Neck wekness from Bikram Yoga

[perrec]

#2691

Dear Gabriele,

I have been doing Bikram in London for a year, mostly once per week and more recently twice weekly. I am just about to start 20 or 30 days continuous daily Bikram Yoga sessions, but I am worried about my neck pain. I am male and aged 70.

After every session, I feel very faint and find it difficult to walk more than a few paces and my neck feels weak and it is difficult to hold my head up. In 24 hours it goes away, but it is a very uncomfortable feeling while it lasts. I do not notice it until the end of each session, but i feel I must be making a big mistake in one or some of the poses. I have to rest for half an hour when I come out, and then when I have a shower I need to lean agaist the wall. After tat it gradually gets better.

So the question is: What can cause this weakness in the neck area, making my head feel too heavy? It only happens in hot yoga and then gradually goes away.

Can you suggest anything?

perrec

[mzsocialworker1]

#11240

How is your hydration?

I’ve had a few times where I felt similar and feel it’s related to that and losing electrolytes very quickly.

I also have been practicing for over 5 years and still don’t feel at ease with the first standing back bend.

I asked about this recently and Gabrielle wrote about what many people do wrong in this pose.

[perrec]

#11244

Thanks, but I think my hydration is ok. I am especially careful to load up with water the previous day. My current theory is that the problem is related to tension in the neck and shoulders being being increased by using the wrong muscles in many of the postures. I now concentrate on keeping the shoulders down, relaxed and not involved. I think this is helping but I await Gabrielle’s comments.

As to back bends,this is more of a lower back problem with me. I am happy now with the first standing back bend by first stretching up and then using the arms to try to curve the upper back first. Also to protect the lower back, there is one pose that I do not currently do at all. That is the third sector of the head to knee stretching pose. The one where you bend forward with both legs together.

perrec

[Gabrielle (The Hot Yoga Doctor)]

#11246

Hi Perrec

At this moment, with the information before me, I would tend to think it is a matter of muscular use. (Although those other issues are not off the table! Thanks Allison.) It is an unusual thing to actually feel the heaviness of your head. So there may be other issues at play. I will start with some questions and a technique and then I will wait from feedback before we proceed.

I would like to ask you a couple of questions: Do you – as directed – always try to straighten your arms when they are over your head? Do you – again as directed – try to squeeze your head with your arms?

Here is one thing I can suggest for you that could make immediate improvement.

Years ago I recorded a video that could very well help you right now. It will take you through your stance in Savasana, how to lift your arms over your head and also how to position your arms in your day to day posture.

Please answer those questions and get back to me. Also watch the video. While I am formulating the response to the new answers you can get busy applying what you see on the video.

Meet you back here 😉

Namaste
Gabrielle 🙂

[perrec]

#11247

Hi Gabrielle,

Thanks so much for getting back to me. To answer your questions first. Yes, when I remember I do both. Keep my arms straight and keep them close to my ears, though perhaps not squeezing them as much as I should.

Moving on from there, I have just watched your the video you recommended – “Elbows in the back pockets” and tried externally rotating the arms and suggested. I take your point. I look forward to trying it in my next class tomorrow.

Many thanks,

perrec

[Gabrielle (The Hot Yoga Doctor)]

#11248

Hello Perrec

Aha! Just as I thought. Your efforts to follow the one-size-fits-all instructions to straighten arms and squeeze the head, is very likely causing some real problems with your body.

I think that if you can spend some time taking a look at previous forum posts, it would be very valuable for you!

In this very section of the forum (Neck, Shoulders, Arms, Upper Back) you’ll find many related threads from which you will learn what to do. In fact there are many threads like this throughout the whole forum. I recommend you take a look around to see what others have experienced and also how much the following technique has helped them … instantly.

In a nutshell:

>> Do whatever you can to keep your shoulders down and back at any moment.
>> With arms over your head, if you feel ANY tension at all in your head, neck or shoulders (and obviously you are!) bend your arms just a little bit. Bend them just enough to drop the shoulders down. Then little by little you’ll start to be able to lengthen them again, so that one day your arms will be straight… but with the shoulders in optimal and non-risky position.
>> If you feel your neck tighten, neck shorten or chin drop, those are all signs that you have tension in the area and have to micro-bend your arms.
>> It is more important to have shoulders down than straight arms – any day!

If your neck can stay long and your shoulders down, the tension will disappear. Your yoga will improve and your body will open up and you’ll make more progress than you ever would if you continue to work against the body’s need to open up!

Let me know if I need to point you to other related techniques.

Namaste
Gabrielle 🙂

[perrec]

#11249

Hi Gabrielle,

Thanks for all this information. A bit much to take it all in, but I think I have the main points, especially about keeping the shoulders down being more important than keeping the arms straight.

Thankyou again for taking so much trouble. I will try to put it all into practice, starting with the next class tomorrow.

perrec

[perrec]

#11257

Hi gabrielle,

I just thought I would add a note to say that all the advice I received here helped. Firstly, by concentrating on keepinng the shoulders down – and back too where possible, the problems of my neck feeling heavy were largely resolved. I was able to get up after the class without being on the point of collapse.

Also, the input about hydration raised by the other contributer made me think too. I discovered that I was hydrating too much both in and just before the class. By drinking a lot up to one and a half hours before the class and then nothing until very small sips late in the class, this dealt with the nausea too. (Of course drinking plenty after the the class too)

So, a bit of progress here! Thankyou.

perrec

[Gabrielle (The Hot Yoga Doctor)]

#11259

That’s fantastic news Perrec! Thank you for letting me know.

You’ll probably already be noticing how many poses your shoulders creep upwards in. Keep expanding your awareness around it. And of course, come back and ask me about specific poses or problems.

Namaste
Gabrielle 🙂

[perrec]

#11266

Thanks again Gabrielle. I will keep your advice in mind when I embark on the 30 day challenge – starting tomorrow!

Namaste

perrec

[perrec]

#11274

Hi Gabrielle,

Only day 2 of the challenge, and having dealt with the neck ache problem (well addressed it anyway) and stopped drinking too much water in the class, I still find it difficult to get up and walk out at the end of the class.

Specifically, I partially blank out altogether hanging up the mat at the end or after after sitting down outside the studio, trying to open the locker. Its more than just feeling dizzy, as in the cobra pose. It amounts to a moment of total confusion, not knowing where I am or what I am doing.

Old age perhaps? The funny thing is, the longer I relax after the class and rest after it, the more acute it is, rather than the other way round as one would expect. Another possible factors is the heat. 42 degrees is ok, but 44 makes it much tougher. Also a full room or a late evening class are possible causes. But the key point is that its after the class and not in it and that nobody else seems to have this problem. So maybe its still the neck and shoulders.

Any ideas?

namaste

perrec

[Gabrielle (The Hot Yoga Doctor)]

#11277

Hello Perrec

I need you to look up “heat exhaustion” and “hyponatremia”. I need you to see that these 2 conditions overlap.

But what I most need you to see is that confusion is a sign of heat exhaustion. It is possible and indeed likely that the room you are in is too hot. That along with the humidity is creating a very high “heat index” (hello Dr Google!).

There are critical temperatures that your body most not reach in order to STAY healthy. Ambient temperatures do not necessarily mean your body temperatures have climbed too. But it could be that your core temperature is too high. This is critical. STOP practising in this hot room NOW until we exclude heat from the equation.
[strong]
If I am on the right track then you must not be practising in this room at all until they lower the temperatures.[/strong] I don’t say this lightly. This could make it difficult at your studio because there are some very weird attitudes in the Bikram world about making the room much hotter than it actually needs to be.

I also hope I am very wrong here and that we’ve missed the mark.

Please do something about this immediately.

I hope I got your attention. I am only sorry that I did not see your comment about the ultra-high heat in the room. I bet you that you could practise at home with your home heaters on at a high heat (say in the 30s – celsius) and not feel this confusion. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND doing this to test this theory.

Please get back to me.

I am going to send you a private message now to make sure I have alerted you to this problem in case you are not getting notifications for this thread.

Namaste
Gabrielle 🙂

PS we can talk about the other issues (even studio related ones) in due course.
PPS I am alarmed by this. Please take this seriously. If heat is excluded then you can go back to your studio.

[perrec]

#11278

Hi Gabrielle,

Thankyou for taking so much trouble on my account.

I have looked up HEAT EXHAUSTION and HYPONATREMIA and yes I do recognise some of the symtoms, but one in partticular drew my attention. Low blood pressure when standing seems to be one of the symtoms of heat exhaustion and I seem to have more difficulty standing than most.

As to the temperature of the studio, its is usually 41.7 at its max, but it does occasioally go to 44.

When I went in yesterday, I got the hydration right and sailed through it. My best session yet.

I drank a lot of water up to one and a quater hours before, then nothing until a sip at half time – after the toe stand and then a lot(three long mouthfulls) at the end of the floor work (before the fixed firm pose), and a lot (three long mouthfulls)at the end. After leaving the studio I then usually drink about half a litre on the bench and more later of course. This worked, but I can see that both too little and too much water can cause problems.

As to the low blood pressure risk when standing, I will take this into account too, and continue to kneel between standing poses when I feel the need. Also the high volume evening classes a re best avoided due to the high humidity.

Subject to these reservations I should be able to carry on. But thanks for your warnings,

Namaste

perrec

[Gabrielle (The Hot Yoga Doctor)]

#11279

Hi Perrec

Here is why I was so concerned:

[strong]Specifically, I partially blank out altogether hanging up the mat at the end or after after sitting down outside the studio, trying to open the locker. Its more than just feeling dizzy, as in the cobra pose. It amounts to a moment of total confusion, not knowing where I am or what I am doing.[/strong]

Another possible factors is the heat. 42 degrees is ok, but 44 makes it much tougher.

Those words are a BIG warning to me. They should be to you too. Confusion is not normal and is a sign of heat exhaustion or worse heat stroke. There is more to measuring temperature than reading a thermometer or gauge in the room. There are issues of heat control, position of the thermostat in the room (on floor, podium, table, window ledge) how many thermostats, the amount of humidity and so on and so…

Please know that based on your own words that if they are an accurate reflection of the situation, then if you continue to find any amount of confusion or disorientation, coupled with heat and humidity (and exertion), then you could very well find yourself in a very serious situation. Disorientation and the problem with your neck are important signs that you cannot ignore.

In order to exclude the serious scenarios suggested, you would have to test your reactions to hot yoga without the heat, or in a room with temps only up to body temp.

If the choice of your words has been incorrect (although I trust that your mind has served up good clues) and if you’re happy to continue in that environment, then I do have to say that it comes with a warning from me (because I have to trust my response to your word choice).

Any sign of confusion, neck aches, cramping, headaches, fatigue and other items from the list is a sign to stop. Try the yoga without the heat. Maybe go and see a medical specialist (ideally someone who is a specialist in exercising in extreme environments).

Namaste
Gabrielle 🙂

[perrec]

#11280

Hi gabrielle,

Thanks again for your warnings.

You have made the risks quite clear and I head your words.

If, as happened yesterday, I can sail through it with enough water (and coconut water), but not too much either, I should be able to continue, but if these problems persist, I shall regretfully have to stop as advised and trade down to ‘hot yoga’or even regular yoga. But I very much hope not!

Namaste

perrec

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