Because chiropractic care and yoga both focus on increasing your range of motion, it makes sense that they have not only some goals but also some methods in common. For example, exercises assigned by your chiropractor often include stretching, which is one of the main components of yoga poses. But you may be wondering whether these two aspects of your life can truly work together or whether they'll inevitably clash. Here are three ways that yoga can actually work with your chiropractic adjustment to complement its effect on your health.
1. Releasing tension
Carrying excess tension in your posture as you go about your work each day is a sure way to put yourself in need of a chiropractic adjustment. The tightness can cause sore muscles and decrease your range of motion, which is why chiropractors often recommend that you perform stretches to release stress in areas where you tend to accumulate tension. Yoga is a great way to systematically release tension by combining deep breathing with stretches that can relax your muscles. The mental component of yoga can also help to relax your mind, which can help you avoid tensing your muscles back up as soon as you stop stretching them.
2. Increasing flexibility
Sometimes if a patient has used bad posture for a long time until it's completely ingrained, his or her flexibility will be so diminished that a chiropractor will have to assign stretching exercises as a part of treatment or even before treatment can take place. If you regularly perform stretches, such as those found in yoga, they can not only diminish your chances of causing yourself an injury by carrying too much tension in your muscles; they can also help the chiropractor more easily treat any problems you do develop.
3. Strengthening muscles and joints and ligaments
If your chiropractor puts your spine back into alignment but you don't have the muscle tone necessary to keep it there, you might have to get the adjustment re-done very frequently. Keeping your muscles not only flexible but also strong can improve the results you get from a chiropractic treatment. Yoga poses take more strength than you might think, and they help you build up your body strength holistically, increasing the strength of joints and ligaments as well as muscles.
These three examples show how yoga can work in tandem with chiropractic care to keep you healthier and help you recover from any potential injuries more easily. Remember that when you're recovering from a serious injury, though, you may need to allow the injured part of your body to rest. If you do suffer an injury, ask your chiropractor for advice on whether it will affect your normal yoga routine.
