Imagine this, that someone one day finds that an internal organ or a body part has poked its way out through a wall of muscles or tissue which is supposed to hold it inside. That sounds painful, right? That is what hernia is. Today, I am going to talk about how to handle this condition.
The most common types of hernia.
Inguinal Hernia
Inguinal hernia happens when some fatty tissues or a part of your intestine pops into the groin right at the top of your inner thigh. This condition affects more men than women.
Femoral Hernia
Femoral hernia has the same story but location is different. This time, the fatty tissue or intestine gets into your groin near the inner thigh. It mostly bothers older women.
Umbilical Hernia
Umbilical hernia happens when the fatty tissue or a bit of intestine pushes its way through the wall near navel.
Heatle Herni.
Heatle hernia is about one’s stomach pushing up into one’s chest through an opening in the diaphragm. Diaphragm is the muscle wall between your stomach and chest. Fifth, incisional hernia. Incisional hernia happens when the tissue decides to pop up through a scar from an old surgery.
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Why do hernias come when they are not invited? To answer this, let’s see the cause.
- Weak muscle is one reason. Some people are born with weak muscles and some just gather them as they age.
- Lifting heavy stuff more than your capacity is another reason.
- Obesity is also not good for your abdominal wall. Fourth, during pregnancy, the additional weight can strain the abdominal walls.
- Frequent coughing and crying can cause hernia.
- Straining your abdominal muscles while passing stools because of constipation. When you push your stools hard, that causes hernia. Sneezing very hard and even intense gym workout can lead to a hernia.
- Those who have passed surgery are also prone to hernia if they do not take proper care.
Symptoms
If hernia happens in abdomen or groins, you might notice a lump of bulge that appears and disappears. Laughing, crying, coughing, any sudden action movement can make it come out again. There are also other symptoms. For example, swelling in your groin or scrotum, pain at the bulge site, especially when lifting heavy stuff. Third, if it’s a hiatus hernia, you might get a heartburn, indigestion and some other similar symptoms.
So how can a yoga help when you have a hernia?
Yoga can help to prevent hernia in its occurring at first place. Yoga can’t perform miracle cures after hernia occurs. Once there is a tear, then surgery is required to close the tear. Remember, after surgery, take it slow. And when you are ready, start gently with certain asanas that strengthen your core without pushing it too far. Yoga should surely help to prevent hernia from becoming worse. This involves strengthening your abdominal muscles, shedding some extra weight and practicing mindfulness.
How yoga can contribute to hernia management?
As always, yoga offers a holistic approach with the four pillars of ahar, diet, vihar, rest, recreation, sleep, achar, your routine and management with outside world and vichar, your thought processes.
Diet
Dealing with hernia, maintaining a proper diet is very important. Include whole grains, fruits, vegetables, legumes to provide essential nutrients and to promote digestion. Eat in moderation. Avoid putting excessive strain into the abdominal area. Overeating can worsen hernia symptoms. Drink sufficient water throughout the day to maintain proper hydration and to support healthy bodily function.
Avoid food that may cause gas or bloating, such as beans, cabbage and even carbonated beverages. Gas can increase hernia discomfort. Avoid bakery products, cakes, pastries, biscuits and all that. Because the food which you are eating should be fully fibrous food to prevent hernia, to prevent bloating and to prevent obesity.
Also read, https://www.healthline.com/health/hernia
Vihar, rest and recreation
A balanced lifestyle is essential for hernia management. Always remember to move mindfully. Avoid certain jerky actions that can strain the abdomen. Bring awareness to your everyday activities. When you stand or walk, maintain proper posture to support your spine and remove pressure from the abdominal area.
Take rest or simply lie down for some time when you feel uncomfortable due to hernia. It is important to take time after surgery, say around 3 months are required or as advised by doctors before taking up regular activities and regular asana practices. After surgery, you should use a pillow on the area of incision while coughing, sneezing.
Achar or routines
After the surgery, recovery period, start with lighter asanas which would strengthen the pelvic floor without undue pressure and then build it up with another abdominal strengthening asana like pavanamritasana, aspanamguthasana in a supine position after you completely recover.
And when the above mentioned asanas are practiced daily and your abdominal muscles are well strengthened, only then you should consider doing other asanas. Avoid lifting both legs at the same time because this would increase abdominal pressure. Surya namaskar, all prone asanas and backbend like ushtasana should be added much much later. All pranams can be done except and should be totally avoided even after complete recovery.
Do deep breathing exercises like diaphragmatic breathing to reduce stress, improve lung function and aid digestion. Pay close attention to your body signal. If some activity and body posture causes discomfort, modify or stop it immediately.
A healthy mindset is always good for the healing process. First of all, accept your body the way it is. Yes, with all its perfection and imperfection. Secondly, only you can understand yourself and your discomfort. So, give priority to self-care. With proper care, you can experience positive changes in your hardiya management. Stay mindful with your body and let yoga guide you in your healing path. Remember, it is all about progress, not perfection.