How Yoga Can Relieve the Symptoms of Acid Reflux

With the increasing trend of unhealthy and highly processed food consumption, acid reflux has become a more common problem. According to an estimate, only in America, 20% of people are living with this health issue.

If not addressed at an early stage, acid reflux can become chronic and result in ulcers. Hence, it is vital to manage its symptoms through lifestyle changes and natural treatments. One of the most effective ways to treat acid reflux is to do yoga.

Scientific research suggests that different yoga poses are instrumental in checking the symptoms of this condition. If you want to know more, keep reading. This article will shed light on how yoga can help relieve the symptoms of acid reflux.

5 Ways Yoga Can Soothe the Symptoms of Acid Reflux

With time, yoga has proven to be an excellent solution for various fitness and wellness issues. For instance, studies reveal that this ancient practice is effective in soothing acid reflux symptoms in the following ways:

1. Enhances Anti-reflux Barrier Function

Your body contains a natural anti-reflux barrier that works to prevent the backflow of acid. This structure is made up of a strong band of muscles and is called the lower esophageal sphincter or LES.

This sphincter is basically a muscular valve that only opens when food is to enter the stomach. Soon after serving its purpose, it closes to prevent food from getting back into the esophagus, the most common cause of acid reflux.

For this, maintaining optimum LES pressure is necessary. Otherwise, this sphincter can weaken and stop functioning properly. As a result, food constantly comes back to the food pipe, resulting in a burning sensation.

Different yoga poses, like reclining bound angle, are considered instrumental in strengthening the anti-reflux barrier and enhancing its function. You can join the yoga studio to practice yoga poses to improve the function of LES and reduce the risk of acid reflux.

2. Lessens Stress

Most people with acid reflux issues are oblivious to the fact that stress can potentially trigger and worsen the situation. That is why, during or after a period of stress, they start experiencing this discomforting condition.

There are multiple ways stress can stimulate acid reflux in your body, for instance:

Changes in the brain caused by stress can make pain receptors more sensitive to even a slight amount of acid
Stress reduces the amount of chemicals like prostaglandins that reduce the effect of acid on the stomach
When coupled with exhaustion, stress can result in negative bodily changes that open the gateway to acid reflux

Therefore, you must manage stress by doing yoga. This incredible practice has remarkable benefits regarding stress management. You can test the restorative bridge, corpse, child, and other poses for this purpose.

3. Manages Depression and Anxiety

Usually, depression and anxiety are perceived as the same things. However, in essence, these three terms refer to various mental health conditions. Depression is when you feel hopeless, unhappy, and mentally exhausted.

On the other hand, the term anxiety describes a situation where a person feels dread, fear, and nervousness. However, when it comes to acid reflux, both stress and anxiety can aggravate the symptoms.

On one side, depression and anxiety can significantly enhance the production of stomach acid, leading to an unbearable burning sensation. On the other side, both these issues can develop muscle tension, pushing the acid up.

Like stress, you can alleviate the symptoms of depression and anxiety by doing yoga poses like easy pose, shoulder stand, and child’s pose.

4. Maintains Weight

The link between weight and acid is no longer hidden. In the past few years, various scientific studies have proven that obesity is one of the leading causes of this health issue.

Extra body fat is responsible for putting pressure on the stomach. This pressure is more than it can endure. As a result, your stomach squeezes, and fluid starts flowing in an upward direction.

Yoga poses like sun salutation, bridge pose, upward plank, and others can be instrumental in managing or decreasing weight. Therefore, most people join a yoga studio to practice yoga to shed extra pounds and manage acid reflux.

5. Increases Diaphragm Strength

The movement of breathing in and breathing out is facilitated by a muscle called the diaphragm. This muscle has a dome-like shape and is located below your stomach.

That is why the diaphragm also plays an important role in regulating the function of the stomach and the natural anti-reflux barrier, LES. During inhalation, this muscle helps the stomach compress and increases pressure on the LES to close.

As a result, acid backflow is prevented effectively. If the diaphragm weakens, the pressure in the LES also decreases, leading to the beginning of the symptoms of acid reflux.

You can increase your diaphragm strength by doing yoga poses like cobra pose, bridge pose, and fish pose. These poses are excellent for strengthening the muscle and alleviating acid reflux symptoms.

Do You Want to Practice Yoga for Acid Reflux Management?

It is vital to lessen the symptoms of acid reflux to prevent it from developing other health issues. Yoga has the potential to check the signs of this health condition. Contact a certified yoga trainer to incorporate yoga into your routine and manage acid reflux.