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| Hi, everyone. I started doing Bikram when I was living temporarily in D.C. last year and love it. I've completely stopped running (my previous form of exercise) and have become very dependent on my home practice since the town I live in has no studio. I've been practicing consistently all year (2-4 times a week, occasionally more).
Lately, I've been just starting to have some serious sciatic pain. (I do sit for hours at a computer as part of my job--there's not much I can do about that.) I've been reading a bit on this forum about the dangers of doing Bikram with sciatica. Can someone give me more information? I am terrified of making it worse, but I love Bikram (!!) and I feel like there is conflicting information out about this. If you look at Bikram sites, they claim to HELP with sciatic pain, but this forum seems to suggest otherwise. Can I seriously hurt myself by continuing to do Bikram? I'll just add that I've never had back-related pain of any kind in my life until recently--coincidence? |
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| You want to go to any knowledgable yoga teacher and have them see you and maybe see how you do the yoga to get a really good other point of veiw. Because it depends on your structure and function which is specific to you. Look at how you are with your femur bone and how things come together in your hip socket in your practice and through out your day. Do you like to throw your hips foward when you stand? Do you like to fall behind your sitting bones when you sit? Are you anal? Just some suggestions. Visualize your femure bones and feel them so you can see how you treat them. |
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| Thanks, innerline. I think I'm starting to understand somewhat better the apparent contradictory statements that appear about sciatica and yoga. It seems that one must be extremely careful doing forward folds--or avoid them altogether--if one has sciatica. If you can't fold forward from the hip, keeping the back nice and straight, then better to not forward fold. Is this your impression?
In any event, I think I'm going to go to a class tonight (not Bikram, but Bikram-style "Hothouse yoga"--the best I can find in my town) to talk to an instructor.
Thanks for the tips!
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| >>It seems that one must be extremely careful doing forward folds--or avoid them altogether--if one has sciatica. If you can't fold forward from the hip, keeping the back nice and straight, then better to not forward fold.<<
Other schools of yoga would be screaming YES! Yes! YES! but Bikram wants you to curve your spine "like a string of pearls." Unfortunately, Bikram doesn't teach extension to make space between the vertebrae, so if you can imagine the spine bending and the edges of the vertebrae crashing together, pinching the discs? You're imagination isn't far off the mark.
Every pose in yoga is a total body pose. Granted, we each feel any given pose where we personally happen to be the tightest. That is why each pose is new every day. Our bodies change. However, most people don't know and are not taught how to use their muscles and energy properly, but rather concentrate on what body part is screaming at them in that moment. The rest of the body flaps in the wind.
Asymetrical poses are tough on the siatic nerve, not necessarily the forward bends. Those just have you crunching your butt under (in Bikram) to work that darned head to the knee so you feel the siatic pain more.
Try a couple of things:
When you do Dandyamana Janu Sirsasana, pick up the foot, pull it backwards, bringing the femur into the hip socket, then lift, then bend. If you're brave enough to ignore your teacher, think belly button to knee, chin to shin, not crown of head to knee. Draw your tummy in before you fold and lift the toes of the standing foot. If you need an excuse to play with this, tell her you're on your period and crunching acerbates your cramps. Or some such nonsense.
In standing stick or Virabhradrasana III, make certain your hip bone is pointed towards the floor. Lift the toes of your standing foot so you can counterbalance the energy in the lifted let's quad. Integrate your shoulders into the socket before you lift them so you're upper body isn't dead weight when you fold. Forget looking at yourself in the mirror; look 2-3' in front of you on the floor so your head is in line with your spine.
In Matsyasana, make SURE both butt bones remain on the floor. LONG spine, so lift tall, and turn with your belly button, not your shoulders and head. Keep your chin over your heart. Isometrically push your front foot away from you as you turn. You'll feel your tummy contract in (there is a connection from the big toe to the posas) which makes it a little easier to sit with a straight spine and turn properly. Once you've turned as far as you can with those sit bones grounded, then work towards taking the toe (watch your elbow for hyperextension). You will probably go a lot less far into this pose, but you'll actually feel a twist where it is intended, your pelvis will be stable, and you will not compromise that siatic nerve area or your SI joint.
Just in these 3 poses I've described, can you see how these actions work to make your entire body more stable, not just a particular muscle?
Seated or traditional Janu Sirsasana is really good for relieving siatic pain, but you MUST use all the muscles of the legs and torso properly or it'll just be another asana you can't wait to get out of.
I hope you feel better. |
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| Wow, what a kind and generous answer. Thanks you. I'm printing it off. I will follow your advice and I've also bought a new ergonomic office chair, which should help. On last question: do you think it might help when doing the seated stretch to use a prop, like a yoga band? |
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| I don't know your posture, but if you're human, probably yes. Most people hunch even if they don't think they do. They get caught up in getting to the toes. The toes are incidental.
It will serve you better not to hunch over. I think I mentioned, think Belly button to thigh, chin to shin, eyes to toes, didn't I? Let's talk about your legs, though. Remember, I mentioned all the muscles engaged properly?
If you don't work your quad muscles in a forward bend, the complimentary muscles in this case the hamstrings will need to do the work. You cannot stretch a muscle when it is working. That forces the stretch into your lower back.
When you do any type of forward bend, lift your knee caps to engage your quads. Push out through the ball of your foot (into the strap) as though you were pushing on a gas pedal. Some call this "Barbie foot" but whatever image works, right? Anyway, spread your toes, Lift your shoulders and take your shoulder blades down your back, draw your tummy in and be as tall as possible. Imagine yourself putting your chin over your toes. The very SECOND you find yourself hunching, lift your sternum, draw your tummy in and reestablish your legs.
Your toes and the floor will always be there. There is no prize for touching them, but there is great reward for taking the journey mindfully, carefully, and fully. Make each pose a whole body and mind effort, (even those of you who have rubberband hamstrings out there!) Why do it if it isn't done right?
Good luck.
Christine |
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| Something else you might want to look into is Feldenkrais. Check out http://www.feldenkrais.com. Feldenkrais consists of a series of gentle "movements" (I hesitate to call them "exercises") that increases your mind-body awareness and enables you to use your body more efficiently and less painfully. There are some articles in Yoga Journal about it. A lot of yoga practitioners have used it to enhance their practice. I believe the Feldenkrais institute has a book just about sciatica. Good luck! |
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| Nancy, regarding your job situation there are more ways than just buying a new office chair. There are some special practices of "chair yoga" that you can do in office from time to time. I forgot where I've seen them but it is possible. I throw in some stretches, twists and bendings like every 15 minutes and always notice how bad my sitting posture is. At least that practice keeps me sitting straight for a few minutes until I start slouching again.
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| Thanks again to everyone. I really appreciate the advice and input and will put them to good use! |
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sciatic pain and Bikram
