Yoga For Healthy Aging: Friday Q&A: Talking to Your Doctor

Family Doctor by Grant Wood*

Q: I’ve read on your blog and heard elsewhere that if you have a medical condition or injury, you should “talk to your doctor” before practicing yoga so you know what movements you should and should not being doing. But from my experience, many doctors and even some physical therapists have no idea which physical movements yoga can include (they often just think of it as mild stretching or relaxing). I’m pretty sure it doesn’t even occur to them that I might be going upside down or twisting myself into pretzel-like positions! So I’m wondering, when I’m talking to my doctor, which questions should I be asking?

A: You’ve made a very important point. It is true that medical professionals who are unfamiliar with yoga often don’t realize the range of movements we will typically make in a well-rounded practice. So, yes, if you have had a surgery, or if you have a medical condition or an injury, you should explicitly ask your doctor or physical therapist which physical actions are safe for you and which are not safe. I recommend that, depending on which health issue you’re dealing with, you should ask all of the questions below that are relevant. (You might even want to take notes!)

Can I go upside down?
Can I round my spine forward, backwards, or side to side?
Can I twist my spine?
Can I cross my legs?
Can I put pressure on this or that part of my body, such as my knees or wrists?
Can I stand on one leg?
Can I practice in bare feet?
Is my recovery from a serious illness like cancer at a place where I can safely increase my physical activity?
Is it safe for me to do a vigorous practice where I am sweating and exerting myself? Is it OK for me to hold standing poses for long periods of time that require endurance and strength?
Is it all right to stretch an injured tendon, ligament or muscle now?
Would any of the medicine I am taking interfere with my practicing-by making me dizzy, unfocused, distracted, off balance or sleepy?
If I am recovering from a contagious illness, am at risk of spreading my illness by attending a public class?
How long should I wait before returning to class or home practice? After surgery, how long do I wait before it is safe to stretch the area where my incision or scar is? If I have had a joint replacement or repair, such as a hip or knee, is there a limit to my range of motion in certain directions that I should honor?

Obviously, depending on which health issue you are dealing with, there could be many other questions that you may want to ask you doctor. The Mayo Clinic website has a separate section called “Preparing for your appointment” for each illness, disease or condition they cover on the site. In this section, they provide examples of questions to ask your doctor at your first appointment. This could be a useful resource to look at as you prepare questions regarding your yoga practice for your own doc regarding what is going on with you.

—Baxter

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