Exercise is good for physical and mental health, but over-investment may have the opposite effect. Helen Down, a 50-year-old female journalist in the UK, was addicted to yoga for many years when her marriage was broken down and she was under a lot o...
Exercise is good for physical and mental health, but over-investment may have the opposite effect. Helen Down, a 50-year-old female journalist in the UK, was addicted to yoga for many years when her marriage was broken down and she was under a lot of stress, which resulted in a ruptured intervertebral disc and sciatica. In an interview with The Telegraph, she pointed out that moderate rest and the correct concept of exercise are the keys to good health.
Helen’s addiction to yoga began ten years ago, when she was just 40 years old, the age when stress in life begins to pile up. When her marriage came to an end in 2019, Helen's initial fascination with yoga had turned into complete dependence, because yoga can not only soothe the anxious heart, but also soothe the overworked body.
Helen described herself as being addicted to yoga. If she did not do daily exercise followed by yoga to cool down, from 10 minutes of sun salutations to 90 minutes of flow yoga, she would be restless like a drug addict in withdrawal. By 2022, Helen's yoga addiction reached its peak.
Logically speaking, she should be at the peak of her physical fitness in her life, but Helen began to be unable to go down the stairs some mornings. As a public relations consultant and journalist who works from home, I cannot even sit for long periods of time for video conferences. Even standing up from an ergonomic chair is in unbearable pain.
Although there was slight improvement after switching to a standing desk, my back is still tight, with occasional tingling and numbness, and even a limp when walking, and sometimes numbness in the soles of my feet. At the worst time, severe pain instantly passes through the whole body like an electric current.
Helen vaguely sensed that there was something wrong with her aging and overused spine. However, if it was really an intervertebral disc injury, her addiction to exercise would have to be suspended, so Helen chose to deny it. Because the pain was not constant, she comforted herself that the problem was not serious and took it for granted that "doing more yoga" would be the solution.
Stop yoga cured my back painA friend who had suffered from intervertebral disc problems suggested that I do an MRI. Helen went to see the doctor and the results were shocking: the intervertebral discs in two lower back vertebrae were ruptured (lumbar disc herniation) and compressed the sciatic nerve, one of which was even severe. The nerve roots on both left and right sides were compressed.
Helen had just divorced at that time and was learning how to face life independently. The 50-year-old single mother has no one to help with housework, so she has to constantly pick up her children's socks and bend down to clear away the dishes. But the biggest fear is not physical, but psychological. Without the mental release brought by yoga and exercise, she was afraid that she would explode emotionally.
Helen was referred to neurosurgery, and while awaiting surgery, she began receiving treatment from physiotherapist Jehan Yehia. Yehia suggested that physical rehabilitation can restore function, which is far more friendly than surgery. She was prescribed a short course of anti-neuralgia medication and a complete suspension from exercise for two weeks.
After Helen rested for two weeks, Yehia asked her to gradually resume activities, adding only one exercise at a time, so as to identify the problem. Finally, it was confirmed that yoga was to blame. Helen said that people are always taught that "yoga can cure all diseases", but in fact, it may also aggravate back pain. Certain light stretches did relax her back, but for her, prolonged twisting, bending, and folding movements only irritated the damaged discs.
When the surgery appointment finally arrived, the rehabilitation method arranged by Yehia had allowed Helen to almost regain full mobility, and she finally decided to give up the surgery.
Restarting exercise lifeYehia pointed out that medical diagnosis sometimes makes people afraid to move due to fear, causing chronic pain to worsen. Staying active is key to recovery, but find suitable replacement exercises.
Helen switched to stair climbing instead of running, and also started swimming, finding that it could relax her back. Then gradually return to squats and lunges. When you are physically fit enough, Yehia recommends running on hilly roads instead, because leaning your body forward can reduce the pressure on your waist.
The most valuable suggestion Helen thinks is to replace yoga with Pilates. Pilates focuses on strengthening the core, hip and back muscles, which can reduce the burden on the spine. More importantly, it emphasizes "neutral spine" and does not pursue extreme bending.
Today, Helen still does the occasional downward dog while stretching, but full yoga classes are long gone. Eighteen months after kicking her yoga addiction, she successfully completed a grueling hike to Machu Picchu in Peru without any disc problems. Although there were times when the old disease recurred and the pain reappeared, which made her doubt whether she should have gone under the knife in the first place, those days were numbered.
Helen was glad that she chose conservative treatment. She thought that the three to six months of postoperative recovery would probably drive her crazy, and if she recovered too quickly at that time, she might return to the vicious cycle of excessive yoga practice. Now she has learned to recognize her body's warning signs and avoid behaviors that trigger pain. This awareness is real power.
