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Friday, June 26, 2009

Yoga for Vertigo | Exercise for Vertigo Relief

Vertigo is a kind of dizziness, where a person feels a sensation of spinning. Sometimes, it can be mild and make the person slightly dizzy, but it is often debilitating, and can stop a person from carrying out day to day activities. It is also known as a ‘hallucination of motion’. A person may develop vertigo at any point in his or her life. If you or someone you know experiences the symptoms of vertigo it would be important to seek immediate medical advice.

The body’s spatial ability, or sense of balance, depends on a number of different organs. These give the brain information on where the body is pointing, and which side it is facing. The organs include the inner ear, which has a fluid responsible for balance. The ear monitors the direction of motion, such as turning forward or backward movement and side to side, and helps keep a person standing. Similarly, the eyes tell the brain where you are in space in relation to other things. Pressure points in the joints and spine tell the brain which part of the body is touching the ground. Putting all this information together is the central nervous system. When the brain receives conflicting information from these different organs, you will feel dizziness or vertigo.

Causes of Vertigo

There are many causes to vertigo, and it’s important to know what you are suffering from. Shortage of blood to the brain may cause you to feel lightheaded. This may happen if you have heart problems or anaemia. Diet problems may cause vertigo, especially excess salt. Circulation may also be affected by stress, anxiety and tension.

One of the more specific and persistent causes of vertigo is when the inner ear fails to receive enough blood flow. This may be caused by several factors, and episodes are often prompted by a specific behavior.

Injuries, especially in the skull bones or the ear can cause a very profound vertigo. This can last for a long time before the other ear takes over. Infections and allergies from viruses can often impair the inner ear and the nerves that are connected to it. This may result in severe vertigo.

Neurological diseases like multiple sclerosis, tumors, and syphilis can also cause vertigo.

Natural Remedy for Vertigo

Yoga can be a natural remedy for vertigo. Yoga is an ancient Indian system of exercise which unites mind, body and breath. In the west, yoga has become very popular, and is often touted as a cure to many ills. But, keep in mind that there are no short cuts in yoga and just practicing a few asanas or poses every day will not help you. It will require you to bring a change into your complete lifestyle. This will mean eating healthy, staying away from intoxicants and even working on your mental state. You also start exercise for vertigo.

There are many different schools of yoga that you can choose from. All of them have the same underlying philosophy, but if you suffer from vertigo, it may be better for you to choose a more basic form of yoga like hatha yoga. Yoga postures will help to improve your balance, and strengthen your nervous system to keep the dizzy spells away. Yoga will also help you cultivate your focus and concentration. As you become adept at yoga, you will find that you are able to feel and understand your body better. This will help you understand what is causing your problems yourself.

How to Treat Vertigo?

When you become the student of an experienced guru or teacher, be sure to tell him or her that you suffer from vertigo, to enable him to tell you how to treat vertigo. While this will help your guru select a few poses or asanas for you specifically, you will still have to learn and practice other poses. This is because yoga is a holistic science, and just practicing a few poses will do you no good. You will also need to practice meditation and breathing exercises.

Some yoga poses that can give you relief from vertigo include:
  • Malasana or garland pose
  • Halasana or plough pose
  • Savasana or corpse pose
  • Sirsasana or head stand
  • Pranayama or breathing techniques.
  • Mudras or postures like Sanmukhi mudra.