and it really scared me, so now I do a lot of stuff to make sure I maintain it. It does hurt my wrists a lot though, I try to adapt it but its hard. Although, I think it was Tess who recently posted a link about yoga (I think?) and it mentioned that you could adapt it by doing any pose upsidedown (like, lying on your back), which had never occurred to me!

Previously TessaD wrote:

Sofia,

Welcome to Creaky and thanks for the link.  I do yoga when I can (usually when not in too much pain). It does help though with extremely weak wrists, elbows and ankles some of the positions are difficult for me.  But I try anyway.

 

Tess

Hi Tess

Try doing yoga on your forearms.  This is a good way to avoid the wrist pain.  It took me 3 years to figure this out.  This is how I do downward dog and other poses.

Sofia

Previously wrote:

I like yoga too- when I first got sick I lost my range of motion for a while (couldn't get my hands behind my back or anything) and it really scared me, so now I do a lot of stuff to make sure I maintain it. It does hurt my wrists a lot though, I try to adapt it but its hard. Although, I think it was Tess who recently posted a link about yoga (I think?) and it mentioned that you could adapt it by doing any pose upsidedown (like, lying on your back), which had never occurred to me!

Hi Kate

Wrists are a huge issue wth yoga.  Try your forearms.  Also, a strap is great when you cant reach behind your back.

Oh, the forearms! that is better than any of the things I have been trying, thanks!

I can reach behind my back now, thanks to Humira + years of stretching and range of motion exercises. But, those months when I couldn't really scared me so now I'm extra vigalant about moving my body in every direction whenever I can!

Thanks for the tip; Like Kate I am saying to myself Oh yea the forearms!!!