Homeopathy helps a “pain in the neck”
by Shura Avaloff

My neck is a problem for me because I have a mild scoliosis*—that is, my spine has an s-curve in it, something I may have inherited from my mother. It’s not noticeable as I go about my daily life, but because my spine isn’t perfectly straight (one part of the s-curve lies between my shoulder blades and the other at the vertebrae of the neck) some yoga poses are a challenge. If I don’t do shoulder stands correctly, for example, I overstretch my neck, which is incredibly painful. I tend to overdo everything in my life and this tendency extends to my yoga poses! So, unfortunately, I have strained my neck on countless occasions.

The pain in my neck from this strain is severe, and then terrible headaches begin within a day of the injury. My head hurts the worst first thing in the morning, and all the muscles of my back are so tense and shrunken that I feel like the creaking Tin Man of Oz. I guess it’s because I’ve been lying in one position during the night.

Getting into a long hot shower and doing very gentle neck rolls helps my neck and head temporarily. The pains are better when I keep my body moving, but gently so—nothing vigorous or harsh!

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Stay safe and healthy with homeopathy
by Judyth Reichenberg-Ullman, ND, DHANP, LCSW

I love yoga! I first began my yoga practice in 1971—thirty-seven years ago. I taught yoga briefly, but what I most enjoy is attending a great class with a knowledgeable, experienced instructor. Having been around the block with various styles of yoga, my current preference is Vinyasa or Flow Yoga. But there are so many different types of classes available, now that yoga has become a household word in the U.S., that you’re sure to find one to suit your own style.

In case you didn’t know, the word “yoga” comes from Sanskrit and means “union”—union of the body, mind, and spirit. The original yogis in India mastered yoga in order to gain control over their bodies, to enable them to sit still in meditation for prolonged periods. Many of the postures or asanas were derived from the yogis’ observations of animals moving naturally—hence, we have poses such as Cobra, Cat, Cow, Lion, Swan, Crow, Monkey, Fish, and even Firefly and Dead Bug (also known as Joyful Baby!). The health benefits of yoga include improvements in strength, flexibility, balance, breath control, blood pressure, and cardiovascular functioning; relief of stress, musculoskeletal pain, asthma, digestive concerns, and many other problems; and perhaps even rejuvenation and improved longevity.

Too much of a good thing

Now that yoga has become mainstream and big business, the increased number of classes and practitioners has been accompanied by a significant rise in the number of injuries. A Consumer Product Safety Commission report documents 3,700 yoga-related injuries treated in medical clinics and emergency rooms in 2004, and 5000 injuries in 2005, adding up to an expense of around 90 million dollars. The most common problems include repetitive stress injuries and overstretching of the neck, shoulders, back, knees, and legs resulting in muscle strain, torn ligaments, or, occasionally, more serious damage.

Approximately 85% of fitness centers in North America offered yoga classes in 2002. Although yoga instructors and schools are not formally regulated, the Yoga Alliance, formed in 1999 has set a minimum standard of 200 hours of training for instructors to attain certification. Nevertheless, in 2005 only about 16,000 of the 70,000 instructors in the U.S. were certified.

Injuries often occur when students push themselves too hard too quickly to do postures beyond their level of ability. Overzealous, under-skilled instructors who have little personal experience with the postures they are teaching can contribute to the problem. Particularly in health club environments, competition, though the antithesis of traditional yoga practice, may literally push students into positions for which their bodies are not prepared.

Injuries are especially likely when yoga practice is undertaken sporadically rather than on a regular basis. When I first began practicing yoga in my twenties, I mostly attended weekend yoga workshops and was able to soothe my aching muscles, laden undoubtedly with excess lactic acid, by taking an Epsom salt bath. But I’ll never forget one particular incident when a combination of sporadic yoga practice, my natural flexibility, and a long-time propensity to push myself beyond my limits led to an excruciating injury that required more than a simple Epsom salt bath.

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