Yoga for Ulcerative Colitis, Treat Crohn’s disease with Asanas

Author: Randeep Singh / go to all articles on Yoga cure

Yoga for Colitis –

In simple terminology Colitis is the inflammation of the colon.  In Colitis the inner lining of the colon gets infected.

Colitis can also occur due to inflammatory bowel disease, another types of Colitis are ulcerative colitis, ischemic colitis and inflammation of the inner lining of the colon due to some allergic reaction.  Yoga for Colitis is a natural way of treating these conditions.

The person suffering from any of the mentioned types of colitis may experience abdominal cramps, diarrhea, tiredness, inflammation in the eyes, canker sores, abdominal pain, and infection of the skin.  Depending on the cause and type of Colitis sometimes blood may be present in the stools.

The inflammation in the colon can occur due to the infection from the bacteria which naturally reside within the colon and helps in the digestive process, Ischemic colitis is the name given to the condition where the supply of the blood to colon is reduced, sometimes ulcers develop in the inner lining of the colon  (Crohn’s disease), and  at other  times the white blood cells  which are responsible for the destruction of the foreign bodies attack the colon wall instead.  

The colon is made up of multiple layers of tissue, the inner most one is known as mucosa which gets infected.  The mucosa absorbs extra water from the remnants of the process of digestion in order to turn them into a solid mass to be passed out as stools.

The colon begins, Caecum being its first section,  at the lower right side of the abdomen and ascend s up to the upper right corner of the abdomen. This section of colon is known as the ascending colon. From there it makes a right angle turn towards the right and runs across the width of the upper abdomen till it reaches the spleen in the upper left corner of the abdomen. 

This section is known as the transverse colon.  It again turns downward from there and is known as the descending colon till it reaches the lower left corner of the abdomen.  From here it enters the pelvis and is known as the sigmoid colon which terminates into the anus. Rectum is the section of colon a few inches before the anus.  Ulcerative colitis is the inflammation present only in the region of the intestine comprising the colon, whereas Crohn’s disease can affect different sections of the entire digestive tract.

Colitis treatment with Yoga

 It has been found that the ulcerative colitis has a connection with the mental stress of the its patients, the condition has a tendency to relapses during the bouts of intense stressful episodes.  Yoga exercises for ulcerative colitis have been specially designed to reduce the stress levels in the individuals.

Yoga asanas for curing colitis

Restorative yoga asanas and yoga breathing exercises help calm down the nervous system which has been found to keep the inflammation of the mucosa of the colon at bay.  One of the links between stress and ulcerative colitis is that stress taxes the immune system to an extent that the natural defense mechanism of the body loses its potency giving the microbes a chance to rear their heads as inflammation.

A major section of the patients suffering from Crohn’s disease have been found to have low bone density. This is because the Cytokines , a form of protein,  which are released into the blood stream  as a response to inflammation can hinder the process of  formation of the bone in the body.  

In case one chooses to take corticosteroids as an available mode of colitis treatment the bones become more susceptible to osteoporosis. Yoga for digestive health naturally promotes the growth of bone tissue in the body, countering the impact of corticosteroids, and cytokines present in the system.

One of the benefits that one incurs from deciding to heal ulcerative colitis with yoga is that  a certain set of yoga techniques that help uplift the mood by releasing  endorphins in the bloodstream of the practitioner. Endorphins are natural pain killers which help the patient of colitis in managing the pain associated with the condition, which would ultimately lead to an enhanced general motivation.

Yoga asanas for digestive disorder like ulcerative colitis have been found to reduce the colonic TNF- alpha protein in the mucosa of the colon, the reduction  of this component is an indicator of  the anti-inflammatory  impact of  yoga  on this disease.  The yoga asanas  for colitis treatment contract the skeletal muscles which induce the release of myokines, the anti-inflammatory substances in the blood stream. 

This helps subdue the intensity of inflammation present in the afflicted colon.  Yoga for a healthy stomach help reduce the fat in the abdominal region which helps create a protective environment from any kind of possible inflammation.  The yoga exercises for colitis can increase the flexibility and strength of the joints, increase appetite and reduce  the feeling s of nausea,  and depression which are  generally present in patients of colitis.

Cure Ulcerative Colitis permanently

Ardhmatsyendra Asana

Paschimottanasana

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