A recent study was conducted on how yoga can actually assist in stroke rehabilitation. It was reported that the participants had improved balance and flexibility, a stronger and faster gait, and increased strength and endurance after an eight week program.

“Clinicians need methods to manage and improve these post-stroke physical impairments,” said Arlene Schmid, a rehabilitation research scientist at the Roudebush VA Medical Center and the lead author of the study. She adds that the loss of functional strength, flexibility, and endurance is usual after a stroke and this can potentially lead to long-term disability.

The yoga exercises that were used in the research displayed gains in functional strength, flexibility, and endurance as well as notable improvements in all areas. “The gait findings from our study have the potential to greatly impact clinical practice for gait recovery,” stated Tracy Dierks, an associate professor of physical therapy in the School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences. In fact, Arlene has also recommended yoga to be included in both in and out rehabilitation for patients recovering from a stroke.

As we can see, yoga is a very possible solution for stroke patients. However, not many doctors tend to recommend this to their patients. They still believe in their conventional treatments such as medications or other forms of therapy. The problem with such treatments and therapies are that they aren’t natural. Yoga is a natural form of exercise, which doesn’t require you to take any artificial ingredients. Medications are a form of drug and could possibly cause certain side effects in the long run. Furthermore, all these medications and therapies do not come cheap. Most of them are expensive and require you to return for routine check ups. Aside from that, all of these treatments have no guarantee that the patient will be able to recover. This is because medication only helps to combat the bacteria in your body. It doesn’t enable your body to become healthier, it is merely removing the harmful germs out of your body.

Yoga, on the other hand, is a form of exercise that keeps your body healthy. Regular exercise is crucial in determining the health of an individual. If it has been proven that practicing yoga is capable of preventing and curing conditions like stroke, then why shouldn’t you try it at an early stage rather than as a last resort? Even if you are in the pink of health, you will be happy to know that yoga has so many other benefits to offer. OMG Yoga believes that yoga is for everyone and we want to let Singaporeans experience the joy of it. For more information on our available classes, check us out at our website.