The Right Tool And Treatment For A Specific Occasion

When we came across this article in the New York Times (How Yoga Can Wreck Your Body) last week, we knew exactly what the article was all about. Upon hearing that yoga and pilates is good for their back, some people may choose to go for such classes rather than seek treatment. Don’t get us wrong, we think that yoga is fine. Rather, people tend to forgot that everything has its place and time, and often in the proper amounts.

“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. It may even be wrong.

Two Common Mistakes

Not Moving Along

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.

Jumping The Queue

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, remember that the practitioner that has the “right” tool nd treatment for every occassion.