Army Veteran Woodi dealt with pain by taking medication for years until she found an alternative: regular yoga at the Salt Lake City VA.
The program is only one of many alternative therapies designed to help Veterans improve their quality of life. Woodi and her yoga instructor, Yael, sat down with us to talk about their experiences.
I was diagnosed with stenosis of the back about six, seven years ago. So I have been through a lot of different therapies for my back. And the best thing that I found last year was the yoga class.
I was referred to yoga by my physical therapist. But the one who convinced me to go to the yoga class and take the yoga class was the actual instructor, Yael. And I really thought she was crazy. I thought, how can you ask someone with a bad back to do yoga? I had no idea that yoga is done in so many different ways and for people of all ages and all abilities.
I teach trauma-sensitive yoga at the Salt Lake City VA. Trauma-sensitive yoga is designed specifically to meet the needs of all physical abilities and all emotional conditions. And it’s a great way to deal with lower back pain.
A lot of people – not just Veterans, but a lot of people – have back issues. And so these simple yoga stretches can be wonderful for helping to release some of the lower back pain and to make your body healthier.
Take a deep breath. Now put your hands up, and then you release.
The feeling I get for myself in my back is, it kind of does a tension, and then it releases the back. And then you have all the tension go away. And then you feel more comfortable.
VA has made a huge difference in my life. I’ve tried everything VA offered. The yoga class has just loosened my back up, taken away a lot of my pain, just helped me to be able to move better, to have a better quality of life, to take less medication.
Before I started yoga, I was taking about four Lortab a day. Sometimes I would take acetaminophen in between that because I just had so much pain in my back.
But through having the yoga classes and staying with the yoga classes, I have actually decreased my pain medications down to one Lortab a day, which my doctors are very happy about. That has made a life change. I can’t even put a value on it because it is that important to me.
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The Care at the Salt Lake City VA is the best I have encountered. As a Vietnam ding era ex critical care nurse I am very critical about medical care and the care here tops all charts. I drive five hours to get my care here and it is worth it.
I am so grateful to the wonderful doctors and nurses, auxiliary staff and all hose who keep the VA going including the tireless volunteers.
I utililize the Loma Linda VA Hospital facility & have high regard for the care given. Having served as a PJ in the medical field... Kudos!
I am very fortunate that I don't have to travel very far to go to the Providence VA. I have been in 6 VA units since 1958 and I have found that the Providence VA has suited me. The problem I have encountered in dealing with medical professionals that have never had the pain or the type of pain I have had, and am still having. It is extremely difficult to share. Once it is understood, bam, it gets taken care of. But I'm not left in the dark while they are trying to find the answers. i'M KEPT IN THE LOOP. And to me, that is important. As most know, finding the cause of some pains is difficult and it is frustrating both for me and my spouse. I'm like most Vets, I don't like taking heavy drugs. I'm afraid of heavy drugs. I don't like the way it makes me feel. One day I'm hoping someone will find the answer. I've tried pretty much everything out there, from heavy drugs, to exercise, to groups.
Literally government propaganda
Severely truncated and lacking in vital information? Sure. Propaganda (lol)? It's literally not. You may unsubscribe from VA newsletters at your leisure, Rocky.