I have read it is not advised to do Yoga positions that have your head below your heart such as 'Downward Dog' 'Forward Fold' etc. They say that these positions add extra pressure in your eyes.
Is this the case? Have any studies been done to prove this?
I have POAG Glaucoma and i am a practitioner of Yoga
Morning! I found this clinical trial that provides some evidence that IOPs are temporarily raised during certain yoga positions, however I think they are still doing trials to see if yoga positions in so doing could increase the likihood of glaucoma progression.
pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/266...
Hope this is helpful. If I find anything else I will post.
As an aside, I practice pilates (started in 2011) but since diagnosis with POAG in 2018 I now avoid head below heart movements. The way I was taught pilates I don’t particularly hold poses anyway, I move through so any position is not held longer than a few seconds. I only practice at home now as classes couldn’t seem to remove enough head below heart poses and I was left waiting for next move or doing my own thing so eventually I just decided to go it alone.
I have already lost vision so I am perhaps more cautious than most about anything that may advance progression of my sight loss.
Pilates and yoga with correct practice have so many health benefits that I guess you have to weigh up the potential risks and make your own choices. Most glaucona consultants are happy for patients to continue to practice yoga but advise to cut out holding any head below heart moves.
Hi Massieg I pretty much second what Beecalmed has just said. My consultant actually advised me against inverted Yoga positions as they do temporarily cause your IOP to rise, basically no positions where you head is below your heart in any workout at all. I loved yoga, it gave me a great sense of calm but as I have lost quite a lot of vision due to late diagnosis I personally opted not to go to yoga classes anymore.I do still do practice yoga at home I just modify my routine, I also do Pilates and some form of workout everyday .
Thanks for reply. As I said to Beecalmed I have decided to take the cautious route and not do any position resulting in my head below my heart. I have found plenty online Yoga classes on You tube that do not have inverted yoga positions.
That's exactly what I do as I'm not willing to possibly risk anymore damage to my eyes.
Hello Massieg. There have been a number of studies which shows that certain positions where the head is below the heart can cause the IOP to rise. These can be adapted to lesson the rise in IOP, while still enjoying the benefits of yoga. The article below give examples of how to do this.
aao.org/eyenet/article/glau...
Trish. Thanks for the reply the article you directed me to 'Glaucoma and exercise' is very informative. I am a fairly active person and want to be sure that any exercise I do is not going to make or has the potential to make my POAG Glauoma worse
As I've noted in another recent thread on this topic, I have been measuring my IOP at home for about 10 months now, using the Icare Home tonometer. One of the main reasons I got it was to see whether yoga and other activities (like strenuous cycling) increase my IOP.
I have measured after many yoga sessions, mainly at home but also after classes at my local studio. I have continued to do downward-facing dog and forward fold, but I hold them for just one or two breath cycles. I've avoided legs up the wall or any other where I would hold the position for an extended time. I also make sure my head is at least a bit elevated (on a blanket or pillow) when lying flat on my back.
What I have noticed is at most a very modest increase of ~ 2mmHg, Sometimes nothing at all.
Just lying flat on my back or prone on my stomach, without raising my head a bit, can cause more of an increase.
Also it goes without saying that any extended breath holding should be avoided during any exercise activity as this can also raise IOP too. Therefore following good practice in yoga and pilates, to continue to breath steadily, with no breath holding, throughout a movement or hold, obviously, is also very important. This point often gets overlooked when discussing raised IOPs and yoga/pilates with the focus on head below heart positions. With any position it’s easy to inadvertently hold your breath if you haven’t been trained properly from the start to maintain correct breathing.
Hi
I used to do yoga before my high IOP changed to glaucoma. The yoga teacher used to ask if anyone had any medical conditions she should know about. When I mentioned high IOP she advised me not to do head stands and some other positions.
Best wishes
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