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GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. — Suzette Byrd served as a registered nurse in the U.S. Army during the Vietnam era, and then again in the Navy during the 1980s.
Forty-four-year-old Mitch Morales is a Gulf War veteran who survived a helicopter crash but now has degenerative disc disease and experiences pain in his lower back and shoulder.
Jenna Sena was a linguist with the Army Security Agency at the Defense Language Institute during the Vietnam era.
David Cornes, 37, said he’s planning to re-enlist soon after 10 years in the service because he’s been offered a $10,000 signing bonus.
They all have service-related disabilities.
Different eras, different injuries, but these Grand Junction residents share with one another a method for dealing with their injuries.
Each attend yoga classes taught by occupational therapist Susan Crosby once a week in the conference room at the Veteran’s Affairs Medical Center.
Twenty-five years of heavy lifting has left Byrd with a sore back and knee problems. She began attending Crosby’s yoga class in March.
“I’d never done yoga in my life before,” Byrd said. “It’s the best thing in the world for me.”
Crosby and her students began class Monday by taking a cross-legged position on the floor.
Crosby asked her five students to take a moment and consider their intention for coming to class.
Focusing on the low back, neck and shoulder Crosby leads her students through a gentle yoga practice that incorporates conscious breathing, stretching and relaxation.
Crosby meets with patients at least once before class to learn what their problems and goals are. Some patients come to find relief from arthritis or fibromyalgia.
“I address chronic pain,” Crosby said.
“Yoga helps people to feel better in their bodies and their minds, and they have more energy to do the things they want to do. Some want to hike or be able to play on the floor with their grandchildren without hurting.”
One woman, after following a routine of yoga exercises could walk her dog without taking pain medication beforehand.
“I consider that a huge success,” Crosby said.
“Frequently I hear, ‘such a small movement can make such a big difference.’”
Crosby has been an occupational therapist for 16 years after earning a Master’s degree from Colorado State University. She’s worked at the local VA hospital for almost six years. She also teaches community yoga in Fruita and at the Riverside Community Center. She’s treated people with yoga therapy as part of her work at the VA for the past four years.
She said her supervisor was supportive when she wanted to add yoga therapy to her job.
“Lots of VAs are doing yoga,” Crosby said. “There are pockets of complimentary, alternative medicine present in the VA system.”
Occupational therapy looks at the whole picture, Crosby said.
There are two occupational therapists at the VA hospital who help patients with a wide range of problems including Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis, strokes, traumatic brain injuries, vision problems or Alzheimer’s Disease.
“If someone has a disease, or disability we look at the root cause,” using exercise, activities and educational strategies, she said.
And if a problem can’t be cured, occupational therapists help patients adapt to the environment.
Rehabilitation doctors, physical therapists and other physicians refer VA patients they think might benefit from Crosby’s free hour-long yoga therapy class at the medical center.
Cornes said yoga helps his back pain and migraines where years of physical therapy didn’t.
Morales said he has more flexibility since he started going to Crosby’s yoga classes, which began in March. Yoga has also helped relieve pain along his sciatic nerve, as well as in his neck and shoulder.
“I’ll be good to go for the rest of the day,” said Morales after class Monday.
When Crosby asked her students how they felt at the end of class, Cornes said, “a lot better.”
“It’s the best hour of my day,” Byrd said.
“I didn’t realize I had so much tension in my jaw,” said Sena, who attended the yoga class for the first time Monday.
Crosby handed out instructions and encouraged her students to do the yoga stretching exercises at home at least two or three times a week.
Byrd admits when she first heard about the classes she was skeptical. She’d never done yoga before.
“I’m a convert now,” Byrd said. “I feel quite relaxed after I leave here.
“I’m living on disability. The fact that the VA is doing this is great. I did my service. I paid for it, all right.”
Reach Sharon Sullivan at ssullivan@gjfreepress.com.
Forty-four-year-old Mitch Morales is a Gulf War veteran who survived a helicopter crash but now has degenerative disc disease and experiences pain in his lower back and shoulder.
Jenna Sena was a linguist with the Army Security Agency at the Defense Language Institute during the Vietnam era.
David Cornes, 37, said he’s planning to re-enlist soon after 10 years in the service because he’s been offered a $10,000 signing bonus.
They all have service-related disabilities.
Different eras, different injuries, but these Grand Junction residents share with one another a method for dealing with their injuries.
Each attend yoga classes taught by occupational therapist Susan Crosby once a week in the conference room at the Veteran’s Affairs Medical Center.
Twenty-five years of heavy lifting has left Byrd with a sore back and knee problems. She began attending Crosby’s yoga class in March.
“I’d never done yoga in my life before,” Byrd said. “It’s the best thing in the world for me.”
Crosby and her students began class Monday by taking a cross-legged position on the floor.
Crosby asked her five students to take a moment and consider their intention for coming to class.
Focusing on the low back, neck and shoulder Crosby leads her students through a gentle yoga practice that incorporates conscious breathing, stretching and relaxation.
Crosby meets with patients at least once before class to learn what their problems and goals are. Some patients come to find relief from arthritis or fibromyalgia.
“I address chronic pain,” Crosby said.
“Yoga helps people to feel better in their bodies and their minds, and they have more energy to do the things they want to do. Some want to hike or be able to play on the floor with their grandchildren without hurting.”
One woman, after following a routine of yoga exercises could walk her dog without taking pain medication beforehand.
“I consider that a huge success,” Crosby said.
“Frequently I hear, ‘such a small movement can make such a big difference.’”
Crosby has been an occupational therapist for 16 years after earning a Master’s degree from Colorado State University. She’s worked at the local VA hospital for almost six years. She also teaches community yoga in Fruita and at the Riverside Community Center. She’s treated people with yoga therapy as part of her work at the VA for the past four years.
She said her supervisor was supportive when she wanted to add yoga therapy to her job.
“Lots of VAs are doing yoga,” Crosby said. “There are pockets of complimentary, alternative medicine present in the VA system.”
Occupational therapy looks at the whole picture, Crosby said.
There are two occupational therapists at the VA hospital who help patients with a wide range of problems including Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis, strokes, traumatic brain injuries, vision problems or Alzheimer’s Disease.
“If someone has a disease, or disability we look at the root cause,” using exercise, activities and educational strategies, she said.
And if a problem can’t be cured, occupational therapists help patients adapt to the environment.
Rehabilitation doctors, physical therapists and other physicians refer VA patients they think might benefit from Crosby’s free hour-long yoga therapy class at the medical center.
Cornes said yoga helps his back pain and migraines where years of physical therapy didn’t.
Morales said he has more flexibility since he started going to Crosby’s yoga classes, which began in March. Yoga has also helped relieve pain along his sciatic nerve, as well as in his neck and shoulder.
“I’ll be good to go for the rest of the day,” said Morales after class Monday.
When Crosby asked her students how they felt at the end of class, Cornes said, “a lot better.”
“It’s the best hour of my day,” Byrd said.
“I didn’t realize I had so much tension in my jaw,” said Sena, who attended the yoga class for the first time Monday.
Crosby handed out instructions and encouraged her students to do the yoga stretching exercises at home at least two or three times a week.
Byrd admits when she first heard about the classes she was skeptical. She’d never done yoga before.
“I’m a convert now,” Byrd said. “I feel quite relaxed after I leave here.
“I’m living on disability. The fact that the VA is doing this is great. I did my service. I paid for it, all right.”
Reach Sharon Sullivan at ssullivan@gjfreepress.com.
VA hospital 60th anniversary today
The Grand Junction Veterans Administration Medical Center will celebrate its 60th anniversary today at 10 a.m. with a 30-minute ceremony held at the Community Living Center Patio located to the left of the hospital’s main entrance. Grand Junction donated land for the medical center after World War II. Construction began in 1947, and the hospital opened May 16, 1949. The ceremony is open to the public. Parking is limited and public transportation is encouraged.
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