A guide to yoga therapy for post-stroke rehabilitation, this book is for yoga teachers and yoga therapists, but also for occupational, recreational, physical and speech therapists who work with people with stroke and may integrate yoga into their practice. Rooted in evidence-based research and written by two yoga teachers who are also academics and researchers in rehabilitation, the book provides basic information about stroke and neuroplasticity, discusses the mind body disconnect that often occurs after stroke, and provides instruction on how to improve balance, strength and range of motion. It also covers effective meditation techniques to help overcome the stress and emotional impact of stroke. Clear photographs demonstrate yoga postures and activities specifically adapted for stroke patients, alongside case studies.

Stroke is a sudden and devastating medical condition. People who experience a stroke tend to have long-term physical limitations including impaired walking as part of the ongoing consequences of stroke. While a variety of rehabilitation interventions have demonstrated efficacy for improving walking after stroke, none of the interventions have emerged as superior, and prior to this study, therapeutic-yoga had not been tested as an intervention to improve walking recovery after stroke. METHODS: This study was a secondary data analysis of group therapeutic-yoga on walking recovery measures including walking speed, walking distance, and spatiotemporal step parameter symmetry. The walking recovery measures were collected as secondary outcomes in a sub-sample (n=12) in a pilot randomized controlled study (n=47) designed to test the efficacy of 8-weeks of group therapeutic-yoga on balance and fear of falling. Participants in the current study completed 12-weeks of group therapeutic yoga with outcome assessments at baseline, 8-weeks, and 12-weeks. The main analysis was repeated measures ANOVA to assess the main effect of time with additional analyses including effect sizes, percent of participants achieving change greater than or equal to minimal detectable change (MDC), and mean change score comparisons between baseline and 8-weeks, 8-weeks and 12-weeks, and baseline and 12-weeks. RESULTS: Twelve people with chronic stroke enrolled in the study with 9 completing the intervention and all 3 assessments. No significant main effect of time was found on any of the variables of interest. Walking distance demonstrated a trend toward significant change (p=0.064) and step length symmetry demonstrated significant change (p=0.05) between baseline and 12-weeks. Several spatiotemporal step parameter symmetry ratios demonstrated small to medium effect sizes with the majority (91%) being a negative effect. CONCLUSION: Twelve weeks of group therapeutic-yoga appears to be feasible in a population of people with chronic stroke. Walking distance and step parameter symmetry should be tested in a larger sample. An improved understanding of the impact, progression, and remediation of walking asymmetry is needed.

"This project was developed based on the need for change in the treatment of chronic stroke. The poor stroke outcomes of physical and emotional disabilities plague the lives of stroke survivors and their families. The current healthcare system is not well equipped to handle these stroke related issues or the resulting rise in healthcare costs. Yoga has been identified as a cost-effective intervention successful in improving the outcomes of chronic stroke patients by improving patient mood, language, social interaction, and physical disabilities. After six weeks of yoga intervention, participants had improved outcomes resulting in improved patient satisfaction. The improved outcomes related to mobility, balance and other disabilities may contribute to a considerable reduction in readmissions and use of home health aide hours. This project supports the current literature that recommends a change in how we treat chronic stroke patients and may influence current policy on insurance reimbursement for yoga services. Key words: Yoga and Stroke Rehabilitation " -- Abstract

For yoga to be used safely as medicine and to meet the needs of today's society, yoga postures should evolve by embracing the current evidence base. Medical Therapeutic Yoga provides this evolution. * This book serves as a modern, non-dogmatic, evidence-based guide to yoga posture and breath prescription based on the most current biomechanical and neurophysiological theory and common mechanisms of injury. * Medical Therapeutic Yoga covers injury prevention and wellness, clinical evaluation and diagnosis, treatment and rehabilitation, and organizational and professional health and well-being. * The book applies yoga as medicine for physical therapy, occupational therapy, athletic training, sports medicine, pain management, and physical and rehabilitative medicine. * Evolution of the postures and breath techniques, via the evidence-based precepts presented in the book, will provide a patient-centered biopsychosocial model of assessment through the lens of integrative medicine and orthopaedics. * Medical Therapeutic Yoga brings a large body of work, known as medical therapeutic yoga, to health care professionals, making provision for safe and relevant application of yoga postures as medicine. * The book is accompanied by an online reference of photographic sequences for medical yoga program planning and prescription. This book will be invaluable for health care professionals, yoga therapists, and yoga teachers, including but not limited to: * physical therapy and manual therapy * chiropractic * osteopathy and orthopaedics * physical and rehabilitative medicine * occupational therapy * athletic training * massage therapy

Subtle Stroke: The Soft, Subtle, Spiritual Awakening of Stroke Recovery provides a closer look at the depth of stroke and as well as a non-Western approach to healing, using more natural methods for those on a stroke recovery journey, with an emphasis on yoga. Subtle Stroke helps readers unlock their true potential, activate the chakras, and step into their own power after a life-altering brain injury.

Yoga is more popular now than ever. The benefits are recognized worldwide, and athletes and therapists rely on the practice. Yet its appeal is as varied as those who practice it. Regardless of your activity level and fitness background, yoga is truly for you. Yoga Therapy: A Personalized Approach for Your Active Lifestyle will help you see your daily activities in a new light by giving you a new understanding of movement. Whether playing sports or exercising for fitness, you’ll recognize your movement and identify the poses to make them more efficient. With detailed instructions and photos, you’ll be guided through the exercises, breathing, and visualization techniques to improve your physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual health. Comprehensive and accessible, Yoga Therapy demonstrates the most effective poses for mobility, strength, recovery, and balance as well as techniques to aid relaxation and help with stress management. No matter your age, experience, or desired goal, Yoga Therapy will empower you to create personalized approaches that are as unique as you are and learn how to adapt your practice to your changing needs and goals throughout life.

The massive growth in the popularity of yoga as a form of exercise and as a method of maintaining whole-body wellness has led to thousands of published research studies confirming what yoga practitioners already know: Yoga relieves stress, improves mental and emotional health, enhances sleep, relieves low back pain and neck pain, promotes weight loss, and even enables smoking cessation. Further study has proven that yoga helps individuals with disabilities improve their functional activities of daily living, recover from injuries, gain mobility, experience less pain, and manage anxiety and depressive symptoms. Adaptive Yoga takes these studies out of the research labs and onto the yoga mat to empower individuals with disabilities or chronic health conditions to create an effective and safe yoga practice. If you work with these special populations as a yoga teacher or rehabilitative therapist, you will find guidance and recommended poses for some of the most common conditions and disabilities, including these: Low back pain Hip, knee, and rheumatoid arthritis Spinal cord injury Stroke Cerebral palsy Lower limb amputation Parkinson’s disease Multiple sclerosis Each pose is presented in detail so you fully understand how it helps the student improve functionality. The text instructs the reader on how to enter, hold, and exit the pose safely, as well as why the pose is beneficial for that condition. When appropriate, contraindications are presented so the yoga practice can be tailored to address any additional conditions or limitations. Challenge variations and restorative modifications for many poses make further individualization possible. In Adaptive Yoga, authors Ingrid Yang, MD, and Kyle Fahey, DPT, have combined their extensive backgrounds in yoga, medicine, and physical therapy with their unique insights and passion for movement and rehabilitation to present an essential guide for helping those with chronic conditions experience the countless physical and mental benefits of yoga practice.