Acta Salus Vitae, Vol 5, No 1 (2017) http://actasalusvitae.palestra.cz ISSN 1805-8787 [email protected] YOGA ASANAS: INDICATIONS AND CONTRAINDICATIONS FOR USING IN PREVENTION AND TREATMENT OF POSTURAL DEFORMITIES Tijana PURENOVIĆ – IVANOVIĆ Abstract: Modern civilisation, thanks to technology development, provides very comfortable and easy living – life without huge physical efforts, i.e. sedentary life. The consequences are numerous, and the biggest problem is our health that suffers the most. One of many health problems, which can be seen by naked eye, is poor or irregular body posture. Irregular body posture can transfer to more complex stage – fixed postural deformity, but only if one doesn’t react on time. Today we can speak about high incidence of postural abnormalities. Based on the concept that postural abnormalities cause pain and injury, postural education and correction have been used as treatment approaches for alleviating pain. Poor posture can be treated in many ways, and one of it is Yoga. That’s why the aim of this research is determinate - which Yoga exercises can be used for prevention and treatment of the postural abnormalities. Keywords: Sedentary life style, irregular body posture, pain, yoga education INTRODUCTION muscular effort to maintain. Attempts were made to define ideal posture by alignment The health-related benefits of physical of significant landmarks such as the activity have been researched and proven acromial process or the malleolus or by on a number of occasions over the past general body positions such as an upright thirty years. Despite this large quantity of position with non-exaggerated back curves, evidence, much of society remains but there was little standardization of sedentary. Research needs to focus on methods of measuring posture. children and adolescents because many Nowadays proper posture is still lifestyle habits are established in the believed to be a state of musculoskeletal younger years (Rehor, Kornatovska, 2013). balance that involves a minimal amount of Postural education and assessments are a stress or strain to the body. A standard for part of physical therapy education and normal alignment as described by Kendall clinical practice. The importance of normal and McCreary (according to Griegel– upright posture has been proposed since Morris et al., 1992) is frequently used by the early 1900s when it was described as a physical therapists. The points of reference state of balance requiring minimal consisting of the lobe of the ear, the 45 Acta Salus Vitae, Vol 5, No 1 (2017) http://actasalusvitae.palestra.cz ISSN 1805-8787 [email protected] seventh cervical vertebra, the acromial for some musculoskeletal problems process, the greater trochanter, just anterior (Garfinkel and Schumacher, 2000; to midline of the knee, and slightly anterior according to Raub, 2002; Luskin et al., to the lateral malleolus form a theoretical 2000: according to Raub, 2002). line around which the body is balanced in Yoga asanas are certain special pattern perfect skeletal alignment, yielding equal of postures that stabilize the mind and weight distribution and maximum joint body. Their aim is to establish proper stability. rhythm in the neuromuscular tonic There are varieties of postural impulses and to improve the general tone abnormalities of different parts of the of the muscles. Asanas, as a preventive body. The most common one are postural medicine can be used for avoiding the abnormalities of spinal cord (lordosis bad causation of postural deformities like body posture and lordosis, kyphotic bad cervical spondylos, lordosis, etc. Also, body posture and kyphosis, scoliotic bad Asanas can be used for release of physical body posture and scoliosis, dorsum stress resulted from day-today negative planum), chest (pectus carrinatum – emotions of behavioural pattern. This will chicken breast, pectus excavatum – help to avoid psychosomatic or shoemaker breast), knee (genu varum – psychological disorders like hypertension, “X” legs, genu valgum – “O” legs) and gastric acidity, depression neurosis etc. foot (pes planus - flatfoot). Mostly, it’s The regular correct practice of asana also about asymmetry in sagittal or frontal helps to prevent constipation, arthritis, plane, or there’s an absence of alignment. asthma, diabetes, obesity etc. (Shankar, 2005). Yoga as a useful system for reduce of the Hatha Yoga is a useful system for muscular imbalance patients with muscular imbalance. The The word of yoga originates from yoga exercises systematically train the Sanskrit and means „to join, to muscles of the whole body, alternating unite“(Maheshwarananda, 2000). Yoga is stretches with holding postures, relaxation an ancient discipline of body, mind, and and movements. This program can spirit that has been Westernized and improve muscular balance and joint health practiced for its health benefits (Raub, – two parts of locomotor system very 2002). Hatha Yoga is a comprehensive, important for good body posture. Poor holistic mind-body practice incorporating posture and bad habits in movement place both cognitive (meditation, concentration) undue of pressure on the spine. The and somatic (physical postures - Asanas, resulting muscular tension is a frequent breathing exercises - Pranayamas) cause of back pain. Yoga Asanas generally components (Khalsa & Cope, 2006). Hatha involves some part of the spine in the Yoga, through holding static physical exercise. Stretching and strengthening the postures (Asanas), uses stretching and muscles should be combined, because improves muscular strength and flexibility strong and flexible muscles form an (Tran et al., 2001; according to Raub important protection for the spine and (2002) so that it would likely be beneficial joints. That’s why regular yoga practice 46 Acta Salus Vitae, Vol 5, No 1 (2017) http://actasalusvitae.palestra.cz ISSN 1805-8787 [email protected] reduces the symptoms of spine problems used to interpret meaning from the content after just a few weeks. Practice of the Yoga of scientific studies adhere to the problem Asanas provides the necessary range of indications and contraindications for using movement to maintain proper health of of the yoga asanas in prevention and muscles, ligaments, cartilage and joint treatment of postural abnormalities. capsules, which is essential for their function (Maheshwarananda, 2000). Yoga RESEARCH REVIEW exercises are in fact psychosomatic exercises, meaning that they influence the The research review will cover body, mind, breath and consciousness, and literature and scientific researches that they are good because all exercises are have been investigating problems and area mostly isometric muscle contractions, and in which we’re interested. this type of contraction is good cause the Savic et al. (1990) were investigating results can be seen very fast – it’s very the Hatha Yoga's effects on the posture of effective type of exercise. Another good 15 ten year-old children and also its effects thing about Yoga asanas is the breathing – on the psychophysical condition of 15 deep and slowly, and in the right moment. grown-ups. As symptoms, during the first examination, 12 of the 15 children had PROBLEM AND AIM head protrusion, 14 had shortened back extensors, and all 15 had bent shoulders, The problem of this research is relaxation of the frontal abdominal wall indications and contraindications for using and shortened flexors of both the calf and yoga asanas as method for prevention and thigh. The condition of all the children was treatment of postural abnormalities. The remarkably better after six months of subject of this research is the use of Yoga practice, some of the symptoms having as method of corrective treatment. completely disappeared (head protrusion, The research was carried out with the asymmetry of the shoulders, mammilla and aim of determining which yoga asanas can hips, shortening of the pectoralis and back be beneficial, and which can be harmful to extensors), 9 children still had slight to persons with postural abnormalities. medium relaxation of the frontal abdominal wall, 8 children still had bent METHODS shoulders, and 1 child still had shortened calf and thigh extensors. The adults were The basic method was “Content in a weak or very weak psychophysical analysis of literature” provided on the issue condition, they tired easily, they of as method of corrective treatment. complained of sleep disturbances, Content analysis is a widely used fluctuation of emotional state and qualitative research technique. Rather than irritability. After 3 months of practice, the being a single method, current applications vital capacity of 8 of the adults tested of content analysis show three distinct (53.3%) had increased by 435 ml. The time approaches: conventional, directed, or duration of apnoea had lengthened for all summative. All three approaches were of the practicing adults, but with a truly 47 Acta Salus Vitae, Vol 5, No 1 (2017) http://actasalusvitae.palestra.cz ISSN 1805-8787 [email protected] large variation among them (a median of 1985 to 2002, i.e. approximately 120 14%). The deep waist-bend length of all published records. Author has notice that the practicing adults had lengthened by an over the last 10 years, a growing number of average of 9.5 cm and the average length research studies have shown that the increase for the 3-minute running test was practice of Hatha Yoga can improve 42 m. All those who practiced, had strength and flexibility, and may help experienced an alleviation