Post traumatic stress dysfunction: How Yoga and physiotherapy can assist in PTSD

A traumatic occasion could cause an individual to expertise post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), a psychological health situation that’s characterised by indicators like anxiousness, intrusive ideas, nightmares and flashbacks. While remedy and drugs are often used as conventional PTSD therapies, well being consultants insist that complementary modalities like Yoga and physiotherapy have proven promise in serving to folks handle their signs.

In an interview with HT Lifestyle, Dr Amit Deshpande, Founder and Director of Activist, shared, “Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a debilitating mental health condition that can occur after experiencing or witnessing a traumatic event. Fortunately, Yoga and physiotherapy offer promising avenues for healing and managing PTSD symptoms. Yoga provides a holistic approach by combining physical postures, breathing exercises and meditation, helping to regulate the nervous system and reduce anxiety and stress.”

He gushed, “The mindful movements and deep breathing foster a sense of calmness and self-awareness, enhancing emotional resilience. Physiotherapy, on the other hand, focuses on restoring physical function and mobility through targeted exercises and manual therapy. It can address physical symptoms associated with trauma, such as muscle tension and pain. Additionally, both yoga and physiotherapy offer a safe and supportive environment, fostering a sense of community and connection, which can aid in the recovery process.”

Dr Rajeev Rajesh, Chief Yoga Officer at Jindal Naturecure Institute in Banglore, defined, “Yoga is a mind-body discipline with its roots in the ancient Indian subcontinent. It combines physical postures, breathing techniques and meditation. It has been discovered to be successful in lowering anxiety, enhancing sleep, and fostering general wellbeing. Yoga can give people with PTSD a safe place to re-connect with their body and process their trauma in a nurturing setting. Yoga’s physical asanas and deliberate breathing techniques work to control the autonomic nervous system, lowering hyperarousal and enhancing relaxation. Additionally, yoga’s emphasis on mindfulness encourages people to be in the present moment, which helps to lessen intrusive thoughts and improve self-awareness.”

He added, “On the other hand, physiotherapy focuses on enhancing functional movement and physical rehabilitation. Physiotherapy can help people with PTSD deal with the somatic symptoms, chronic pain, and other physical effects of trauma. Physiotherapy can assist people in releasing tension, restoring proper movement patterns, and improving body awareness through a variety of techniques like manual therapy, exercise, and body awareness training. Physiotherapy can indirectly reduce psychological distress and improve general wellbeing by addressing physical symptoms. Yoga and physiotherapy both provide holistic approaches to healing and can support existing PTSD treatments. It is crucial to remember that these methods might not be appropriate for everyone and should only be used under the supervision of trained experts. However, incorporating yoga and physical therapy into PTSD treatment plans can give patients more coping skills and tools to manage their symptoms and enhance their quality of life.”

Bringing his experience to the identical, Dr Sumit Gupta PT, HOD- Department of Physiotherapy and Rehabilitation at Regency Health, highlighted that PTSD can even enhance stress and anxiousness resulting in stress within the physique however revealed how Yoga and physiotherapy could be very useful to forestall this situation:

1. So many time affected person criticism ache. Physiotherapist set targets. Strengthening train, stability train, joint mobilisation, needling and movement train is assist to cut back ache.

2. Breathing train – Physiotherapist can provide their affected person completely different respiration train (deep respiration, chest mobilisation, diaphragmatic respiration) which assist to cut back stress or anxiousness.

3.Anxiety-regular train is an efficient methodology in administration anxiousness and stress observe a prescribe train plan will permit the physique to launch chemical that may assist in decreasing stress and anxiousness.

He listed the advantages of standard train on PTSD signs as:

• Just a few constructive outcomes physiotherapy can have in your bodily well being together with generate mobility and adaptability enhance energy weight reduction and enchancment in cardiovascular well being.
• Regular train can even have a constructive impact in your psychological well being by means of the scale back the of melancholy and anxiousness emotions.