Yoga and Physiotherapy: What Are the Benefits of Combining These Two Modalities?

Yoga and Physiotherapy – What are the benefits of bringing these two modalities together? And are physios referring patients to Yoga more often than Pilates?

Before looking at this subject in more detail, it is helpful to define both Yoga and Physiotherapy.

Yoga is an ancient discipline incorporating breath control, meditation and particular physical postures. It is practised for relaxation and health, while traditional Yoga teaching also offers a rich body of philosophy to investigate.

You may have come across Yoga therapy too. As a holistic approach, Yoga therapy addresses muscular imbalances alongside breathing practices and meditation. It gives individuals practical methods and tools to support and maximise their own capacity for healing.

Physiotherapy is a form of physical therapy. A physiotherapist identifies and addresses muscular and structural dysfunction, largely using hands-on physical techniques to treat the underlying cause of a physical issue. Physiotherapists treat patients experiencing pain, recovering after surgery, or rehabilitating from recent trauma, including road traffic collisions and sporting injuries.

Both modalities have their place at different stages of rehabilitation. After orthopaedic surgery, for instance, a patient will need physiotherapy. Once rehabilitation is complete, the physiotherapist will usually encourage ongoing regular exercise.

Yoga is generally used as a preventative or maintenance practice. At present, practising Yoga is also extremely fashionable.

As a more tailored option, Yoga therapy can provide the missing connection for a patient who finds it difficult to regain optimal health. Yoga therapists are trained to offer personalised guidance on movement and breathing.

For many years, Pilates was physiotherapists’ preferred option. Postural imbalances and sedentary living can leave people with limited core strength, contributing to neck and back pain. Many Physiotherapists therefore trained as Pilates instructors, combining the advantages of these two modalities.

What is changing?

Increasingly, Physiotherapists are choosing Yoga. Some medical practices now even provide on-site Yoga classes. Is this simply a result of the wider “Yoga Boom”, or are healthcare professionals recognising the benefits of Yoga?

More Physiotherapists are practising Yoga themselves, with some also qualifying as Yoga teachers or Yoga therapists.

I recently delivered a lecture to second-year WITS Physiotherapy students. Each year, I lecture on the similarities and differences between Yoga and Pilates, including why and when each modality may be recommended. The aim is for students to understand that both approaches have advantages and disadvantages. Pilates takes inspiration from many Yoga principles, but the key distinction lies in the breathing methods.

Any healthcare practitioner or medical professional would agree that exercise can lift mood and support general wellbeing. But does the type of exercise a person chooses truly matter?

The general benefits of Yoga

• Yogic practices offer clear, practical benefits to all people, irrespective of their spiritual goals.
• Yoga supports bodily health and youthfulness.
• It promotes mental clarity.
• It can be adapted for every age group and fitness level.
• Yoga is non-competitive.
• It builds intrinsic muscle strength and incorporates flexibility training.
• It functions as both physical and mental therapy.
• It offers a complete movement system that stretches, strengthens and tones the body, assists with alignment, and improves whole-body health.

Yoga can provide further benefits for the cardiovascular system. Its physical postures are isometric, helping to improve cardiovascular fitness and circulation throughout the body. Research indicates that consistent Yoga practice may help to regulate blood pressure.

A slow digestive system may benefit from the massage effect created by the surrounding muscles, as well as from increased blood circulation.

Moving joints through their complete range of movement mobilises them appropriately. Gentle stretching can ease muscular and joint tension and stiffness, while improving flexibility. Maintaining physical postures develops musculoskeletal strength and endurance.

Over time, practice may lessen stress, anxiety and fatigue. It can also improve concentration, energy and an overall feeling of wellbeing.

Many breath-control, prananyama, practices calm the parasympathetic nervous system. Triggering the body’s relaxation response can help counterbalance our demanding modern lifestyles.

When the body is continually overloaded by excessive stimuli and demands, genuine healing can become almost impossible.

Results when we combine Yoga and Physiotherapy

I regularly collaborate with Physiotherapists to support rehabilitation and enhance joint integrity, mobility, pain symptoms and stress levels.

These photographs show a patient between January and August 2019. Her symptoms included intense knee pain, ankle instability and postural alignment concerns. In March 2019, she started attending one Yoga class each week as part of a regular Yoga practice.

The student experienced general weight loss. More importantly, however, broad postural improvements were evident. Her sway-back knees improved, along with changes to the shape of the spine’s kyphotic and lordotic curves.

From my experience of working with chronic pain and ‘yellow flags’, Yoga is a substantially better movement modality. Because it has such a strong flexibility element, Yoga is also more beneficial for overall mobility. Meditation and pranayama offer practical tools that can support recovery and change.

What are Physiotherapists saying about Yoga

“As a physiotherapist,I have practiced both Pilates & Yoga. I have referred patients to both, as I believe both encourage good postural awareness, body focus & discipline. I explain that Pilates has a much greater focus on the abdominal canister ‘core’. Whereas yoga has a focus on posture & muscle length where the abdominal canister carries out its role without focus or dedicated awareness. It happens more functionally. Personally I find that the way the breath is used in yoga is more natural, the positions more functional and the mind component refreshing and rejuvenating!

Both have a significant place in rehab-provided the right therapist is found. Two unique disciplines! I am not aware of all the variations of yoga – that I see as a positive, as within the discipline there is so much to choose from and be challenged by!”

Lindsay Harris – Physioworx

“Patient A* had chronic LBP with fear avoidance behaviours. She was too scared to move! She tried pilates but I actually asked her to stop. During Pilates she clenched all her muscle groups and battled to isolate her core. I advised Yoga as it enabled her to get some flexibility in her back movements in a gentle, controlled environment. She became more confident to move her back, while strengthening her core. Yoga helped calm her mind and reduce general anxiety.*

Patient B* was originally a Pilates girl until I saw her. She felt that is wasn’t helping anymore. Patient has severe scoliosis and is hypo-mobile. As a result suffers with neck and back pain and very weak. The stretching exercises that yoga incorporated and core work benefited her hugely. She is a very busy lady in terms of work. Feedback was that yoga managed to target her muscle strength, flexibility as well as calm her mind.”*

Caroline Hawkins

Several online modules are available on my website under Fundamentals of Anatomy.

They are useful learning resources for refreshing, revising and updating your anatomical knowledge.