The rotator cuff is a group of tendons and muscles that support and move the shoulder. Tears in any members of this group can lead to pain and limited arm motion.
The discipline of yoga has applications in many fields, from sports medicine to geriatric rehabilitation. Recently, a study published in the journal Topics in Geriatric Rehabilitation found that a simple, yoga-based move helped elderly patients regain range of motion in their shoulders after experiencing rotator cuff injuries.
The rotator cuff is a group of tendons and muscles that support and move the shoulder. Tears in any members of this group can lead to pain and limited arm motion, especially in aging Americans.
Injuries to this area of the body are quite common and can lead to serious reductions in quality of life. Between 1998 and 2004, more than 5 million hospital visits were made in the U.S. due to rotator cuff tears, according to the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons (AAOS).
In the current study, the method of self-healing, called Triangular Forearm Support, involved placing the forearms on a wall, a chair or – in the case of advanced practitioners – on the floor during a headstand.
Researchers reported that the range of motion, in terms of flexion and abduction, typically doubled for patients given five sessions of the yoga-based treatment.
The AAOS states that non-invasive alternative treatments like this one have reduced the number of rotator cuff surgeries by 27 percent.
Related items
Tags: rotator cuff injury, self healing, yoga-based treatment
