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Lower back pain and stiffness
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HydnYoga
Posted 2007-09-27 5:12 AM (#97042)
Subject: Lower back pain and stiffness


Hi:
Just wondering if anyone else out there has noticed a connection between back pain after certain poses? I have had chronic lower back pain for 20 years...mostly under control through exercise (mild lumbar disk bulge with an occasional flare-up...once with severe sciatica)...which is how I came to start yoga a couple of years ago. Yoga's been great for it...but I THINK I've noticed that Pigeon pose (which actually looks and feels really good as a hip opener) seems to set off my lower back stiffness and pain the next day. Subsides quickly after a day's therapy yoga, rest, and ibuprofen. But just wondering if I should keep working at this asana, or avoid it?
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kulkarnn
Posted 2007-09-27 8:47 AM (#97059 - in reply to #97042)
Subject: RE: Lower back pain and stiffness


If the pain is happening each time you practice that pose, you have two choices:


- Do not do that pose. You are NOT a pigeon anyway!!!

- Learn it from a teacher who is extremely experienced and practice as instructed for a couple of monts.
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Nick
Posted 2007-09-28 3:07 AM (#97114 - in reply to #97042)
Subject: RE: Lower back pain and stiffness



20005001002525
Location: London, England
Hi Usha,
This posture is one that I'm always extra vigorous with in teaching-those with back pain often do it with too much back extension and not enough hip extension-squeezes the discs and joints of the low back whilst the spine is in bad posture-you are almost certainly making this mistake. because the legs are in an awkward shape, the spine is also twisted, which often leads to more pain on one side-usually the side of the leg in front of you. Perhaps work on lifting the brim of the pelvis of the front leg, and also on 'squaring' the hips. Often, you will find that the brim of the pelvis is squeezed against the inside of the front thigh-this is a recipe for back pain-also, students often bring the knee forwards of their torso-the leg should be out to the side, which pushes you to the opposite side, and stops you leaning on that front leg-then you can pull the brim of the pelvis away from that leg.
This is a difficult posture to teach on-line-find a picture, of you or someone else, and we can use that to look at the posture-even in yoga magazines you will often see people demonstrating this posture in a way which would aggravate back conditions.

Nick
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HydnYoga
Posted 2007-09-28 9:33 AM (#97129 - in reply to #97042)
Subject: RE: Lower back pain and stiffness


Hi Nick:
Thanks for the detailed reply. I will look for pix. You are right,...this IS a difficult one to teach online. What is the brim of the pelvis anyway...I feel I ought to know, but not really certain...! Is it the diagonal crease where the hip meets the leg?
Normally, when we do this pose, we lunge to our front leg (hands on floor aligned with leading foot), then 'walk' the front leg over to the opposite hand, drop the back knee, and drop the front knee, then extend forwards over the front leg. Should the front knee be straight in front of the matching hip socket, or to the outside or inside? Like I said earlier, it feels fun to do and relatively easy, but it must have been muddling the alignment of my spine.
Anyhow, it was a relatively mild back episode, because after a day's rest/therapy (also yoga), I went back the next day, and she sprung a series of 48 Suryanamaskars (classical) on us...was surprised to get to 45 relatively easily, then chickened out! So no major damage done, I think...Thanks again...
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Nick
Posted 2007-09-28 12:37 PM (#97137 - in reply to #97129)
Subject: RE: Lower back pain and stiffness



20005001002525
Location: London, England
Hi Usha,
The brim of the pelvis can be felt by putting the two index fingers in the bony points on the front of the hips, and then stretching your thumbs around towards the two dimples that people often have above the buttocks-between your index finger and thumb is the plevic brim. Under your index finger is a bony lump called the anterior superior iliac spine (ASIS), and under your thumb is the posterior superior iliac spine (PSIS). Learning to lift both ASIS simultaneously is part of the art of learning to do this pose-you should feel as though strings were attached to both, and like a puppet, these strings are being pulled up.
Sounds like you do half pigeon completely differently to me-I always stress taking the knee to the outside-how much varies with the individual-but as a general guide, rotate the leg externally, then mmove the knee out to the side, and then put the outside of the knee on the floor. Inflexibility may prevent the pelvis being on the floor, and students often move over to that side to disguise this-don't do this-it's the kiss of death for being able to do this posture pain-free.

Nick
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HydnYoga
Posted 2007-09-29 3:23 AM (#97164 - in reply to #97137)
Subject: RE: Lower back pain and stiffness


Hey Nick:
Thanks SO much for the anatomy lesson and the tips. I am going to try this out when my back feels pain-free again. Muchas gracias, amigo!
By the way, what sort of yoga do you teach?
Usha
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Nick
Posted 2007-09-29 1:59 PM (#97189 - in reply to #97164)
Subject: RE: Lower back pain and stiffness



20005001002525
Location: London, England
Hi Usha,
Astanga yoga, but modified as a result of a degree in chiropractic-I use the principles of health and function that I learnt there to formulate what I feel is a novel approach

Nick
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kulkarnn
Posted 2007-09-29 3:08 PM (#97192 - in reply to #97189)
Subject: RE: Lower back pain and stiffness


Fantastic and thank you very much for this valuable approach. Such modifications are also permited in the Classical Yoga when the situation demands, and they must be done to suit the need of a student and time.

Nick - 2007-09-29 1:59 PM

Astanga yoga, but modified as a result of a degree in chiropractic-I use the principles of health and function that I learnt there to formulate what I feel is a novel approach

Nick
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HydnYoga
Posted 2007-09-30 7:06 AM (#97209 - in reply to #97189)
Subject: RE: Lower back pain and stiffness


Hi Nick:
I do believe that any physical discipline is helped enormously by a good understanding of the underlying anatomy of movement...so I can totally see the connection. Yoga and chiropractic knowledge seem very complementary in that respect.
I've just begun taking TaiChi classes, and it's really interesting to me how very different it is from yoga, and yet how similarly meditative in some ways. It's challenging to me 'cause I love to leap into a movement and get through it......both yoga and TaiChi make me focus much more on the process...it's really fun!
Usha
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