Yoga for Arthritis: The Complete Guide

by Loren Fishman, Ellen Saltonstall

A comprehensive, user-friendly medical yoga program designed for management and prevention of arthritis. Arthritis restricts movement; yoga increases range of motion: these two were made for each other. Arthritis is the leading cause of disability in this country, limiting everyday activities for more than seven million Americans. Drugs, surgeries, and steroids can alleviate some of the discomforts, but study after study has shown that exercise is most beneficial to most forms of arthritis, specifically low-impact, flexibility-enhancing exercises―hence, yoga. In this comprehensive and thoroughly illustrated guide, Loren Fishman and Ellen Saltonstall, who between them have seven decades of clinical experience, help readers understand arthritis and give a spectrum of exercises for beginners and experts. Broken down into chapters focusing on each major joint, there are 100 classical yoga poses and numerous imaginative and physiologically sound adapted poses, all with step-by-step instructions and easy-to-follow photo demonstrations. The authors welcome readers into the philosophy and principles of yoga and show how to use yoga to find lasting relief from arthritis. 400+ illustrations

Genres: Nonfiction, Health, Self Help, Fitness, Medical

336 pages, Paperback

First published February 26, 2008

About the author

Loren Fishman, MD, is a professor at the Columbia College of Physicians and Surgeons and lives in New York City. "

Reviews

[Marie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Looking for an exercise program that is flexible and doesn't instill disappointment or frustration?

The best exercise advice that I have ever read is the following:

Decide for yourself how long you want to hold the pose, and do not obsess about the timing, your body will tell you.

Do NOT count.

[Dedra · Rating 4 out of 5]

An excellent resource for those w/ arthritis and yoga teachers wanting to help their students with arthritis. Someone new to yoga, though, cannot start with this book. I'd recommend getting some guidance from an experiences yoga teacher before soon any of the asana alone at home.

The information on ankylosing spondylitis, though, is completely out of date and posits ideas about AS that no longer apply, and may have been breaking down in 2008 when the book was published. AS is not "[l]argely a disease of young men" in which "thoracic spine-rib joints and the vertebra-vertebra joints generally fuse in the late teens to early twenties." Fusing is not a tool of diagnosis and is not guaranteed at any age. AS is painful, progressive, under-diagnosed and undertreated, especially because too many doctors still think it's a "man's disease." It's not.

[Kulthoum كلثوم · Rating 3 out of 5]

Arthritis and yoga fit,like the lock and the key,the illness and the antidote. Arthritis restricts movement, yoga increase range of motion. ..these two are made for each other
.
جذبني عنوانه الموجه للمصابين بالالتهاب المفاصل.و لطالما ارتبطت اليوغا بذهننا بشعائر دينية،و عرفت كرياضة هادئة تمنح ممارسيها الرشاقة و القوة في آن. و بين الدين و العلم هناك من يتخذها نمط حياة بجانب التغذية السليمة
في بدايتي مع المرض -بداية التسعينيات - لم يكن معروفا لي أهميتها و لا أساتذتها في الكويت على عكس اليوم ،أرغب حقا في معرفة انطباع المرضى الممارسين لها و تأثيرها على  أنشطتهم اليومية ،من قراءتي له و من وجهة نظري تصلح و تكون ذو تأثير فعال للمصابين بالروماتويد في مراحله اﻷولى و لا أعلم كيف تكون كذلك بالنسبة لمن أصابهم اﻹعاقة في مراحله المتقدمة ،به الكثير من النقاط المهمة بشأن التمارين بشكل عام و اليوغا بشكل خاص
الفصل الأول من الكتاب تعريف ﻷكثر الأمراض شيوعا و التي تصيب الجهاز الحركي مثلا التهاب المفاصل العظمي الذي يصيب كبار السن عادة و الروماتويد و انحلال العمود الفقري و النقرس ..إلخ..و أيضا توضيح لميكانيكية حركة المفاصل السليمة مقارنة بالمصابة منها
الفصل الثاني و الثالث يعطي نبذة تاريخية و فلسفية عن اليوغا و منافعها على النفس و الجسد
أما الرابع و ما يليه توضيح لوضعيات اليوغا لمختلف أعضاء الجسم و يختمها بالمصادر من الكتب و مواقع اليوغا على الشبكة كعادة الكتب اﻷجنبية .

[Leigh Anne · Rating 5 out of 5]

On my B&N to-purchase list. Has really helped me keep the knee / shoulder pain in check.

[Helen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is very comprehensive, easy to understand and well-written. The sections of this book focuses on each body part the yoga poses are going to affect the most, describing each body part in a scientific way before telling you why the poses from that particular section is going to help that particular body part. The exercises come with real pictures of the practitioners, which allow you to see the positions clearly and each exercise is explained step by step. Not only that, the book also notes easier and harder variations of each pose (asana) so that you can adjust the difficulty accordingly. And for each exercise there's a noted list of arthritides so that the reader knows to avoid that particular exercise if they're suffering from at least one form of those arthritides, which is TREMENDOUSLY helpful because some exercises can help one of your conditions but aggravate another condition's symptoms. Fitness is not a one-size fits all and it's especially true for people with chronic conditions like arthritis so I find this sort of book very helpful.

[Jeremiah · Rating 4 out of 5]

a comprehensive guide to basic yoga poses and modifications that support people with arthritis.

the book also covers scoliosis and spondylitis

the book provides an antroduction to the principles of anusura yoga which look pretty good. however the developer of this type of yoga named John Friend admitted to sexual harassment and other improprieties...so it leaves a gap for what might be considered a good principle developed by an unethical teacher.

although the book is focused on arthritis the prompts and cues provided a great a synopsis on the full expression of each asana.

[Jessi Waugh · Rating 3 out of 5]

The information on arthritis in this book is thorough and well-explained. The yoga section is ok, could have a better format I think

[ALIZA Rich Fuhrman · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have Lupus/ Arthritis, and I love yoga- definitely harder since my diagnosis and with joint pain. This book is really helpful with a approach to doing yoga to accommodate poses and treat your body with gentle care. Made me excited to continue my practice.

[Margaret Gerberding · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great book if you have arthritis and want to still do yoga. I have found many good poses I can do. This book has great pictures, and is easy to follow.

[Brad Mundy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good description of why you would do each routine, in addition to detailed information on how to do it.

[Keith · Rating 5 out of 5]

A delightful book that instead of just giving a prescription, gives the background information needed for deeper understanding. Not only the how, but background into the area that this pose "treats", but each chapter starts with an explanation about the area of the body being "treated." Variations are shown for those unable to attain the full pose.

Of particular interest are comments on conventional scoliosis treatments, and the success that they have had treating scoliosis by strengthening the convex side.

Highly recommended, even if Arthritis is a foreign word to you.

[AnandaTashie · Rating 4 out of 5]

An overview of how yoga can positively impact arthritis, plus chapters for each section of the body (well organized). The poses are illustrated with detailed instructions. I don't actually have arthritis, but I do have some joint issues. While I learn best with printed material many times, that's not usually the case with exercises. If I didn't lean strongly toward dvds, this would be one I'd purchase. Instead, I'm just taking a couple of the poses from it to implement into my routine.

[Jennifer Parkin-izatt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fabulous!!!!

[Cherie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lots of specific info on how to tailor yoga classes to people with arthritis.

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good book , like the Doc's perspective