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Written By: Editorial Team | Updated : February 7, 2019 11:58 AM IST
Yoga asanas can help bring relief © Shutterstock
For someone suffering from rheumatoid arthritis, day-t0-day activities can become a pain, quite literally. Rheumatoid arthritis refers to a chronic inflammatory disorder that affects the joints of your hands and feet. It is more common among those who are 40 and above and mostly affects women. In rheumatoid arthritis, the lining of your joints is affected which can lead to painful swelling. This could cause bone erosion and joint deformity. There are certain exercises that can help you deal with this painful condition. Here are some of them. Just make sure to perform these regularly. Don't expect to see the results immediately. Also, make sure that you consult with your doctor and your physiotherapist before doing these. It is important to do these exercises in their correct form or they could cause injuries.
Setubandhasana: To do this pose, lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor. Keep your arms by your sides with palms facing the floor. Use your arms strength and push your pelvis off the floor, towards the ceiling. Keep your body lifted such that your neck and head are still flat on the floor and the rest of your body is in the air, similar to a bridge. Exhale while doing this movement. Hold this pose for five steady, consistent breaths.
Vrikshasana: To do this pose, stand with your legs together. put most of your weight on one leg and raise the other leg such that your foot is facing inwards, towards your opposite knee. You can hold your ankle to help you pull up the leg. Place the heel of your foot on your inner thigh of the other leg, as close to the pelvis as possible.
Now gently raise your hands above your head making sure your fingers are pointing towards the ceiling. Make sure you focus your mind and try to maintain your balance. Breathing steadily and focusing on one spot in front of your eyes helps in maintaining the pose and not falling over.
Trikonasana: Stand straight and spread your legs apart. Turn one foot outwards such that your toes are facing sideways and turn your other foot slightly inwards. Now, stretch your arms sideways. Bend at your hips and lower one arm towards the outward turned leg while allowing the other arm to rise up towards the sky. Make sure you distribute your body weight equally on both your legs. Now, breathe out when you bend down. Place your arm either on your ankle, shin, knee, behind your ankle of in front of your ankle. Try to touch the floor with your palm. Breathe in and out softly and allow your body to relax. Make sure your hips are straight and you are not bending backwards or forwards. Hold this pose for five breath counts. Now, exhale and come up to the standing position. Repeat this on the other side.
