3
Chapter
DiagnosisTests of our aims of exercising Tests of our aims of exercising- Ask your partner or a friend to take this
measurement. - Repeat for the other side.
The Apley scratch test covers an important part of
the functional capacity of the shoulder and is also an
exercise (see Chapter 6, exercise 4.11).
Tests for elbows, wrists, and hands
A quick examination of the elbow observes the
shape of the stretched elbow for valgus. Then bend-
ing, extending, and hyperextending can be observed.
For combinations with supination and pronation,
see Chapter 6, exercise 6.6. To test the different
aspects of the wrist, see Chapter 6, exercises 6.2–
6.4 and 6.7.Tests for the atlanto-occipital area
and the cervical spineLie on your back with your head supported comfort-
ably. The direction you are looking now indicates the
tilting of your head, and a possible tightness of the
atlanto-occipital or cervical area on the side where
your head is tilting.
When sitting or standing the head movements
bending forwards, backwards, side-bending and
rotation can be tested (see Chapter 6, exercises
5.3–5.5). Stability of this area is as important as
good mobility, as the cervical area contains vulner-
able parts. The muscles moving the cervical spine
should be strong enough and cooperate in a balanced
way to protect these vulnerable areas (see Chapter
6, exercises 5.2 and 5.6).Tests for the temporomandibular
jointWhen there are problems in this area dental and
orthodontic investigation is necessary. Meanwhile
patients can check a few simple changes for
themselves:
• Look in the mirror for deviations of the chin on
opening and closing the mouth.
• Feel the joint with the finger pads when
opening the mouth. Feel which side moves first, and feel whether the movement is smooth
(see Chapter 6, exercise 5.7).
• Feel the chewing muscles while clenching the
teeth.Testing strength
As a taxonomy of muscular strength, the cate-
gories of static, dynamic, and yielding strength
have proved to be a useful tool in practical work
(Zatsiorsky & Kraemer 2006 ). In real life and yoga
practice no sharp distinction between these types of
strength is made. In our therapeutic yoga approach
we mainly use static and yielding strength. We sug-
gest that you use some of the basic exercises and
āsanas and count how long or how often you can
perform them.
Some examples are found in Chapter 6, exercises
1.2, 1.15, and 4.9. All āsanas are suitable as well.Testing stamina
For the musculoskeletal system it is firstly relevant to
measure the improvement in how long you can hold a
contraction and how many times you can repeat cer-
tain movements without becoming tired and breath-
less. An everyday test is the distance you can walk or
go up the stairs you have to use regularly.
In general systemic diseases are not consid-
ered here. However, as the cardiovascular system
is closely related to the musculoskeletal system, it
is stressed with every activity of the musculoskel-
etal system. Therefore we will include the following
basic evaluation of the cardiovascular system:
Patients can note their increase in heart rate com-
pared to their resting pulse after aerobic activities
they do regularly for the same length of time, and
observe how the heart rate changes over time.Testing relaxation
From the physiological relaxation responses, such as
reducing heart rate, metabolism, rate of breathing,
blood pressure, and brain waves (Lasater 199 5 ,
p. 5), we choose the breath and heart rate as indica-
tors of relaxation.