Coping with Psoriatic Arthritis

Hi everyone! My name is Michelle (or Mia – either one!) and I blog over at Desire Higher. Mary let me borrow her blog to talk about how yoga can assist with inflammation caused by psoriatic arthritis.

I must admit that I was not well-informed about psoriatic arthritis before talking to Mary and reading her blog. I did a little bit of research and found that yoga is recommended for many different types of chronic pain, including all types of arthritis. A consistent practice every day of about 15 to 20 minutes can both reduce pain by balancing the body’s muscles and, through focusing on meditative breathing, lessen pain. Kimberly Carson, a yoga therapist interviewed for Psoriasis Advance, says that when the body is in pain, it is almost instinctual to contract your muscles to try and ward it away, which can actually increase pain. Yoga serves as a way to “get movement back” into that contracting area. Sounds good to me!

Yoga has also proven time and time again to offer a myriad of other health benefits, from better sleep to lower blood pressure. If you want to lessen your pain from PsA as well as lower stress levels, yoga might be the right choice for you. First, remember to ask your doctor before beginning any new exercise routine.

If you are interested in trying out yoga, decide if you want to take classes or practice at home. Since you will likely need to modify the poses to better suit your body, a class might be a better starting point, especially if you are completely new to yoga. Search around and try to find an instructor who has taught others with chronic pain. At the very least, be sure to talk with the instructor before the class begins so they can make appropriate modifications for you throughout the class. Remember that you might not click with your first instructor. Don’t give up hope! You may need to try out a few different classes to see which type of yoga, instructor, and style is right for you.

An at-home practice can be used to replace or supplement a studio practice. If you are doing an at-home practice, you can follow online routines, DVDs, or even YouTube videos. Kimberly Carson included a series of arthritis-friendly poses in her article here. However, for safety reasons, Livestrong advises those with arthritis to be extremely careful about any backbend poses – such as camel, wheel and cobra – and hip opening poses, like butterfly and pigeon. If you are having a flare, then avoid poses that will further aggravate that part of your body. Above all, listen to your body. If you are in pain, do not continue a pose.

Overall, research has proven that yoga can be beneficial for those who suffer from any sort of chronic pain. If you are interested, give it a shot! It might be right for you or it might not be, but you never know until you try. At worst, you have tried something new, and at best, it could be an all-new part of your routine that prevents pain.