June 2007

Yoga and chiropractic: the perfect combination

by Dr. Terry A. Rondberg

I've been in the chiropractic profession for more than three decades, yet I'm always learning new things, making new discoveries. Recently, I stumbled upon the practice of yoga and, during my training, recognized what a perfect match it makes with chiropractic.

I basked in a glow of discovery for a few days until I realized that I'm a bit late in coming to this knowledge. Many people ‑‑ doctors and patients alike ‑‑ have already seen the yoga‑chiropractic connection. In fact, I was reminded of something DD Palmer wrote about a century ago: "Want to let the innate contact you? The sincere yogi would make an excellent chiropractor for getting sick well if he had knowledge and ability to correct the intermediary adjustment to restore power of internal innate, to perfect greater understanding." (Palmer's Laws of Life, Vol. XXXIV, pp. 22‑23).

The reason for this natural affinity between yoga and chiropractic is simple: they both share similar philosophies and have a synergistic effect on each other. The purpose of chiropractic is to remove interference to the normal functioning of the body, to permit the body's own healing power to work unimpeded by vertebral subluxations. It is guided by the philosophy that "The force that made the body heals the body."

In yoga, the purpose is to create harmony between mind and body so prana ‑‑ the life force in all matter ‑‑ may flow freely. It is guided by the philosophy that the creator and the created are only different aspects of one Universal Reality.

Neither chiropractic nor yoga are religions, although both can have strong spiritual components. Neither attempts to diagnose or treat disease, but both have proven health benefits.

The similarity ‑‑ or, at least, the compatibility ‑‑ is one of the primary reasons that many people who use chiropractic also practice yoga. In fact, one source noted that 95% of those who practice yoga are likely to use some kind of complementary and alternative health care.

And, the fact that yoga can aid in the correction and prevention of vertebral subluxations is the reason so many DCs incorporate it into their practices. Subluxations are frequently caused or exacerbated by improper posture, poor breathing habits, emotional and physical stress, and lack of muscle tone ‑‑ all of which may be improved through yoga.

Perhaps most significantly, as new studies in the mind‑body connection have proven, improving one's mental, emotional and spiritual states has a direct affect on overall health, just as subluxation correction does.

Economic considerations

Knowing that incorporating yoga into the chiropractic practice can help patients is reason enough to consider it. But there is no denying the purely economic benefits of providing this extra service to practice members. Right now, yoga is going through an explosive period of growth and popularity. According to a survey cited by Yoga Journal, more than 1.2 million new people began practicing yoga in 2005, bringing the total number of yoga practitioners to 10.46 million people, an increase of 144% since 2001 (a Harris poll put the number at 16.4 million).

If 95% of those people are open to using non‑medical health care, that means close to 10 million individuals who are either already enjoying the chiropractic lifestyle ‑‑ or would probably be interested in it. Add to that number the 25 million people who told pollsters they intend to try yoga within the next 12 months, and we can see a huge potential for chiropractors.

This market encompasses all age groups. Books about yoga have been written specifically for kids and the benefit of yoga for children ‑‑ like the benefit of chiropractic for children ‑‑ is becoming more and more accepted. MSNBC wrote an online article about the increased popularity of yoga among seniors (1.6 million of whom practice yoga and other mind‑body exercises such as tai chi, according to a 2003 survey). In addition, yoga in sports is a strong niche as well and several excellent articles have been written about the combined effect of yoga and chiropractic for both professional and amateur athletes.

Of course, acknowledging that incorporating yoga into your practice can be beneficial to both you and your patients is only the first step. It gets more difficult from there because there are so many different types of yoga being taught, from the almost purely mental aspects of Bhakti Yoga to the westernized "Power Yoga."

Hatha yoga is usually recommended as the best place to start, since it's a fairly easy form of yoga and considered the basis for all yoga system.

Practitioners interested in offering yoga instruction to patients should have no trouble finding qualified, trained teachers willing to work with them and set up an in‑office class or one‑on‑one sessions. Naturally, they should explain to patients that yoga is NOT part of chiropractic, but a way to get the most out of chiropractic adjustments and enhance their life enjoyment and healthy lifestyle.