Yoga x Chiropractic Care

Dr. Anita Russo discusses how chiropractic care and yoga can support each other.

As a chiropractor, I believe yoga is an amazing tool to keep the body strong, flexible and well balanced.

In fact, I often say to my yogi clients is that practicing an hour of yoga is kind of like a chiropractic adjustment that you do on your own. As the body moves through the asanas, anything that needs releasing and opening will do so. I have experienced this myself many times during yoga!

In saying this though, sometimes external assistance may be required to help you move through any resistance that is showing up in your practice. A chiropractic adjustment can transform your experience on the mat and here’s why:

Do you experience pain during practice?Pain in the body means there is tissue somewhere that is in trauma. It could be an inflamed joint or tendon, or a strained and tired muscle. Now perhaps it’s only in certain positions and angles that you feel it, and it may only be in yoga that it happens, but regardless if pain is stopping you from achieving certain postures then it could be time for a professional assessment and diagnosis.

Are you getting stuck with some postures?If you’ve been practicing yoga for some time and have improved in some postures but you still find others are difficult and unchanging, a chiropractic might be able to assist. Chiropractic treatment works to specifically detect areas of faulty movement in any joint, and deliver a quick stretch to that stiff joint, otherwise known as a ‘chiropractic adjustment’. This sometimes requires manipulation, and may make a popping sound, or it can be done in another ways too, without the crack. This has both mechanical and neurological benefits. Mechanically it introduces increased movement into the joint, thereby stretching surrounding ligaments and tendons, which physically creates more movement in the joint. From a neurological perspective it helps the brain reconnect to that stiff joint, it acts a reminder to the cerebellum, which is the part of your brain where things like balance and posture live, that the joint is there, and that it can move this way, and re-establishes that connection. This leads to greater awareness of that joint, better balance, posture, and usually a better functioning joint.

Do you feel more flexibility or strength on one side of your body?Some asymmetry in our bodies is to be expected. We are usually one side dominant which means everyone’s going to have a stronger side, and a tighter side. However, if you are finding there is a vast difference on each side of one posture, then maybe there’s a joint complex somewhere that could be improved with some chiropractic adjustments.

Get a deeper understanding of how your system works..When parts of our bodies feel tight, it often means they are compensating for a deeper weakness. If you’re interested to learn how your body is functioning and understand why you feel tightness in some areas and not others, comprehensive muscle testing with a chiro can give answers. And bring a new awareness to your practice as you know what exactly is weak and what you need to activate to strengthen.

Still feeling tense after class?I love Yin. I always walk out of class feeling like a new person and find the practice has so many benefits for tension. However, if you’re finding that you are still dealing with periods of tension in your neck, head and shoulders despite your yoga practice, maybe a chiropractic session can help. At Health Space, we offer integrative treatment, meaning that along with adjustments, we also use soft tissue massage, cranial releases - to reduce tension in the head and neck, and the jaw - kinesiology which can be amazing for stress, along with homeopathic and supplementation recommendations. Interested in chiropractic care? Health Space provides a range of treatments and services for different health conditions - from back pain, sports injury and performance to fertility and family health, stress management, insomnia, IBS and dietary issues. The clinic offers a holistic and integrated approach, considering the whole individual, not just the symptoms, and provides a bespoke treatment plan according to your needs.  Visit Dr. Anita and the rest of the Health Space team at the BodyMindLife Redfern yoga studio. Call 02 8354 1534 or go to www.healthspaceclinics.com.au for more information.