Former New York Knicks great and the team's current great announcer Walt "Clyde" Frazier used to do yoga; in fact, he still does. NFL players, typically beefy offensive lineman, have long been linked to the discipline. Almost certainly, if you yourself don't practice it, you know someone who does, and probably someone who's into offshoots like "hot yoga" and "upside down yoga." Clearly, it's a useful, sometimes even pleasurable exercise. But where does it fit in medically?
Though yoga has been shown to decrease stress, anxiety, insomnia, back pain, and affect overall health in a positive way, medical experts classify it more as a supplemental therapy than legitimate treatment, according to Web MD. Call it a form of physical therapy, but with less precision and fewer opportunities for life-altering results (as long as you choose your therapist wisely).
Unlike traditional physical therapy, which is usually an option only after an injury, Yoga has a place in prevention and treatment. Practioners may use it as a way to stave off aging and the poor posture that comes with it, while new converts might use it to ease back pain or as a method to prevent future injuries.
"Yoga can help with a lot of musculoskeletal issues and pain," said Dr. Rachel Rohde, a spokeswoman for the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons (and an orthopedic surgeon herself)
Yoga is also a form of exercise complete with its own physical benefits.
"Yoga is great for flexibility, for strength, and for posture and balance," Rohde added.
Dr. Ruby Roy, chronic disease physician at LaRabida Children's Hospital in Chicago (and a certified instructor), lauds yoga's unique combination of exercise and relaxation, but doesn't believe it's a cure by itself.
"The right yoga can help you," Roy said. "One of the primary purposes of a yoga practice is relaxation. Your heart rate and your blood pressure should be lower when you finish a class, and you should never be short of breath. Whatever kind of yoga relaxes you and doesn't feel like exercise is a good choice. What really matters is, are you in your body or are you going into a state of mindfulness? You want to be in the pose and aware of your breaths.", but I wouldn't say it cures any orthopedic condition."
"Physically, yoga helps to strengthen the muscles that have been weakened from a lack of movement, and the stretching in yoga helps with muscular tightness," Roy added. "It also helps with discomfort from lying in bed or discomfort from a procedure."
At the least, Yoga's place is a win-win. For some, it becomes their life's medicine (and their life's work), for others it's just uncomfortable. For no one is it harmful (as long as it isn't performed past one's ability level).
