The Hot Yoga Doctor – Free Bikram and Hot Yoga Resources › Hot Yoga Doctor Forum › Injuries, Restrictions, Ailments, Pose Modifications › Injuries › alignment concerns
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Hello,
I am happy to say that I have been introduced to Bikram yoga and I am very much addicted to the practice. I have a few health concerns, I had arthroscopic surgery on both my knees in the early 90’s for chronic knee pain and I was recently under chiropractic care because my spine was compressed at my neck and lower back, due to an unknown SI ligament injury at my right hip. I had found that I was “self adjusting” my neck and finally after several months of chiropractic adjustments I found much improvement in my neck and back. I haven’t been in a few months due to the fact my doctor changed offices.
I have since started Bikram, only about 2 months worth, and I practice 3 to 5 times a week. I have again felt the need to self adjust or crack my neck after class, my right hip has been popping when I walk and I have noticed some mild discomfort in my knees.
My question is if I might be doing something wrong in my practice or I just need more time to feel relief from these ailments. The instructors at my studio are very good about correcting postures, and I usually don’t get much correction, so I am under the assumption I am doing them properly, although I am very flexible so I may be going too far, yet I do not have pain.
I have done some research and it seems most people practicing on a regular basis have relief from their back and knee pain. I wonder if their ailments are muscular or skeletal or if maybe I just haven’t been practicing long enough to notice the benefits.
My discomfort is noticed after class with my neck, and usually the next day. I haven’t been to a class in about 10 days and that is when I have noticed the popping in my hip. Sometimes during class I have some discomfort in my lower spine, but I usually am able to correct this with some adjustment to my posture.
I have a bad feeling I have undone all of my chiropractic work. If you could respond with some insight I would be greatly appreciative. I want to continue with my practice, but do not want to injure myself in the process.
Namaste.
I also have similar concerns. I don’t think my alignment is correct in half moon pose as I find even the smallest stretch into this pose hurts the sides of my hips/ stomach. I had an inflammed disc in my lower back earlier this year and I have found that the practice (in particular the back bends) have helped this injury a lot. However, I really struggle with half moon pose and was wondering if this was common?
You know what, I’ve been doing Bikram yoga for eight years and every class I struggle with Half Moon pose. I’m always a little bit twisted, try as I might, to stay aligned. If I’m not twisted, I’m leaning back too far. It’s always something.
I think it’s because it’s in the beginning of the series and my back is not loosened up yet. I have tried it after class is over and have notice how much easier it is to do – but that still doesn’t help me at the beginning of each class!
Hi Lisa
There is a lot going on in your body. It is possible that your body is working through its problems and you could be exhibiting signs of that. It is also possible that something you are doing is reversing the work that you have achieved in treatment with your chiropractor.
It is possible too that although you don’t get lots of adjustments or instructions to alter your poses that you have some tweaking to do of some of your techniques in class. Corrections made in class will always depend on what your teacher can pay attention to and have time to mention. Even good instructors will try but not necessarily get everything. And all teachers can’t know all there is to know.
For example it could be something as simple as the way you weight your feet or the way you stand. Do you have a relative leg length difference? Do you ever hear your teacher say: “shift your weight”? Are you aware of any tension in your shoulders or neck as this could be having a knock on effect in other parts of your body.
I am concerned with your return of symptoms. As you are not going to class at the moment, are you able to revisit your experiences and tell me if there are particular poses or types of poses that you have a hunch you could have some help with? I would like some more information. If you can’t think of anything get back to me as I have some ideas which we can explore. Getting your feedback is necessary at this point.
Kelly, you mention difficulties with half moon. It is very common to have differences in symmetry making one side easier than the other. You may like to take a look at other posts on this pose. Also check into your anteroposterior alignment. Oftentimes we spend a lot of time on the side to side alignment (and parallel nature of the hips and shoulders to the room) and less or no time on the way the arms together with the legs and whole body are from front to back.
Ah yes Bonnie, what would class be like if half moon were at the end (even for a third set!)? That’s what’s great about the practice – a work in progress. Never gets boring :cheese:
Namaste
Gabrielle 🙂Thank you Bonnie and Kelly for your input! It is kind of funny, half moon is one of my best postures. It is amazing how different people range in flexibility and alignment. I do some postures to an advanced state, but then others I can’t seem to get to even the begining!
Thank you Gabrielle for your quick reply. I understand what you mean about the small tweaking in class, just last week an instructor told me to choke my throat in fixed arm pose and I had never done that.
Before I began chiropractic care I did have a difference in length of the right side of my body, the side of the hip injury. I haven’t been told to shift my weight and I will be sure to pay attention to my shoulders and neck.
I went to two classes last week and plan to start back at 3 to 5 a week. I did some thinking about my symptoms, and I did notice in the begining that I seemed to rely more on my skeletal system to do the poses instead of my muscular system. For example now in camel, which used to hurt my lower back, I stretch up out of my chest and compress my glutes toward the mirror. I am going to list the poses I believe I need help with in hopes this will answer your question.
As far as my hip discomfort, I have the most trouble with triangle and tree. I definitely notice I have less range of motion on the right side during tree pose and am just not able to get into this posture. My lower back bothers me mildly during cobra and camel, but for both of these as I said above, with concentrating on using my muscle strength some of the discomfort is relieved. My lower back bothers me significantly in head to knee pose and half spine twist. In the sit up after head to knee my lower spine is very tender. I am not sure which poses bother my neck, but when I began my practice I noticed discomfort in Pranayama breathing.
Hope this helps give some insight to what I might need some help with.
I plan to take a private lesson, maybe this will help and I will also continue with my research. Your site has been a wonderful resource. I also think maybe I may just need to see the chiropractor as well as continue my Bikram on a regular basis.Thank you! Namaste
LisaHi Lisa
Here are some questions and answers as a result of your last post. You have covered a number of poses and I wonder if you have searched the forum for your answers yet because many will be here already. Feel free to post in pose specific areas too. It can be helpful to read questions and answers in context.
Please come back and tell me if your renewed regular practice has brought about any improvements.
I would like to look into your hip issue especially with triangle and tree. It would be helpful to get more specific information about what happens and when.
I am pleased to hear your lower back issues with cobra and camel are improving. Just continue to elongate before starting your backbend.
With head to knee – the first time you mention it, are you saying your lower back hurts in the standing pose, the floor pose, or both?
In spinal twist, perhaps you could move your foot a little further away from your knee. Try that and if it doesn’t alleviate pain, come back and give me more of a description! 😉
You also said that your Sit-Up hurts your lower back after Floor Head to Knee. This seems to indicate to me that you could be straining your back in this pose and could also be doing the sit-up incorrectly.
And finally, now that you are back at yoga, how is your neck in Pranayama breathing? Regular practice and working out the mechanics of this pose can often be all it takes. Let me know.
Namaste
Gabrielle 🙂 -
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