Yoga vs Modern Medicine - A Comparative Analysis

Introduction

Yoga and modern medicine are complementary rather than competing approaches. They work together to offer us complete health care. Yoga offers services in terms of prevention, promotion, and rehabilitative ways, in addition to numerous management approaches to handle current ailments. At the same time, modern medicine has much to give humanity in treating and managing acute illnesses and emergency circumstances. The ideal fusion of contemporary technology and traditional medicine may be required for the world of conventional medicine to become unalterable. Yoga effectively treats many diseases; therefore, it may be considered a kind of exercise, meditation, and medicine. The National Institute of Health describes medical yoga as "the application of yoga activities for the treatment and prevention of medical disorders."

What Is Yoga Therapy?

There is no doubt that yoga offers therapeutic advantages in helping individuals manage their stress, anxiety, depression, and a wide range of other mental ailments. Regular yoga practice can frequently fully resolve such crippling problems. Yoga is a "modern miracle" for people with various medical ailments because of its physical side effects, which make this ancient practice so effective. According to studies, medical yoga treatment improves and regulates blood sugar levels and musculoskeletal disorders and helps maintain a healthy cardiovascular system. All the elements of yoga that one would anticipate from any other yoga practice are included in medical treatment yoga, including asanas, breathing exercises, and meditation. However, it goes far beyond that.

What Is the Difference Between Yoga and Modern Medicine?

• Yoga and modern medicine both have a rational and scientific foundation; therefore, they are intended to interact.

• Their combination can provide people with comprehensive healthcare that addresses the population's mental and psychosomatic health needs.

• Yoga offers services in terms of prevention, promotion, and rehabilitative ways, in addition to numerous management approaches to handle current ailments.

• While modern medicine has much to give humanity in its treatment and management of acute illnesses and emergency circumstances.

• Modern medicine is purely physical and focused on the body. The foundation of management is drugs.

• On the other hand, yoga is a comprehensive approach to the combined growth of the physical, mental, and spiritual self.

• The need for mental relaxation for a healthy body and mind has been acknowledged by modern medicine.

• The body and mind are strengthened, quieted, and relaxed through yoga.

• Modern medicine may benefit from using yoga as a great tool for boosting wellness.

• Through better psycho-immuno-neuro-endocrine system function, yoga practice promotes the effective functioning of the body with balance.

• Chronic degenerative, aging, and lifestyle problems, which are the misery of modern civilization, cannot be treated effectively by modern medicine alone.

• Several physiotherapy techniques are quite similar to yoga techniques.

• Thus, there is an essential need to promote yoga as an alternative to current medical treatment.

• Yoga helps with more than only managing and preventing conditions, including diabetes, high blood pressure, menstrual irregularities, heart disease, and hormonal imbalances.

• It promotes helping patients achieve a state of well-being where they can appreciate the root cause of their illnesses.

• When people understand it for themselves, they are better equipped to take preventative action to stop their sicknesses from returning or developing new ones.

• A customized approach to treatment is medical yoga therapy. This indicates that it includes more than simply physical asana, breathing, and meditation techniques.

• The therapy plan considers a patient's family, workplace, social network, and cultural background.

• Yoga by itself is not the greatest treatment. A patient's doctor will determine whether different therapies besides medical yoga therapy are required.

• Regular yoga practice can benefit a variety of medical ailments, but the disorders like heart disease, diabetes, and arthritis respond particularly well to medical yoga treatment.

• Yoga stimulates the system of nerves that helps the body unwind after stressful or dangerous times (parasympathetic nervous system), balancing the part of the peripheral nervous system that controls several physiological functions, such as heart rate, blood pressure, breathing, digestion, and sexual arousal (autonomic nervous system).

• Yoga causes the parasympathetic nerve system, sometimes known as the "rest and digest" system, to become active, lowering blood pressure and releasing endorphins.

• The blood vessels enlarge, resulting in improved circulation and increased nutrition delivery to the organs.

• People might avoid more expensive medical treatments by doing yoga.

• There is reason to think that in the future, even if one has a long way from doctors recommending yoga instead of drugs, it may be an option.

What Are the Benefits of Medical Yoga Therapy?

Regular yoga practice can benefit a variety of medical conditions, but the following conditions respond particularly well to medical yoga treatment:

1. Diabetes: Yoga lowers fasting insulin (a hormone produced by the pancreas and regulates the glucose level in the blood at any particular time), bringing the insulin-to-glucose ratio back to normal. Additionally, it improves circulation, reducing disease-related nerve damage.

2. Hypertension: Yoga's numerous breathing exercises and meditation help to reduce stress, tension, and physical discomfort in different parts of the body, all of which can be significant factors in high blood pressure.

3. Heart Disease: For those with atrial fibrillation (an irregular and frequently very fast heartbeat that can cause cardiac blood clots), high cholesterol, or both, yoga is a helpful lifestyle modification that reduces body composition.

4. Arthritis: Yoga increases strength and flexibility and also helps in easing arthritis symptoms as well as chronic back, knee, and neck discomfort.

What Are the Side Effects of Medical Yoga Therapy?

However, some people could also have some unfavorable side effects, just as with other physical activity. While for most people, the benefits of yoga practice far exceed the drawbacks, it is necessary to consider both sides:

1. Aggravation of High Blood Pressure: Other factors that might raise blood pressure include forced breathing and inversion poses. Certain advanced yoga techniques, such as a breath of fire, might not be appropriate for one with hypertension.

2. Back Injury: Too severe forward folds might aggravate the back's vulnerable discs, especially those in the lumbar spine (lower back). An extreme rounding motion or pushing oneself too hard before warm-up is two ways one might harm the spine.

3. Muscle Strain: When one pushes over the body's boundaries and disregards its warning signals, it will increase the risk of overstretching. Instead of feeling intense strain or tugging, stretch until sensing a slight pull.

Conclusion

The practice of medical yoga therapy is a personalized method of treatment. This indicates that it includes more than simply physical asana, breathing, and meditation techniques. The therapy plan considers a patient's family, workplace, social network, and cultural background. Yoga by itself might not be the greatest treatment. It should not replace medicine, for instance, in people with extremely high blood pressure. It should not be substituted for psychological therapies in people with severe depression and suicidal thoughts.