¿Puede el yoga ayudar realmente a la GEFS? Vea lo que dicen las investigaciones
La glomeruloesclerosis segmentaria focal (GFS) es una enfermedad renal crónica que puede afectar a la función renal. También puede causar dolor, hinchazón, fatiga y otros síntomas que pueden afectar a la salud y la calidad de vida de las personas.
To learn whether a Mind-Body Intervention can provide health benefits for someone living with a chronic kidney disease (CKD), researchers studied the impact of yoga.
Yoga is an umbrella term for a variety of ancient practices that combine physical poses, concentration, and deep breathing. It typically connects movement with mindfulness for both physical and mental well-being. It is often used as a complementary approach along with traditional treatment for a variety of health conditions because of its many health benefits (and little risk or financial cost).
Yoga and Chronic Kidney Disease
In this study, researchers followed 50 patients with CKD for six months. In this group, 25 patients stayed with conventional treatments, and 25 patients were offered yoga therapy along with conventional treatments.
In the group who practiced yoga, the following benefits were observed:
significant reduction of blood pressure (both systolic and diastolic numbers). This is important because controlling high blood pressure (or hypertension) can help slow disease progression and lower risk for heart disease.
reduction in urea and creatinine in the blood, which can improve kidney function
significant improvement in physical health and mental wellbeing, which can lead to an improved quality of life.
In another study with patients on dialysis, a 3-month yoga intervention was proven to be significantly effective in managing pain, fatigue, and sleep disturbance. Patients practicing yoga also experienced significant reduction in creatinine, blood urea, alkaline phosphatase, and cholesterol.
Incorporar el yoga para ayudar a la GEFS
In each of these studies, yoga was practiced five days a week or more for at least four months in a row. If you are new to yoga, this may sound overwhelming. But the reality is that you can practice yoga in your home with relative ease. Let’s review a few details from these studies.
In the first study, patients trained in Asanas. That’s a type of yoga that uses specific body postures that help you stretch and lengthen. Postures incorporate stretching while standing, sitting, or lying down. Patients practiced Asanas for 15-20 minutes.
As part of their daily yoga, they also practiced breathing techniques (called Pranayama) for 10-15 minutes and relaxation techniques with mindfulness for another 20 minutes.
In the second study, participants practiced a style of yoga called Hatha yoga, which is a slow and gentle practice that connects the breath with body and mind.
While these studies prescribed a particular yoga practice with their study participants, it’s likely other styles of yoga deliver benefit as well. You can always explore different practices to see what you like and what works for you.
Tips to Get You Started.
Here are a few tips to get started with a yoga practice:
1.) Hable con su médico antes de comenzar cualquier nueva rutina de ejercicios.
2.) Investiga. Hay muchas maneras de aprender sobre el yoga. Hoy en día, hay grandes videos en YouTube, usted puede conseguir un libro de la biblioteca, o puede preguntar a amigos y familiares lo que pueden recomendar. También puedes encontrar un estudio de yoga local o clases de yoga que se ofrezcan de forma gratuita en tu comunidad (muchas bibliotecas o centros comunitarios o de mayores ofrecen clases de yoga gratuitas para los residentes).
3.) Busca un lugar cómodo en tu casa que te parezca tranquilo o silencioso. Es conveniente que lleves ropa cómoda y una alfombra antideslizante.
4.) Empieza donde estás. El yoga es tu propio viaje sin un estado de perfección hacia el que te esfuerzas y sin competencia con otros. Se llama práctica porque es tu práctica. Es tu oportunidad de comprobarte a ti mismo y ser consciente de cómo te sientes.
5.) Mantén una práctica regular. Cuanto más hagas yoga, más querrás hacerlo. Así que empieza con programas más cortos (15-20 minutos) mientras desarrollas el hábito. Conoce lo que te gusta y lo que te hace sentir bien. A medida que empieces a sentirte cómodo con el yoga y tus capacidades, podrás ampliar tu práctica para obtener un beneficio continuo.
Reference:
RK, Arya TV, Kumar A, Yadav A. Effects of 6 months yoga program on renal functions and quality of life in patients suffering from chronic kidney disease. Int J Yoga 2017;10:3-8.
