Viniyoga Therapy for the Upper Back, Neck & Shoulders with Gary Kraftsow

This will be a long review, but the short version is--this DVD is darn near magic. Buy it. Really. Now here's why I recommend it, and have recommended it a dozen times plus bought it and the lower back version for my father.I have scoliosis with a curvature in two planes and no curve in my neck, which makes for chronic, daily back pain. One of my doctors told me once he never expected me to be pain free with all the twists and turns I've got. Now, don't get me wrong. Scoliosis can't kill you, and it's not nearly as serious as what a lot of my friends are dealing with. But it can just make your life painful and inconvenient, so it's worth working to improve it. About two years ago I started seeing a chronic pain doctor who gave me pain killers and recommended steroid/painkiller shots in my back (facette injections). I've been thinking about the shots, but it makes me uncomfortable (they do them under x-ray to make sure they don't hit an important nerve--eek!), and while the pills work well, I don't want to be on narcotics the rest of my life, and it's a life of slowly increasing doses, plus the very real risk of addition. Not something to screw around with.About four months ago, with too much time at the desk, it got to the point where I would either have to get the shots or increase my pain medication, and I didn't want to do either. I had been given exercises from a physical therapist, but they were terrible hand-drawn handouts on a sheet of paper, and I was too lazy to do them. So I thought a DVD might help, someone to follow along with, nice music. My goal was to just not have to get the shots or increase the meds.So, I went looking for a DVD and came across this one. The reviews were amazing, almost unbelievable. I thought the DVD couldn't possibly work that well for everyone. However, I figured even if it helps a little, that's all I need. The DVD arrived and I did the 22-minute practice (there are three--the first two are to get you out of pain, the third is to strengthen your back so you don't go back there).I felt a little better *immediately.* Better pain relief than with any chiropractic or physical therapy appointment. Only thing it didn't outperform was hydrocodone, and well, that makes sense. I then did it three times a day for two days and noticed an immediate, amazing difference. I no longer had to increase my pain meds, and I even started reducing what I took. After two days. I slacked off a bit, and I still felt better, so it wasn't just a have-to-do-it for the effect--it must actually help healing. Now, I'm trying to get on a regular, non-lazy routine with it and then reduce my medication. I might be able to get off it entirely. The pain is under the pain level, so now I get to figure out where it is. As you may have noticed, this way, way outdid my goal of just not having to take a more aggressive treatment step.There are also other things I love about the DVD. Gary Kraftsow's voice is very calming and relaxing. The person demonstrating the DVD isn't a size 0 22-year old woman who can put her leg next to her ear. It's a middle-aged guy (not Gary), on a white screen and a yoga mat, and he's a little chubby, a little balding, and not terribly flexible. In other words, a normal person. I found him very likable, and that's not something I ever thought about before. It's relaxing enough to do right before bed, in the morning, etc. I love it. You can even download MP3s from the DVD so you can do the practice via a player/phone if the visuals are inconvenient.My dad had complained about back pain, so after I felt better after one workout, I sent him the DVD plus the one for lower back. I've seen some folks complain that the two DVDs aren't different enough, but what did they expect? Upper back and lower back are inches away from each other, so they probably have similar exercises. I thought it was nice that the two DVDs were available, because so many folks have trouble primarily with one or the other. I felt good about getting the upper back because that's exactly my problem. Anyway.Here's another thing I noticed. I woke up one morning very stiff and did the DVD. The DVD did not make me feel better immediately--I was stiff in a slightly different way, but by the end of the day it had gotten better, and I know I was better faster than if I hadn't done the DVD. I mention this in case someone does the DVD, doesn't feel immediately better, and gets frustrated. It might just be one of those days when the body needs more than twenty minutes to get things going in the right way. Don't get discouraged.I had just hoped for feeling a little better, not magic on a DVD. I give it my highest recommendation. Here's another way to think about it: my co-pay on my pills is $10. The DVD is $17. You can't even go to one chiropractic or physical therapist's appointment for $17 on most health plans. Even if it helps a little, it's worth it. And you can return it if it doesn't work--so no excuses! Get it! Sending you good wishes for good health (of course, wishes aren't enough. Action is sort of required.) ~WT Rose

Update Oct 4 2012: I stand by my review below but I have a major complaint in that I've already bought 2 of this DVD cause the first one started skipping and now within 6 weeks my new one is skipping so I'll have to replace it cause it is so vital to my back health. Sure wish they didn't make these on such low quality CD's. Now I will have bought 3 of these. If my next one starts to skip too I'm gonna have to freak out. Have a good day!I saw all the great reviews here on Amazon about this videos and got excited. I had 2 fusion surgeries on my neck in '09-'10 and since then have had chronic pain in my upper back, neck, and shoulders specifically. I was amazed to find a yoga video prescribed exactly for my worst areas of pain (I have hip pain too and their other video for hips/low back/sacrum is great also). I worry sometimes about the reviews where so many people back up the product with raving reviews. In the back of my mind I'm always thinking about some corporation having its employees write reviews so a product will sound amazing. I'm convinced it does happen on a small scale but I feel sure it hasn't happened here or if it did they were right anyway!It's been the most unique yoga routine that I've seen. It's not your standard down-dog/sun-series routine. I feel so good after (and during) the videos as they stretch and release just the right muscles. If I can make one complaint it's just that between this video and the low-back one there are quite a few of the same poses. I can see how they work both areas but I like to do both videos back-to-back and it's just a little disappointing when the same poses are coming up. I'd say maybe only 1/3 are the same at most and it's not enough to change my 5 star rating. Gary Kraftsow is a living god!

For the past few months I have been experiencing tingling sensations on the side of my neck, upper chest, upper back on the left side of my body when in various positions lying down, sitting or standing and pain when turning my head to the right as far as it will go. I checked with my primary care physician and he told me the problems were with my C-2, and between my C-6 and C-7 vertebrae and said I would probably need physical therapy to restore full range of motion and stop the tingling and pain.At amazon.com I searched for DVDs to help relieve neck and back pain that would demonstrate the correct way to do the exercises. Several yoga DVDs came up. I read the reviews by customers and this was one of the DVDs that was rated highly by customers who stated the exercises were simple (some said too simple and boring) and gave it rave reviews. As a consequence of the customer reviews and the description of the viniyoga therapy method and one other "simple" yoga DVD I ordered both DVDs from amazon.When this DVD arrived I watched it all the way through and was totally dismayed. Gary Kraftsow used pictures from an anatomical chart to identify which muscles would be worked using each of his viniyoga exercises but did not address the causes of neck and back pain nor did the DVD give modifications that could be done if you could not do the exercises as they were demonstrated. He was also insistent that the sequencing of the exercises was very important in getting results in building the particular muscles as well as the importance of a focus on breathing.I am a senior who is fit but have never practiced any type of yoga before and believed the statements that beginners would be able to do these exercises (the same claim is made for other "yoga for beginners" books and DVDs). I wanted to know how specifically a particular "position" or "stretch" was going to help alleviate my tingling, pain and loss of range of motion on one side of my neck and spine.This DVD uses two excellent students of viniyoga, a senior woman and middle-aged man, both of whom were flexible and could do the positions with Kraftow's being seated on the floor next to them doing minor tweaking of their movements/positions which would be impossible for me to do at home alone.Additionally, there is no way that I can: get onto the floor; get off the floor if I did manage to get down; can lie on my stomach turning my head to the side; focus on my breathing while holding the stretch; or would ever consider doing these exercises.In my opinion this DVD is for very flexible people or people who have done yoga before. I have resold both of the two yoga DVDs I purchased.A physical therapist recommended a book on amazon.com written by two Ph.D. physical therapists which is exactly what I was looking for: "Age-defying Fitness" by Moffat and Lewis. The book has assessment guides to let you know which exercises would be helpful for you to do as well as pictures of people demonstrating the correct way to do the exercises. The book shows people using an elastic band exerciser as well as those not using the band for the exercises. Moffat and Lewis cover posture, strength, flexibility, balance and endurance---things I and others certainly need as we age.I realize that this review will infuriate yoga practitioners (both students and teachers) and they will vehemently disagree with my review. This review is my judgment of the practice of specific yoga positions to alleviate neck and upper back pain for seniors who have never practiced yoga. I sincerely hope the review helps other seniors or people in the same quandry as to what exercises will help alleviate pain in their necks and backs.

I've had this and the other DVD for over 4 years, use them regularly and am just getting round to reviewing them.They are brilliant if you suffer back and neck pains and need an affordable way of helping yourself. Gary Kraftsow, the practitioner is excellent. He really knows all there is to know about the medical side of things to do with all kinds of back pain as well as of course the Yoga side so you know you are being instructed by someone who will not harm you.What I love is the attention to detail, the ability to have each of the individual movements broken down so that you can practice them away from the complete workout. On each DVD there are 3 brilliant workouts to do which you can build yourself up to doing all three. I personally just do the ones on each DVD that are my favourite. There is also loads of medical information via his brilliant lectures.A great investment for getting yourself more mobile that doesn't cost the earth.

This is a good training DVDs but a bit boring to use for regular practice

Excellent

Product is very good and highly instructive,. i have used it and can recommend for anyone who desire real physical exercise

I was given a copy of this DVD a few years ago when i was suffering from severe neck pain. I had never done yoga before and I was very skeptical. It was miraculous! I have since bought a few copies of the DVD and given them to people i know who suffer from neck pain.