Essay On Yoga Therapy

Summer, 2015

The Use of Yoga Therapy as a Complimentary Alternative Medicine Modern medical practice has dived into a new realm of treatment methods that goes beyond the use of medications and surgeries to treat patients. Complimentary alternative medicine (CAM) takes advantage of additional therapy procedures that complement conventional treatments. Recently, yoga therapy has become a very common method used to help people cope with stress and anxiety. This style of therapy directs attention to an individual’s posture, breathing techniques, and level of consciousness in order to attain physical and mental well-being. Today, medical professionals often recommend yoga as a means to help manage and limit the impact of high stress on

Our body utilizes the stress response to protect us from harm in certain situations. This response causes increased heart and lung functioning, muscle tension, and an increased metabolic rate (Potter, Perry, Stockert, & Hall, 2013, p. 646). While our bodies benefit from this condition under temporary circumstances, too much stress causes detrimental effects to one’s body by inhibiting the immune system. Likewise, increased anxiety has been linked with medical issues such as coronary heart disease and depression. On top of utilizing the recommended pharmacotherapy, many patients reported decreased levels of stress and anxiety following yoga therapy (Li & Goldsmith, 2012, p. 22). Unfortunately, a patient’s claim of the effectiveness of a specific CAM does not provide enough evidence to prove its

In order to prove yoga therapy as an effective and beneficial CAM, further research and controlled testing is absolutely essential. When supplemental to pharmacologic therapy, some studies suggest that yoga may decrease stress and anxiety (Li & Goldsmith, 2012, p. 33). Until further evidence becomes available, however, replacing conventional medical practice with yoga therapy poses significant risks to one’s health.

Conclusion

In conclusion, our knowledge of the benefits of this ancient Indian practice continues to expand daily. Although the AMA and health care companies do not recognize yoga therapy as a proven treatment, countless individuals swear by its effectiveness in lowering stress and anxiety levels. As time progresses, further testing and research into this field most likely prove what yoga advocates have been claiming all