The Hot Yoga Doctor – Free Bikram and Hot Yoga Resources › Hot Yoga Doctor Forum › Injuries, Restrictions, Ailments, Pose Modifications › Injuries › Injured my knee in Head to Knee pose
The Hot Yoga Doctor – Free Bikram and Hot Yoga Resources › Hot Yoga Doctor Forum › Injuries, Restrictions, Ailments, Pose Modifications › Injuries › Injured my knee in Head to Knee pose
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I think I killed my knee!
In my practice yesterday evening, during final head to knee pose, I was getting my grip around my left foot and kicked out a little further to get a better stretch (I have tight hamstrings so my knee was still bent) when my knee made a horrible CRACK and POP sound, with pain, right below my knee cap, where it meets the shin.
Now, it hurts to bend, going up and down stairs, etc. What do you think might have caused it? Will it go away?? Yikes!
Hi,
I did something similar my very first class during eagle pose. While trying to wrap my leg around my calf, my knee buckled and I felt a weird pop…well the next day my knee was killing me! It got really swollen, and made squishy noises when I went up stairs, as well as hurt like crazy. So I took to icing it-20 minutes on, 20 off as well as taking some Advil to help reduce the swelling. I went back to class once it didn’t hurt so much, but took it easy on poses where I was balancing on that leg. Eventually, it got better….but it did take a week or so. to be honest, it still makes squishy noises when I walk up stairs!
Namasteps. try Arnica gel or Tiger Balm too!
Thanks Shakti, I will definitley try the ice!
I’m just worried becuase I see so many testimonials that Bikram is good for knees and has helped people overcome injuries! Seems counter-productive that I would actually bust my knee during my practice. :-S
Hello,
You may be working through an old injury that you might not have even known about. Bikram Yoga brings a lot of things to the surface, whether physical, mental or emotional. There was a guy at training with me who had just torn his ACL. He was wearing a knee brace for the first few weeks of training… but one of the very last days of training, Bikram actually stood on his thighs while he was all the way down in fixed firm pose! It was incredible to see so much progress in such a short time.My suggestion for you is to just take it easy in class and not push past any pain in the knees. Bikram always says “You can mess with the Gods, but you can’t mess with the knees!” You may know this already, but Bikram was told he would never be able to walk again (after a serious injury during weightlifting), but yoga alone healed his knee. You will want to be extra careful in class until it feels better… but I truly believe your pain will begin to diminish over time if you keep going back to the hot room.
Best of luck,
TarahHi everyone – thanks for the great replies so fast & helpful!
Tarah makes an excellent point (I was just thinking about this very thing when I read the post notification!). It is *really unlikely* that the beginner poses in the Bikram series would in and of themselves “cause” an injury.
But if there is some pre-disposition, or pre-existing condition, even if unknown/unaware, then the extra activity could “tip it over the edge”.
And given the “don’t mess with the knee” philosophy, I would also check it out at a physiotherapist rather than persist, if it doesn’t easily heal. I have a minor torn meniscus which Bikram yoga does not fix, and I just modify 3 poses to accommodate not inflaming it further (avoiding twisting the knee). If I don’t do enough yoga, it presents further issues, so hot yoga definitely moderates the symptoms, but if I try to push past it, it doesn’t fix and can get worse (and yes, early on when the injury presented itself, I thought it was the yoga and I tried to have the yoga fix it … I got more sore!).
I’d recommend, along with the excellent advice above, that you avoid any pose that seems to aggravate your knee further. All poses can be modified to accommodate injury, so ask your instructor. I’ll ask Gabrielle to prioritize replying here too, describing how to modify. Thinking about it, I’d probably rest the knee until the inflammation has gone then investigate further – but I’m NOT a physiotherapist!
Keep us informed!
Robert
Hi Butter22
I hope your knee is progressively feeling better and better. I am also so thrilled that there has been a meaningful exchange within hours of your distress call :cheese:
I was re-reading your post and notice your languaging and that rang some alarm bells for me.
I was getting my grip around my left foot and kicked out a little further to get a better stretch
The movement for Head to Knee is not strictly a kick. So I thought I would take the opportunity to explain the technique just in the event you are actually kicking. You may of course be doing this pose correctly so reading this will just confirm that for you.
Using the principles of reciprocal inhibition you are effecting a wonderful stretch through the whole back side of the body. Correctly done you can feel it from the back of the toes through the foot, heel, calves, hamstrings and even the back REGARDLESS of whether your leg is bent or straight. Importantly tuck the elbows in and down close to the leg. Pull back on the toes to get more flexion in the ankle at the very same time as pushing the heel away from you. Use your biceps to pull and drop the shoulders down and back.
The movement is subtle and not at all like a kick. This is why I bring it up – just in case there was a momentary lapse in the technique in your efforts to get a better stretch. It is possible that what was effected was a wholesale movement of the foot away from you without keeping the toes moving backward. There is a possibility that could have contributed to the exacerbation of the problem in your knee.
Looking forward to hearing good news about your knee.
Namaste
Gabrielle 🙂Hi Everyone —
Thank you so much for the replies! My knee was hurting all day yesterday, but feels somewhat better today, only hurts slightly going up stairs.
Tarah and Robert — Thanks for reminding me that this could be a pre-existing injury. I like to supplement my yoga with running, and I was a ballet dancer for sixteen years — so I have always been involved with activities that are stressful on the knees…
Gabrielle — Thank you for the reminder on how to do the pose properly. I find that often times, my hamstrings are so tight, that I really try to push my heel out further to get that good stretch, even though my knee is still bent. And yes, the instructors are always saying that it is “a compression pose first and foremost, and then a stretch!” I’ll have to keep that in mind next time.
I’m going to rest my knee one more day, then back to the yoga studio, and perhaps taking it easier this time!
This is a wonderful forum, and I really enjoy the support and the opportunity to discuss yoga with others who love it as much as I do!
Hi Butter22
I might be appearing persnickety now, but here goes.
It IS important to get your head on your knee and it is a compression pose, but more important is to get the correct stretching dynamic… both the compression and the stretch exist and create a synergy. The pose is nothing without finding the *sweet spot* – where you can push with the head on the knee at the same time as pushing the heel out AND pulling the toes back AND bending the elbows down finding the work in your biceps muscles.
It may just take a tiny tweak to find it but when you do, you won’t go back. The work is delicious and very satisfying. Can you tell me whether you have managed to find this in your pose? I am very interested to find out.
Namaste
Gabrielle 🙂 -
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