THE YOGIC TREATMENT FOR ULCER PROBLEM!

 

                                      ULCER SOLUTIONS

                                     PEPTIC ULCER IS A CORROSIVE SORE OCCURRING AT THE LOWER END OF THE OESOPHAGUS, IS THE STOMACH WALL, OR IN THE UPPER PART OF THE DUODENUM, JUST BEYOND THE PYLORIC VALVE.

MEDICAL SCIENCE RECOGNIZES TWO DISTINCT TYPES OF PEPTIC ULCER, DEPENDING ON THE SITE AT WHICH THEY HAVE DEVELOPED. 

1. GASTRIC ULCER (IN THE WALL OF THE STOMACH)
2. DUODENAL ULCER, WITH SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT SYMPTOMS AND PATERNS OF INCIDENCE.

GASTRIC ULCER

THE MAJOR SYMPTOMS OF GASTRIC ULCER ARE GNAWING MIDSTERNAL PAIN AGGRAVATED BY FOOD, TENDERNESS AT THE PIT OF THE STOMACH, VOMITTING AND HAEMORRHAGE (INTERNAL BLEEDING), THERE IS USUALLY AN ASSOCIATED LOSS OF APPETITE AND WEIGHT. THE CONDITION DEVELOPS AFTER FREQUENT OR LONG-STANDING BOUTS OF LESS SEVERE GASTRIC INFLAMMATION (GASTRITIS). THE PAIN AND THE CONDITON ARE AGGRAVATED BY A RICH, SPICY DIET, ALCOHOL AND SMOKING, WHILE TEMPORARY RELIEF IS OBTAINED FROM MILK, BLAND PREPARATIONS AND BY FASTING.

SUCH PEOPLE OFTEN AGGRACATE THEIR CONDITION BY INDULGING IN EXCESSIVE SMOKING AND /OR DRINKING IN ORDER TO "CALM DOWN AND RELAX". BOTH THESE HABITS ARE GASTRIC IRRITANTS IN THEIR OWN RIGHT, AND SERVE ONLY TO FURTHER IRRITATE THE ULCER.

CAUSE OF ULCER

MEDICAL SCIENCE AND YOGA ARE IN ACCORDANCE IN RECOGNIZING THAT PEPTIC ULCER IS A PSYCHOSOMATIC DISEASE. EXPERIMENTS HAVE SHOWN THAT THE LINING OF THE STOMACH IS AN EXTREMELY SENSITIVE RECORDER OF OUR EMOTIONAL STATES. IT HAS BEEN OBSERVED TO BLANCH WHEN A FEARFUL OR THREATENING SITUATION ARISES AND TO BLUSH RED WHEN RAGE AND ANGER ARE EXPRESSED. PHYSIOLOGISTS NOW RECOGNIZE THAT EMOTIONAL TENSIONS AND PSYCHIC STRESS FACTORS, INCLUDING HIGH LEVELS OF FRUSTRATION, ARE RELAYED TO THE DIGESTIVE ORGANS AND GLANDS VIA THE SYMPATHETIC (SOLAR PLEXUS) AND PARASYMPATHETIC (VAGUS) NERVE PATHWAYS.

MECHANISM OF ULCER PAIN

THE WHOLE PSYCHOPHYSIOLOGICAL PROCESS OF ULCER PAIN CAN BE SUMMED UP BYTHE EXPRESSION "WHAT'S EATING YOU?, FOR SUFFERERS ARE LITERALLY EATING THEMSELVES UP BY TRANSFERRING UNRESOLVED MENTAL CONFLICTS, EMOTIONAL TENSIONSAND ENXIETIESINTO ADDICTIONS AND  POOR EATING HABITS.

TREATMENT OF ULCER

DOCTORS WHO UTILIZE YOGA IN THEIR PRACTICE HAVE FOUND THAT A COMBINATION OF CONSERATIVE MEDICAL MANAGEMENT AND YOGIC PRACTICES IS THE MOST EFFECTIVE WAY IN WHICH AN ULCER CAN HEAL. CRIPPLING ANXIETY PROBLEMS CAN BE EFFECTIVELY RESOLVED, ADDICTIONS OVERCOME AND A MORE BALANCED LIFESTYLE EVOLVED, EVEN IN THE MIDST OF THE PRESSURE AND DEMANDS OF MODERN LIFE. THE ADDITION OF YOGIC PRACTICES TO CONVENTIONAL MEDICAL MANAGEMENT ENABLES THE ULCER SUFFERER TO IMPLEMENT SPECIFIC LIFESTYLE ALTERATIONS WHICH PREVENT A RECURRENCE OF THE ULCER AND THE PROSPECT OF MAJOR SURGERY.

YOGIC MANAGEMENT OF ULCER

COMPLETE REST AND A CHANGE OF ENVIRONMENT IS HIGHLY RECOMMENDED AS THE FIRST STEP IN ULCER THERAPY. THIS WILL ENABLE THE SUFFERER TO COMPLETELY FORGETABOUT THE TENSION OF WORK, RELATIONSHIPS, ETC. A MINIMUM OF ONE MONTH IS USUALLY NECESSARY, AND AN ASHRAM ENVIRONMENT IS IDEAL.

1. ASANA : SIMPLE RELAXING ASANAS CAN BE INTRODUCED AFTER TWO WEEKS, WHEN INITIAL HEALING HAS OCCURED AND PAIN HAS BEEN RELIEVED. THESE MUST BE PERFORMED INA NON-COMPETITIVE, ENJOYABLE WAY, WITH EMPHASIS ON RELAXATION AND AWARENESS. PAWANMUKTASANA PART 1 AND 2 SHOULD BE PRACTICED DAILY FOR TWO WEEKS, FOLLOWED BY SURYA NAMASKARA TO CAPACITY IN THE SECOND TWO WEEKS. SHASHANKASANA AND SHAVASANA ARE RECOMMENDED.
2. PRANAYAMA : BHRAMARI AND NADI SHODHANA WILL INDUCE RELAXATION, IF PRACTICED DAILY AND WITHOUT ANY STRAIN.
3. SHATKARMA : NETI AND LAGHOO SHANKHAPRAKSHALANA CAN BE INTRODUCED AFTER SOME TIME, BUT KUNJAL IS CONTRAINDICATED IN ALL ULCER CASES BECAUSE OF THE RISK OF DISTURBING THE HEALING ULCER. ANY PATIENT WITH A HISTORY OF DISTURBING THE HEALING ULCER. ANY PATIENT WITH A HISTORY OF VOMITING BLOOD OR PASSING BLOOD WITH THE STOOL SHOULD NOT BE PRESCRIBED KUNJAL KRIYA UNLESS UNDER EXPERT GUIDANCE.
4. RELAXATION : DAILY PRACTICE  OF YOGA NIDRA, WHICH INDUCES A STATE OF MENTAL AND EMOTIONAL RELAXATION, IS MOST IMPORTANT IN THE RESOLUTION OF ANXIETIES AND INNER CONFLICTS.
5. KARMA YOGA : PERFORMANCE OF SOME SIMPLE TASK INA NON-COMPETITIVE ENVIRONMENT, E.G. CARPENTARY OR GARDENING  FOR A FEWHOURS, IS AN EXCELLENT PRESCRIPTION FOR A FORMERLY TENSE DESK WORKER. KARMA YOGA BRINGS MENTAL RELEASE, RELAXATION AND THE POTENTIAL FOR CREATIVE EXPRESSION.
6. DIET : INITIALLY A DIET CONSISTING OF MILK AND NON-ACIDIC FRUIT IS HIGHLY RECOMMENDED TO PROMOTE HEALING. ALTERNATIVELY, A LIGHT DIET OF VEGETABLE BROTH, KHICHARI, MILK AND BLAND FRUITS IS ACCEPTABLE. AT ALL COSTS, SPICY AND HEAVY  FOODS, SMOKING AND ALCOHOL SHOULD BE AVOIDED.