In Focus: Yoga Therapy in Pain Care
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Spring 2016 a publication of The International Association of Yoga Therapists Yo g a T h e r a p y To d a y Volume 12, Issue 2, $5 In Focus: Yoga Therapy in Pain Care S Y TAR 2016 June 9–12, 2016 SYR 2016 Sept. 19–21, 2016 w w w. i a y t . o r g Yo g a T h e r a p y Today | Spring 2016 1 Yo g a T h e r a p y To d a y Editor’s Note PUBLISHER International Association of elcome to the second of Yoga Therapists our annual spring series EDITOR IN CHIEF Kelly Birch, E-RYT-500, PYT-500 WIn Focus issues in which LAYOUT/PRODUCTION Ken Wilson we investigate various health topics COPYEDITORS Lokiko Hall and Stephanie Shorter, PhD of interest to the yoga therapy com- Yoga Therapy Today is published in the spring, summer, and winter. munity. The topic of this issue is the role of yoga therapy in the manage- IAYT BOARD & MANAGEMENT ment of pain, in particular how yoga Dilip Sarkar, MD, FACS, CAP, President therapy can help our clients pro- Carrie E. Demers, MD, Vice President foundly change their relationship to Amy E. Wheeler, PhD, Secretary Eleanor Criswell, EdD, Treasurer their pain. Executive Director John Kepner, MA, MBA Advertising Manager Abby M. Geyer Pain is a major reason why people visit their healthcare Conference Manager Debra Krajewski providers and why they are frequently prescribed opioid medica- Accreditation Administrator Aggie Stewart, MA, E-RYT-500, CYT tions. As you will read in one of our Feature articles, opioids are Certification Manager Beth Whitney-Teeple, PhD, E-RYT 500 very effective in the short term but there is an epidemic of over- use. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently MISSION IAYT supports research and education in yoga, and serves as a issued guidelines to physicians for prescribing opiate medica- professional organization for yoga teachers and yoga therapists tions, recommending, in addition to nonnarcotic medications, worldwide. Our mission is to establish yoga as a recognized and what amount to lifestyle modifications. I believe this provides a respected therapy. tremendous opportunity for yoga therapists to offer healthcare providers an alternative support for their clients coping with pain. MEMBERSHIP IAYT membership is open to yoga practitioners, yoga teachers, yoga therapists, yoga researchers, and healthcare professionals It's important to understand that chronic pain differs from who utilize yoga in their practice. acute pain. The latter is short term (days to weeks), may be related to tissue damage or injury, and the use of asana may be MEMBER BENEFITS limited in helpfulness for many types of injury; however, other • Subscription to the International Journal of Yoga Therapy tools of yoga such as awareness of thoughts and feelings, medi- • Subscription to Yoga Therapy Today tation and pranayama, and the therapeutic relationship, can be • Access to IAYT’s research resources and digital library • Professional recognition through IAYT’s online listings very helpful. In my own bout with acute pain from a lower-back • Discounted registration at IAYT conferences injury, I found these to be profoundly supportive—especially reaching out to family to soothe my sense of isolation. No one CONTACT could feel my pain for me, yet they could feel my fear and hurt, IAYT and their love helped to soothe and to keep me connected. P.O. Box 251563 Little Rock, AR 72225 Phone: 928-541-0004 (M-F, 10AM – 4PM CST) The power of social connection is equally if not more appli- www.iayt.org • [email protected] cable to chronic pain, as you will read in these pages, given the interplay of the vagus nerves and neurotransmitters such as HOW TO SUBMIT TO YOGA THERAPY TODAY oxytocin in the experience of social isolation or connection. Writers In this issue, we focus mainly on chronic pain (more than a few Email a query or completed article to [email protected]. months). A recurrent theme is that chronic pain is not necessarily Yoga Therapy Today relies on submissions from the membership. an indicator of actual injury and that the experience, or “story,” of Please submit reports and articles on training, views and insights pain is influenced by a myriad of internal and external factors, relating to the field and profession of yoga therapy, as well as on integrative practices and business practices. Review author guide- particularly our beliefs about it. lines on the IAYT website/Publications/YTT. Articles are reviewed and accepted on a rolling basis and may be submitted at any time. Unfortunately, many people conclude that they are being Advertisers told the pain is “all in your head” and this can be profoundly For advertising rates and specifications, contact Abby Geyer at 702- alienating. Who would want to be told that their pain isn't real, 341-7334 (M–F, 9 AM–3 PM, PST) or [email protected]. when it is a huge factor in their life? However, what might sound Editorial decisions are made independently of advertising like the bad news is also the very good news: the perception of arrangements. pain can be changed through yoga therapy, even if the pain REPRINT POLICY doesn't go away. This message is repeated in the various arti- IAYT's reprint policy applies to all articles in the International Journal cles in this issue with great skill and compassion by all of our of Yoga Therapy and Yoga Therapy Today. Fee: $1 per copy per writers, to whom I am extremely grateful for coming through all article. The policy works on the honor system, e.g., if two articles the demands I put on them for this issue to bring you this wealth are copied for 25 students, please send IAYT a check for $50 and of information and inspiration on the complex story of pain. YTT note “for reprints” on the check. Questions? Email Debra Krajewski at [email protected]. In service, Kelly ENVIRONMENTAL STATEMENT This publication is printed using soy-based inks. The paper contains Cover photo: 30% recycled fiber. It is bleached without using chlorine and the Cover models: Nancy Huestis (left) and Robin Rothenberg (right) wood pulp is harvested from sustainable forests. Photo credit: Maren R. Aberle, First Track Photography www.firsttracksphotography.com [email protected] 2 Yo g a T h e r a p y Today | Spring 2016 w w w. i a y t . o r g TableOfContents Spring 2016 2 Editor’s Note Members News 8 4 Matra Raj Returns to IAYT Board, By John Kepner, MA, MBA, Executive Director IAYT 4 2016 IAYT Certification and Accreditation Committees 6 Call to Action: Building Bridges between Licensed Healthcare Practitioners and the IAYT 6 Thank You New Donors 6 Welcome New 2016 Member Schools 53 Responsible Self-Regulation: Comments on the Recently Published Yoga Alliance Position on Yoga Therapy By John Kepner, MA, MBA, Executive Director IAYT 8 Science for the Yoga Therapist The Story of Pain is Physiological By Stephanie M. Shorter, PhD 12 Feature Articles 12 Neurobiology of Pain By Neil Pearson, PT, MSc, BA-BPHE, CYT, E-RYT500 18 Living Well with Chronic Pain through Mindful Yoga By Jim Carson, PhD, and Kimberly Carson, PMH, E-RYT 22 Opioids and Yoga Therapy: What You Need to Know By Frederick R. Taylor, MD, FAAN, FAHS, and Matt Erb, PT 26 Personal Narrative Exploring Inner Space: Reducing Pain through Yoga Therapy 26 By Barbara Stowe 32 Professional Development Yoga Therapy as a Creative Inquiry into Pain and Suffering By Matthew J. Taylor, PT, PhD 34 Case Report Yoga Therapy for an Individual with Persistent Pain By Shelly Prosko, PT, PYT, CPI Yoga Therapy in Practice 40 Guidelines for Yoga Therapists Working with Clients for Pain Management By Lori Rubenstein Fazzio, DPT, PT, MAppSc, YTRX 46 46 Assembling the Pain Puzzle By Robin Rothenberg, CYT 48 How to Work with Knee Pain in Clients: Part 1 By Nicole DeAvilla, E-RYT 500, RPYT, RCYT 56 Review Overcome Pain with Gentle Yoga By Neil Pearson, PT, MSc, BA-BPHE, CYT, E-RYT500 and Shelly Prosko, PT, PYT, CPI Reviewed by Staffan Elgelid, PT, PhD Yo g a T h e r a p y Today | Spring 2016 3 MembersNews Matra Raj Returns to IAYT Accreditation and Certification the IAYT Board Committees 2016 Retreat By John Kepner, By John Kepner, IAYT Executive Director IAYT Executive Director The IAYT Accreditation and Certification Committees held a combined retreat in e are honored that Matra Raj, OT, March at the Redemptorist Renewal Center in Tucson, Arizona. I can personally attest ERYT-500, from Palo Alto, Cali- to the conscientious care, intelligence, and plain hard work on the part of members. Wfornia, has rejoined the IAYT This is peer review at its finest! One of the advantages of a combined retreat is that board. Matra is a graduate of the the standards set by these committees can be well integrated; in other fields, the Kaivalyadhama Yoga Institute, in Lonavla, accreditation and certification agencies may have little communication or coordination. India, as was her mother, and she brings When you see these volunteers at SYTAR or otherwise on the yoga path, I encourage a deep sense of yogic direction to our you to thank them for their selfless service to our field. YTT association's governance. She also brings extensive nonprofit governance experi- ence. Raj led our fundraising efforts that brought us back from the brink after the Great Recession of 2009, and she was instrumental in starting IAYT's annual audit, which we have published on our website since 2011.