How Yoga Can Help Control Parkinson's Tremors

Understanding Parkinson's Tremors  

With Parkinson's, your body is not always doing what you want it to do. For about 70% of the 10 million people with Parkinson's, this is their reality due to tremors. These involuntary shaking movements usually start small, often just in one hand, but can worsen as the condition progresses. Why does this happen? It's because of changes in the brain, specifically a decline in dopamine, a critical chemical that helps control movement. The result? Everyday activities—writing, dressing, eating—become challenging and frustratingly difficult. Hence, finding effective ways to manage these tremors is crucial; it's not just about physical health but about maintaining independence and quality of life. Be ready to learn different yoga poses for  Parkinson's disease and special yoga for hand shivering. 

14 Types of Yoga Exercises for Parkinson's Disease

Let's take a closer look at these unique yoga practices as an alternative therapy for Parkinson's. Each offers a unique way to manage Parkinson's tremors through the power of mind-body connection and relaxation.

Hypnotherapy Yoga

It combines traditional yoga with the soothing techniques of hypnotherapy. Imagine engaging in gentle yoga poses while being guided through calming visualisations. This deep mental relaxation can significantly calm the mind and reduce physical tremors by about 30%. It's like teaching the body to listen to a calming voice that helps keep tremors at bay.

Deep Relaxation and Mindfulness

Yoga is all about slowing down and paying attention. In this practice, you focus on breathing while performing gentle movements designed to cultivate deep relaxation and heightened body awareness. By regularly engaging in these mindful sessions, many find their tremor intensity decreases as the mind learns to manage better and mitigate the body's stress responses.

Mind-Eye Coordination Yoga

It focuses on synchronising your eye movements with your physical movements. Through exercises that might have you tracking your hand with your eyes or following a moving object, this form of yoga helps enhance your overall motor control. This improved coordination can lead to a noticeable reduction in tremors, making movements smoother. It's the best yoga for hand shivering. 

Rapid Eye Desensitisation Yoga

This one adapts techniques from psychological therapy to help manage emotional triggers associated with Parkinson's. By moving your eyes in specific patterns, often while recalling stressful situations, this practice aims to lessen the emotional impact of such memories. Reducing these emotional stresses can positively affect physical symptoms, including reducing tremor frequency.

Trataka Yoga

It involves intense focus on a single point, such as a candle flame, until the eyes water. After closing your eyes, you continue visualising the object in your mind's eye, sharpening your focus and concentration. The process can lead to improved neurological function, which helps manage involuntary movements like tremors. Trataka is unique in combining physical eye exercises with mental visualisation to enhance cognitive control over bodily functions; hence, it is considered the best alternative therapy for Parkinson's disease.

Chakra Yoga

This form focuses on aligning and balancing the body's seven chakras or energy centres. Through poses, meditation, and breathing exercises, Chakra Yoga aims to restore a balanced energy flow, which can help stabilise bodily functions and reduce tremors.

Therapeutic Yoga (Ashtanga, Iyengar, Yin, Vinyasa) 

It is a combination of several styles like the following  

• Ashtanga Yoga is a rigorous style that follows a specific sequence of poses, enhancing physical stability and mental focus.
• Iyengar Yoga emphasises precision and alignment with props like blocks and straps, aiding in reducing tremors by improving balance and posture.
• Yin Yoga involves holding poses for extended periods, which helps release tension in the connective tissues, reducing stress and potentially decreasing tremor severity.
• Vinyasa Yoga focuses on fluid movements synchronised with breath, improving body awareness and control, which can help manage tremors.

Chair Yoga

Individuals with limited mobility can make the most of chair yoga for Parkinson's disease. It allows participants to perform yoga poses while seated or using a chair for support. This form is particularly effective in maintaining mobility and reducing tremors, as it adapts yoga's benefits to all abilities, focusing on gentle stretching and strengthening.

Prop or Passive Assisted Yoga

This practice uses props like blocks, pillows, straps, chairs, and wall assisted to support the body in different poses, reducing strain and allowing muscles to relax more deeply. This relaxation can decrease muscle rigidity associated with Parkinson's, subsequently reducing tremors.

Medi Gym Yoga: Combining The Three

Traditional yoga practices with gentle gym exercises enhance physical fitness and flexibility, leading to better control of movements and reduced tremors. These can be active movements or even passive assisted movements. Generally, props are used and tagged along with gentle weights like ankle or wrist weights. 

Restorative Yoga

This extremely gentle form of yoga for Parkinson's aims for deep relaxation by holding simple poses for extended periods with the support of props like cushions and blankets. The relaxation and stress relief provided by Restorative Yoga can help decrease the frequency and severity of tremors.

Somatic Yoga 

Focusing on the internal perception of movement rather than the external appearance of poses, Somatic Yoga helps to retrain the nervous system and muscle patterns. These get disrupted by Parkinson's disease. Practising somatic yoga poses can lead to improved motor control and reduced tremors.

Pranayama (Breath Control Yoga)

Pranayama for Parkinson's disease involves controlling the breath to influence the body's energy flow. Regular practice can calm the mind and reduce anxiety, which often exacerbates tremors in Parkinson's patients.

Yoga Nidra 

It is a form of guided meditation called yogic sleep, which induces deep relaxation but with full consciousness. It can help manage stress and reduce involuntary muscle activity, as seen in tremors.

Each yoga practice offers a peaceful yet powerful way to tackle the challenges of Parkinson's tremors, emphasising physical improvements and mental and emotional well-being. By incorporating these techniques into a routine, many find a significant improvement in managing their symptoms, leading to a better quality of life.

Taking a Closer Look into Research 

Several studies have pointed to yoga as one of the holistic or herbal cures for Parkinson's disease. It's not only a feasible and effective intervention but also a potentially transformative approach to improve the quality of life for those with Parkinson's.

Overview of Findings

Improvement in Motor Function

Research consistently shows that yoga can improve motor function among people with Parkinson's. A randomised controlled trial highlighted in the "Journal of Yoga & Physical Therapy" showed that participants with Parkinson's who engaged in an 8-week yoga program experienced reduced tremor and rigidity, improved balance, and better posture.

Enhanced Mental Well-Being 

Beyond the physical improvements, yoga offers substantial mental health benefits. The mindfulness and meditative aspects of yoga help reduce stress and anxiety, which are known to exacerbate tremors. A 2017 systematic review published in "JAMA Neurology" noted that mindfulness yoga, in particular, helps decrease stress levels and improve emotional regulation in Parkinson's patients.

Neuroplasticity

Some studies have explored the potential of yoga to foster neuroplasticity—the brain's ability to reorganise itself by forming new neural connections. You can characterise Parkinson's for this crucial aspect by the degeneration of neural pathways that control movement. By engaging in yoga, patients may enhance their brain's ability to manage motor function and coordination, indirectly impacting the control of tremors.

Quality of Life 

Several studies have emphasised that yoga significantly enhances the overall quality of life for those with Parkinson's. This improvement is multifaceted, derived from better physical health, reduced symptoms, enhanced mental health, and greater social connectedness when practising in group settings. Another study published in the "Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine" found that an integrated approach that included yoga led to sustained improvement in motor scores for up to 6 months after the intervention.

Considerations and Future Directions

While existing research is promising, there is still a need for large-scale, long-term studies to fully understand the extent of yoga as an alternative medicine for Parkinson's tremors and other symptoms. Most studies have been small and have varied in methodology, type of yoga practised, and outcomes measured.

Summarising It For You

As we wrap up our exploration of yoga and its impact on Parkinson's disease, we must highlight it here. "The body benefits from movement, and the mind benefits from stillness." For individuals with Parkinson's, this wisdom can be particularly transformative. 

Many have trodden this path with remarkable outcomes. Notably, Michael J. Fox has openly discussed how adopting various wellness practices, including elements of yoga, has played a role in his fight against Parkinson's. His journey is a testament to the power of maintaining an active and mindful lifestyle in the face of such challenges.

So, why make yoga more than just an activity? Let it be a lifestyle. The consistency of practice enhances physical control and fosters mental resilience. Take a decisive stand against your tremors by regularly stepping onto the mat. After all, in the battle against Parkinson's, every little bit of relief is a step toward victory.