Yoga and Corona Virus

Corona virus is a pandemic disease. All the affected countries are trying to fight it in their own manner, depending on their ability & availability of resources.

Corona virus is primarily a disease that affects respiratory system. In India, we have the culture & practice of Yoga. Yoga based exercises have a significant positive effect on the respiratory capability of individuals.

I have selected few respiratory exercises from 'Me & My Yoga'- that I practice myself.

If you practice these exercises only for 5 minutes a day, I am sure, it will protect you from the disease & you'll recover faster, if at all, you fall prey to it.
Here is the link.

https://youtu.be/tY8RpRrv05g

Social distancing and Quarantine is giving us a lot of free time for ourselves.


Friends, it is a period of forced rest. Take it as a blessing in disguise. It is a golden opportunity bestowed by a stroke of bad luck. Use it to finish your pending jobs & explore your hidden talents.

For Senior Citizens-2

As is the beauty of a rising sun, so is the glory of a setting sun.
Don't get disheartened of old age. You have the wealth of experience. Take care of your health. You can still do wonders. Follow the health tips.

For Senior Citizens-1

Your face is your fortune.
Don't let the age spoil it.
Feel & do healthy deeds & keep smiling.
God bless you.

Backache -17

Remedial Exercises  

Backache is a complex problem. It has multifactorial aetiology. There are many exercises that are used as an adjunct to its treatment. Here, some of the exercises useful in the management of backache are described. It is not a complete List. Many more can be added to it. As a matter of fact white charting out the exercise programme for an individual suffering from backache; one should take into account the exact cause of backache, age, the built of the body and even the mental attitude of the patient. The exercises should be done slowly and increased gradually.   During exercise, sudden jerks should be avoided. Most of the cases of backache fortunately settle down with   simple remedial exercises.

 Some of the cases do not respond satisfactorily. It is these -who pose a baffling problem.  Many methods have been tried in the past & new ones are being discovered with the hope that this oldest problem of mankind –the aching back, the most common & yet intractable, is solved.

The actual treatment of backache lies in the therapeutic exercises only

They act by:

   (a)    Improving the muscle tone.

   (b)   Improving the muscle power.

   (c)    Regaining the mobility of the joints and elasticity of the ligaments. (Ligaments are the natural hinges like those of doors which control the direction of the movement of a joint). The usual remedial spinal exercises are:

  

      Exercise no. 1      

Steps :

l. Lie on the belly.                                                                                                                                     2. Lift the chest with support of both elbows & count up to 10 slowly

Fig.

Exercise No. 2

 Steps:

 l. Lie on your belly.                                                                                                                                   2. Lift Right hip with knee straight & count up to 10 slowly.                                                                    3. Bring it back and do same with left hip.

Fig.

Exercise No.3                                                                                                                                              Steps :                                                                                                                                                      

l. Lie on your belly.                                                                                                                                   2. Keep both hands on the back just above the hips.                                                                              

3. Lift up the head and the chest & count up to 10 slowly.                                                                    

4. Come back to step I position.

Fig .

Exercise No. 4                                                                                                                                          Steps :                                                                                                                                                      

l. Lie flat on the back.                                                                                                                            

2. Bend your both knees.                                                                                                                           3. Lift your hips  & count up to 10 slowly.                                                                                              

Fig

Exercise No. 5                                      

Steps:                                                                                                                                                          1. Lie on the belly.                                                                                                                                     2. Stretch both hands beyond head.                                                                                                            3. Lift the head and chest & count up to 10 slowly.

Fig.

Exercise No.6                                                                                                                                            

Steps:                                                                                                                                                          1. Lie on Your belly                                                                                                                                

2. Lift your right hip  with knees straight & left- arm in front  of your head & count up to 10.             3. Come back to step I Position                                                                                                                 4. Do the same with left hip and right arm.

Fig.

Exercise No.7                                                                                                                                            

Steps :                                                                                                         

l. Lie on Your belly.   

2. Lift up both the-thighs keeping the knees straight   & count up to 10 slowly.  

3. Come back to step I Position.

Fig

Exercise No. 8       

Steps:                                                                                                                                                        1. Lie on your belly.                                                                                                                                 2. Stretch both hands beyond head.                                                                                                  

3. Lift up the hands, chest, and both the hips with knees straight & count till 10.

Fig.

Exercise No. 9            

Steps:                                                                                                                                                       1. Lie flat on Your back.                                                                                                                             2. Lift the heels 9 inches above the bed with the knees held straight.                                                       3. Count till 10 and come back to step 1.

Fig.

Exercise No. 10                                                                                                                                       Steps :                                                                                                                                                        l. Lie flat on your back.                                                                                                                              2. Keep the hands under your head.                      

3. Try to sit up.                                                                                                                                          Fig.    

Backache-16

How to Take a Bath

Bathrooms are a common place of accidents in modern life.  The act of bathing in standing position is the ideal condition for an accident to occur. The floor is slippery because of soap & water, eyes closed, breath is held, due to soap /shampoo on the eyes & in nostrils & the hands is groping in the dark here & there to hold the water tap or the shower. A little tilt in the body-balance can cause a sprain in the back in an attempt to prevent the fall. But, if the actual fall occurs, fracture of the hip bone or wrist takes place. It is best to take bath while sitting on a stool- high or low, depending upon once own choice. If for some reason, one has to take bath in standing position, some support must be provided during the proced.

Fig:

Backache-15

Backache and Sex

Sex has nothing to do with backache directly.  Over indulgence in the sex or even masturbation does not lead to backache.    The feeling of exhaustion, tiredness, lassitude, listlessness and other similar expressions used to describe the 'post sex'   or 'after night' effects are psychological in nature. It has been observed that these sort of symptoms are encountered more often in adolescents who have a very 'strict and holy' atmosphere at home and elders with 'puritan approach' to life. This induces a guilt complex in their minds and arouses greater curiosity to know and participate in sexual activities. Similarly the adults who have extramarital sex relation develop an idea of guilt and have a 'pricking conscience' all the times because it is an act which neither their spouse nor the society approves. Backache is sometimes picked up, at the subconscious level, as a symptom by these people as self-inflicted punishment for their misdeeds and immoral acts that they had indulged in.

Besides this there are certain causes of backache which are related to reproductive system in females. They are not directly linked with sex though reproduction is the natural sequel of sexual activity.

Backache-14

Psychological Aspects of Backache

Back is a very special organ. It has certain unique aspects in relation to its structure, function and location. Back is used to support other parts of body and the Loads which are placed upon it for transportation. We think of psychological and social, as well as physical burdens being carried on our backs. In short back symbolises physical strength. Hence the terms unyielding, stiff, unbending attitude are common terms which are used in society by an individual by certain degree of pride and aroma of being a very straight forward, honest, non compromising and a person of firm decision. These terms have originated with particular reference to back  as an organ of execution.   Back is also considered as an organ for protection & defence, perhaps because of natural instinct of putting forward the back if an unexpected attack is to be faced.  Back is also considered as an organ for expression of love & affection. An arm around the waist is universally accepted as an act of romance, love & affection.

Fig:

Patting on back by a senior or parents will boost the morale of any individual, if he or she has done a reward winning deed. Thin waist symbolises beauty. All these thoughts do prove that there is a special orientation of back in human psyche. It is natural that certain knots develop during the growth of an individual, which manifest as backache, at one time or the other during life time.

Such people can be labelled as, backache personalities.  They are likely to repress their anger and avoid conflicts, traits they share with many victims of peptic ulcer& migraine. In such cases back pain is just tension headache that has slipped down to back.

It has become customary on part of general practioners to label a case of backache as psychological if the patient does not   respond to usual dosage of pain killers and-some vitamin B-complex injection.   But no patient should be labelled as ‘psychological’ unless a very detailed history has been taken & physical examination done. The patient should be thoroughly investigated- even with advanced investigation like MRI, CT scan etc. If, a single examination does not reveal the exact cause of backache, then repeated examinations & investigations should be done. It is found that quite a few cases which are initially labelled as ‘backache of psychological origin’ on careful examination & investigations turn out to be suffering from Tuberculosis & even cancer. The right treatment, if given early, could have changed the entire course of life of these individuals.

Even if the backache is proved to be of 'psychological origin, there is nothing to get disheartened. It is still curable. A psychiatrist should be consulted. Backache  has been observed due to boredom also. A large number of middle aged ladies attend the physiotherapy clinic regularly because they find it an- outlet for their monotonous routine at home. In India most of the middle and higher income group families do not permit their women folk to undertake any gainful vocation. It is taken as a social stigma & a family insult. Sometimes, some people have a heavy emotional investment in continuing their pain.  An elderly lady had been married for decades and had grown up children, settled in Canada. Her husband was always busy in factory. One day while cleaning the ceiling fan she fell down and sustained some injury to the back. Suddenly her husband became attentive to her. She realised that she was rewarded by painful illness. The original injury was healed but she continued to complain of low backache.

(She had emotional need for love, care and affection which she got through injury).

Backache can also be a by product of difficulties on job, problems of personal relation or grief over the death of some near and dear one. Such cases of 'masked depression' can go on for years undetected.  Some people tend to be hard driving or exhibit to be pushing forward type but actually lack self confidence, also develop backache as a protective phenomenon to their failure and ascribe their inability to achieve the goal to their backache subconsciously.