Multiple sclerosis is a condition that causes muscle stiffness, weakness and sometimes physical disability. People don’t think that yoga can be of any help when they are suffering from multiple sclerosis because it’s an exercise that needs muscle flexibility and strength. However, yoga has become highly recommended to patients suffering from multiple sclerosis. When a person has multiple sclerosis, the immune system attacks the protection that covers the nerves in the spinal cord, brain and optic nerves. This damages the nerves and they are not able to send signals throughout the body. This means the muscles will not be functioning the way they are supposed to. This is why patients with multiple sclerosis experience pain, fatigue and muscle weakness. Damages from multiple sclerosis can also cause problems with vision and cognition.
Yoga involves the exercise of the mind and body. These days, yoga combines different poses with breath control. These postures expect you to stretch, twist and bend. When you concentrate on breathing while doing these postures, your mind is able to stay clear. When you are in a yoga class, there is an instructor who will guide you on the postures and breathing techniques. There are multiple benefits associated with yoga for multiple sclerosis patients.
One of the advantages of yoga for people with multiple sclerosis is that it helps manage stress. You will be meditating and exercising how to breathe, and this will help in relieving stress. This is very important because stress can negatively affect your life. An added advantage of yoga is that it keeps the heart safe. Patients of multiple sclerosis who do yoga are able to have a better quality of life. This is because yoga increases their blood flow, and it gets oxygen to all body parts. It also helps in relaxing the blood vessels. Yoga helps in reducing the workload on the heart, and this prevents heart failure. Cardiovascular disease can also be prevented through physical activity, breathing exercises and meditation.
An added advantage of yoga for multiple sclerosis is that it helps in improving balance. When your muscles are strong, you will enjoy improved posture and balance. Another benefit associated with yoga for multiple sclerosis is that it strengthens the muscles. To hold a yoga posture, you will need to ensure that the core muscles and the muscles in the upper and lower body to move. When you use muscles, you will be able to strengthen them.
Another benefit associated with yoga for multiple sclerosis is that it helps in managing depression and anxiety. The yoga students are taught how to control breathing, anxiety and maintain composure while posing. This can be of great help to multiple sclerosis patients because they can find calm when dealing with pain. Yoga is also great for people with multiple sclerosis because it enables them to stretch muscles. Multiple sclerosis patients have muscle spasticity. This means their muscles abnormally contract, and they have to deal involuntary muscle spasms. When the muscles are stretched, spasticity is minimized.