The Hot Yoga Doctor – Free Bikram and Hot Yoga Resources › Hot Yoga Doctor Forum › Injuries, Restrictions, Ailments, Pose Modifications › Illnesses/Ailments › Back Pain in Camel Pose
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Posted by Dan
Gabrielle ,
About three months ago while doing Camel Pose, I pushed too hard to open up my hips and strained my lower back. The next morning, I could barely walk. I went to a Physical Therapist who helped me get back to yoga. I was x-rayed and they found 2 of my disc were touching when I do back bends.
After talking with a number of instructors, I have heard a numbers of different answers about back bends.. I was told that back bends heal the back and forward bends are where I need to be careful. Another instructor told me the opposite.
Since the strain, I only place my hands on lower back and bend back like in Half Moon rather than grabbing onto my ankles. I still do the exercises and stretches the PT showed me, however I’m a little fearful of doing camel.
Can you clarify the difference of back bends and forward bends and how they effect the lower back?Thanks,
Dan
Here is Dan’s response to my questions (which were lost in the server meltdown).
I started off by asking him whether he was doing a backbend while they took the x-ray.
Thanks you for the information. Yes, I was doing a backbend when the x-rays
were taking and they showed L3 & L4 touching. I had one instructor tell me
not to grab my ankles because I had a flat back in camel. Before then
another instructor was telling the class to really push their hips forward.
I did and strain my back ,mainly the psoas muscle. I will definitely take a
good look at how I go into the backbends and also watch my breathing.Let me share a little history. Back when I was in my 20’s (i’m 53 now)I
did a lot of long disance backpacking at times carrying 32 kilos. I used to
race bicycles and run marathons. My hamstrings and quads have always been
extremely tight and I have a shorten psoas muscle. Five years ago, I
strained my lower back when grabbing for a falling glass jar. This lead me
to my first bikram class. I was progressing well until 2 years ago when my
ex-wife saw me doing rabbit pose at home and told me she would help push on
my hips to get them closer to my feet. I woke up the next morning with
piriformis syndrome. Since then, I have not been able to go into some as the
poses as before.I have also strained my back two more times. I probably have lots of scar
tissue in my lower back muscles.
Recently, I found a book “Trigger Point Therapy Workbook” and luckily for
me the author lives in my city. She has helped locate the trigger points and
a few times a day I will roll on a small ball.Before the piriformis problem I had no problems in forward bending poses.
Now I have to bend my knees during the pose. I read your article on
“Opening up Your Hips” and that has really helped.I know that’s a lot going on with me. I like your advice about taking it
with baby steps. Next class, I will be present during all the poses to see
how I go in and come out as well as my breathing.Thanks for the advice and having this forum.
Regards,
Dan
Dan, I will answer this one again very soon. If you have my response, send it along and I will repost it.
Namaste
Gabrielle 🙂Hi Dan
There IS a lot going on. I think that what you meant to say was that your vertebrae were touching when you did your backbend and not your discs. Because of the way your discs are arranged it is usually the forward bends where we have the problem with herniated discs and therefore the possibility that discs could touch. I do not really want to comment too much on your x-rays without seeing them. But what I do want to say is that there is the possibility in a backbend that we hinge backward from the lower back. This can cause problems. The best way to approach backbends is to find extension first and then move carefully backwards. Inhale stretch up. Drop the head back on an exhale. Stretch the torso up again and then go back.
No doubt with your myriad of problems there is some fear associated with backbends. So yes, take it easy until you regain your self-confidence. If you are feeling strain through the front of the body then it is possible that the fear is causing you to hold your head up to some degree. This recruits muscles down the front of your body and really lessens the benefits of your backbends. The way to alleviate this problem is to look back as far as you can.
Fear often has the effect of compelling you to not only check into your fear sensations but identify with them. This is reflected by the very common action of looking up to the ceiling, or even down toward the tip of your nose, instead of back. As soon as you do this the muscles in the neck and through the front of the torso strain and the backbend lessens markedly. All of a sudden the weight of your neck is a burden to your back where before it was safely nestled there. What you have been doing in Camel is good. Not going back and keeping your hands on your hips is going to support your lower back effectively, particularly if you let your head go and look back. I don’t know if you are doing the same in the Half Moon backbend but it certainly would be a good idea if you feel the need.
I remember telling you that if you have piriformis problems then in Separate Leg Stretching pose please keep your feet parallel and DO NOT pigeon toe them in.
Namaste
Gabrielle 🙂 -
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