In November 2014 when 85-year-old Anna Pesce was visiting her children she almost collapsed trying to climb a set of stairs. She was carried up the stairs and put into a wheelchair where she stayed for the rest of her visit.
Anna Pesce’s Herniated Disc, Scoliosis and Osteoporosis
Suffering from a herniated disc, scoliosis, and osteoporosis, she was in constant pain that would only subside after a trip to the acupuncturist, physical therapist, or chiropractor. But the pain always came back. So, three months after the trip to see her kids, she started working with Rachel Jesien, a certified yoga instructor.
From the article:
“Jesien visited Pesce in her home once a week, teaching her restorative poses and stretches such as child’s pose and chair savasana, in which Pesce would rest her lower legs on a chair while lying on the floor with her knees slightly bent and a strap around her thighs. After one month of sessions, Pesce was able to walk again.
By her fourth month, Pesce could do a modified headstand, with her back against the wall and her feet parallel to her head in an inverted V-shape.“After two months, another big milestone was that [Pesce] knew what poses to do whenever the usual pains would come up for her,” Jesien says. “For example, if she was having hip pain, she’d sit on a chair and do an ankle-to-knee pose.”
Nearly two years later they are still doing weekly sessions.
Yoga, done under the guidance of a back care specialist, will strengthen bone density and muscles and alleviate back pain caused by osteoporosis, osteoarthritis and other conditions that affect the elderly (and the young, as well).
Pesce says, “I feel wonderful now because I can drive by myself and do the things I wasn’t able to do before. I would recommend this to other people.”
Good for you lady- keep up the good work! There’s hope for us all if she can do it!
Source: NY Post
