|
?:reviewBody
|
-
An August 2016 New York Post article reporting that an elderly New York woman got complete relief from a curved and painful back by doing one month of yoga has gone viral. But a spine surgeon told us it's unlikely yoga alone miraculously cured her. The 8 August 2016 account stated that 86-year-old Anna Pesce, the yoga grandma, now stands tall despite suffering from a herniated disc, scoliosis, and osteoporosis, and the feel-good premise has become popular on Facebook, prompting other news outlets to cover the story. The Post article said Pesce had lived with a hunched-over posture for decades, and in 2014 she experienced debilitating pain trying to climb a set of stairs that left her wheelchair-bound — until she discovered yoga: But Dr. Nick Shamie, a spine surgeon and professor of orthopedic surgery and neurosurgery at the University of California at Los Angeles, told us that while practicing yoga has likely been good for Pesce's overall health, he can't credit it with healing her back: Acute pain from a back injury, depending on the source and severity, often goes away with no more help than the body's natural ability to heal over time. Dr. Shamie said he himself practices yoga but stressed that while he generally considers it beneficial, people with back pain need to see a medical doctor before jumping into an exercise regimen: It's not uncommon for patients and their loved ones to mistake whatever course of action they've taken to relieve their symptoms as a miracle cure when it coincides with relief (even though the relationship isn't necessarily a causal one): Dr. Jeffrey Wang, co-director of the Spine Center at the University of Southern California and professor of orthopaedic surgery and neurosurgery, said yoga does help some of his patients — the regimen can help straighten out a hunched spine if the patient doesn't have a rigid deformity, which can only be corrected through surgery: He believes Pesce to have had a flexible deformity, which are caused by muscle weakness and not fixed skeletal issues. If that is the case, it is possible yoga could have helped her strengthen core muscles and straighten out her back: Pesce's yoga instructor, Rachel Jesien, pointed out that she and other teachers she works with have developed a special yoga program to help people with scoliosis and other back problems. She said Pesce's dedication and hard work were key to her recovery. Without contacting her personal doctor or seeing her medical records, it's hard to verify exactly what helped her overcome her back problem. Yoga seems to have played a positive role in her life, regardless of whether it was the cure, but doctors caution that it isn't for everyone and urge potential yogis to seek out professional medical care and good instructors to ensure safety.
(en)
|
![[This page as RDF]](http://data.gesis.org/claimskg/static/rdf-icon.gif){kind=icon}