The Hot Yoga Doctor – Free Bikram and Hot Yoga Resources › Hot Yoga Doctor Forum › The Hot Yoga Poses › Ustrasana › back injury coming out of this posture
The Hot Yoga Doctor – Free Bikram and Hot Yoga Resources › Hot Yoga Doctor Forum › The Hot Yoga Poses › Ustrasana › back injury coming out of this posture
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Hi Gabrielle and everyone,
I am writing to get some advice on whether it would be safer for me or not to go back to Bikram yoga after a back injury.
I have been practicing for about a year now and I was doing great up until i injured myself coming out of this posture.
This is what happened:
I did the first set of camel and felt good.
On the second set, i may have pushed myself a little bit deeper but wasn’t experiencing any pain, then, as i was coming out of the posture, i placed one hand on my hip (not sure which one first) and bang! got totally stuck.
I felt sharp deep pain in my lower back, at the very bottom (around the sacrum area) and was unable to do anything.
I put my hand up (i was still on my knees) and tried to get the instructor attention.
He came straight away and said “ok, you overstretched, just lie down”. But i could not lie down!
In the end i managed to, with a lot of pain but was unable to move from there onwards.
Surprisingly, bending forward would not cause any pain at all but it was hard to stand straight. i was locked in a “forward position” for about a week.
Now, I think there are a few reasons why this may have happened.
First of all, it was the first day of period on that day and normally on my first day of period my back is much more tender.
Secondly, i didn’t get a chance to do my usual warm-up before class as the class before mine finished late and we were sent into the room and asked to start straight away!?!
Thirdly, because class started late, the instructor was rushing through the postures so maybe i wasn’t that warmed up.
Lastly, i think maybe i didn’t engage my core muscles or squeezed my bum as i was coming up and my back collapsed.
Now it has been a month and I am not sure whether i should give it a go as i don’t know what i did wrong and why that happened.
It came totally unexpected.
I went to see an osteopath and he thinks it is safe for me to go back, but he recommends not to push myself too much.
But i am still not sure. What do you think?
Has anyone experienced this kind of pain before? If so, did you go back?
StefyHI Stefania,
I had such a de ja vu moment when I read your post I can’t help responding. What you describe – sharp pain, area affected, unable to lie down, ‘bent forward’ – is exactly what I experienced, except in my case it involved going deeper into an entirely different posture: Eagle.
Since all bodies are different, I am very reluctant to compare the cause of my injury to yours. Getting a thorough check up by a good chiropractor did help for me – and the importance of mindfulness and core strength should never be underestimated. I don’t know what therapy was suggested to you but simple walking (an hour a day) helped a lot for me during the six weeks I could not attend class. It was a major setback for me not being able to go and now that I’m finally starting again, it’s wonderful to be back.
When you do go back – and why not try after having taken a month’s rest? – the key is simply to be careful and kind to yourself.
Good luck!
Hi Cyberry,
Thank you for your words. Just reading that someone else has had a very similar experience and is now back in the torture chamber makes me feel better and gives me hope. Thank you! 🙂
I also thank you for your advice RE: walking, i think that is a great suggestion.
Since I am probably going to give it another couple of weeks before i try to go back (I still don’t feel 100%), walking in the meanwhile is a great idea (as you know it is very frustrating to not do anything when you are used to practice so much).
Great to hear that you are now practicing again and feeling great!
Thanks again.
StefyStefania:
I hope you didn’t overlook the part in Cyberry’s message that said, “…mindfulness and core strength should never be underestimated.” A male teacher at my studio who is in fabulous shape and is a past yoga champion recently hurt his back. He has the usual gorgeous male body with the six-pack abs. A therapist told him he has a weak core! You’d never know it to look at him! Please do check out Gab’s core building exercises if you haven’t already. Good luck with your recovery!
Thanks Bonnie
I am sure that will help you Stefania. The advice:“ok, you overstretched, just lie down” is really not very helpful. To me your description of the event in question screams ‘poor core activation’. As you have discovered it only took a microsecond. And you were in that very precarious asymmetrical position with one hand on your hip and the other coming up to join it.
Core engagement is very important and often neglected in this type of yoga. You can’t get through Astanga yoga without core activation.
You may have an email I sent you about core activation. It has the word “Ahem” in the title. PM me if you need a copy of it. And there’s another entitle “Strong Abs: Good or Bad?”. Bonnie has recounted an incredible story about someone with a gorgeous body with a 6-pack who has poor core strength. It’s very common!!!
You will have no problems going back to yoga if you engage your core whenever you can. Learn the difference between just ‘sucking in the stomach’ and true core activation. There is a difference. You will get some protection from sucking it in. For you, if you haven’t already, I would a) do the core exercise from the video b) maybe see a professional physio or pilates instructor for some hands on help with core activation if you think that’s called for.
Namaste
Gabrielle 🙂Thank you Bonne and Gabrielle,
I guess I have now realised how important core activation is.
I watched the video and started doing that exercise…It kills! which probably confirms your theory that i may have poor core strenght.I have been following your advice this week and did exercises and also have been going for a power walk every day which has helped a lot so far.
Now I just need to overcome my fear and get back into the hot room I guess…
Thanks again for taking the time to answering my post.
I really appreciate it.Namaste
Stefania
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