By Dr Carla Cupido • March 27th, 2008

Balance is the medicine for a healthy life. Both yoga and chiropractic center many of their principles on the idea of balance. In yoga, balance exists among sthira (steadiness and alertness) and sukha (the ability to remain comfortable in a posture), pose and counterpose, and prana (the breath that enters the body) and apana (the breath that exits the body). In chiropractic, balance is considered in the assessment and treatment of flexible muscles and strong muscles, restricted ligaments and lax ligaments, and unrestricted joints and stable joints. If both yoga and chiropractic focus on the idea of balance in the body, how is it that there is such a divide between the practices of chiropractic and yoga?

Chiropractic has evolved significantly since its inception in 1895. Canadian chiropractic educational institutions are now ensuring that this form of manual medicine is taught with an evidence based approach. This means that if there is research supporting the use of a type of assessment or treatment, they will teach it, otherwise it will not make it into the curriculum. This is now changing the way many Canadian graduates practise chiropractic. This relates to the issue of yoga being employed as a form of patient rehabilitation as there is little research supporting yoga as an effective therapeutic option. Research is plentiful if you want gym rehabilitation exercises for a shoulder injury, but minimal if you want to consider yoga as the rehabilitative medium. For chiropractors who practise with an evidence based focus, this lack of specific research disappointingly discourages them from trusting in yoga as an adjunct to their patient plan of management. There is, however, a growing interest within the research community in yoga. Neuromusculoskeletal conditions are not yet leading the topics being studied, but fortunately strides are being made in the right direction.

In contrast with those who use science as the platform for their practice, there are many chiropractors who base their methods to a great extent on philosophy or previous clinical success. Those who prescribe specific exercises for prevention or rehabilitation tend to side more with the science-based troop. ...

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Location:  Vancouver, CA

Dr. Cupido graduated from McMaster University with a degree in the Honours Bachelor of Kinesiology program. She went on to attend the Canadian Memorial Chiropractic College from which she graduated as a Doctor of Chiropractic with...