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The Right Tool for a Specific Occassion

When we came across this article in the New York Times (How Yoga Can Wreck Your Body) last week,  we knew exactly what article was all about. Don’t get us wrong, we think that yoga is fine. But rather people tend to forgot that everything has its place and time, and often in the proper amounts.

Extreme Yoga Pose
click for larger view

“Yoga is for people in good physical condition. ” – Glenn Black

If you have been a regular reader of our articles, you will know that we strongly advocate understanding the situation first – what’s causing what, then only do we ‘treat’. And that treatment choices will change over time as we progress along the pain management pathways. One treatment technique that worked for you at the acute or painful stage of pain may not be very appropriate or even wrong when the pain has lessened to a more dull and persistent nature.

Two common mistakes – not moving along and jumping the queue

A common mistake made here is not progressing along the treatment pathways. An example is when someone continually seeks relief for a persistent problem instead of working to resolve the underlying problem. Popping pill is one such activity or repeated seeking massages for a recurrent muscle ache.

The second common mistake is skipping the next step in the treatment pathways, or sometimes, several steps. Some with persistent back problems may suddenly start doing yoga because they heard that it was good for the back muscles without a) understanding their underlying problem and b) they may not be in the best shape for the strain that yoga places. It is not unheard of for people to get worse after yoga or pilates.

In healthcare, beware the practitioner that has the “right” tool for every occassion.