Course Description: There is no doubt of the benefits of yoga to one’s health and well-being. It has numerous benefits not only at the physical aspect but also mentally. Yoga is an ancient practice originated in India thousands of years ago and can be implied to the modern world as of now. One of the key advantages of yoga is pain relief without the help of medications with only the use of simple and effective asana or postures.  Upper Extremity Injuries are very common among Americans and range from soft tissue pathology to joint arthritis with varied age groups. Furthermore, with a shift in trend where many are now working from home at a desk for hours resulting in awkward and unhealthy postures. This has led to restriction in soft tissue flexibility and muscle weakness and joint pain.  Research has shown practicing simple yoga asanas can help with chronic pain and further prevent also. Yoga is a safe way to ease pain and help with relieving stress and tension in the body. In this course, we will discuss common upper extremity conditions and how common postures/ asanas can be beneficial. We will talk about how to correctly apply these asanas with our patients in acute and chronic phases of their conditions and at the end we will refer to a case study for better clinical application.

Educational Level: Introductory – Intermediate – Advanced

Course Outline

Hour #1

• Introduction to Yoga
• Benefits of Asana
• EMG Study during Postures
• Common upper extremity conditions

Hour #2

• Asanas during Different Phases of Rehabilitation
• Preventing Injury with Yoga Asana
• Case Study
• Summary