rope and belt therapy

Rope & Belt Therapy was pioneered by Yogachary BKS  Iyengar in 1970 and was further developed by his ardent disciple Dr. Shrikant Karandikar in 1995 . His innovation in using ropes & belts in connection with certain yogic postures were proven helpful significantly during early stages of osteoarthritis of knee joint , lumbar spondylosis and cervical spondylosis and hence he prescribed them for his patients 

It was then endorsed by  Padmashree Dr. S M Hardikar,  renowned orhthopedic surgeon in Pune Maharashtra (India) at his own hospital and all of this effort to institutionalize the process was anchored by Dr. Vineeta Ketkar who now runs Unnati Yogopchar Kendra for RBT. (  Patients with grade 1 & 2 Osteoarthritis experienced considerable reduction in stiffness and pain after taking the therapy. Early stages of grade 3 experienced 30% reduction in pain helping them improve quality of life & plan their surgical options better. 

The rope and belt therapy is not just dealing with mechanical aspects of joint pain relief (using ropes and belts)  but very comprehensively uses the breathing techniques specified in Patanjali Yog Sutras to improve patients ability to activate his / her parasympathetic nervous system and increase the threshold for stress response. Poor stress response threshold makes it worse for those who already have some form of musclulo-skeletal disease conditions ( e.g. Knee pain , back pain , neck pain )

RBT is gaining popularity becuase of its medical roots ( designed by doctors and yoga therapists together) and therapists undergo a rigourous training on the yogic anatomy of the joints and pain management .

RBT is NOT an alternate to orthopedic procedures or consultations. RBT helps patients in early stages of pain in getting relief and improve quality of life. In fact an RBT consultant works closely with yoga physicians / doctors to decide the best course of action for the person in pain. 

What matters most is getting the person in pain some relief. If combining  ancient wisdom with modern medicine helps in reducing people's pain in any walk of life , it is the right thing to do. After all things evolve only when they integrate additional dimesions of thinking.