Lower Back Pain in Half Moon Pose

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becka-o-dea
Participant

June 6, 2013 at 12:15 am

Post count: 1

#2531

Hi there, just wondering if anyone could help me, I started practicing Bikram yoga over a year ago, dipping in and out of it when I can afford it. Recently though I am suffering from lower back pain, right in the middle kind of between my Coccyx and the curve in my spine… It’s quite painful at the start of half moon pose, even just standing there with my arms up, when I lean my upper body slightly back, engage my core and put the weight back in to my heels I can feel a weird pressure in my lower back. Now the pain is there even when just sitting down. Anyone know what this might be? Thanks

Gabrielle (The Hot Yoga Doctor)
Forum Owner

June 21, 2013 at 5:12 pm

Post count: 3048

#10537

Hi Becca

Thanks for being patient. I am still away and have had limited access to the net.

Just to be absolutely sure, are you saying you never had this pain before? A couple of things I would like you to try until I get back in the swing of things (and am back at home): Can you please try the following ideas
1) Try lifting arms up over head and bring the arms back as far as you can stay in good alignment with SHOULDERS DOWN and chin staying up parallel to the floor. Feel the shoulders open but see if that feels different to leaning the body back (accompanied by a real or relative forward position of the hips).
2) When you are getting ready for your stretch to either side, make sure you inhale length and maintain that length in the torso and lower back before moving over to the sides.
3) Be really strong on alignment without pushing yourself too much for the moment. Just micro-adjust every moment you can. You can work very hard in this pose without overdoing it. I want you to see if working your alignment is just as challenging as trying to get over as far as possible.
4) Try being as vertical as you can (very related to point number 1). Lift up and move over. Yes you can experiment with swinging the weight back further but for the moment, all you really have to do is make sure that you never lean forward with the weight in the toes. Middle to back of foot is where you are aiming. The back of the foot is ideal. For the moment though you are going to experiment with any or all combinations of these 4 points

Namaste
Gabrielle 🙂

Charlotte_
Participant

August 12, 2014 at 8:23 am

Post count: 3

#11048

Hi

I have the same problem and its caused by a defect in my spine. So I am not able to do deep backbend and bend to on the right side doing Half Moon Pose. My physiotherapeut told me that many people have this defect in their spine, but they do not realized it before they do backbend and discover that this is NOT a good exercise for them, it can actually heard their back seriously.

it is possible there are special exercises that can correct this so that you can do backbend, but at the moment it is not healthy for me, unfortunately.

The fact that you still feel pain after you have made/ stopped doing the exercise, tells me that you ought to consult a physiotherapist / special doctor. It the pain continue efter you have stopped doing the specific exervice you should stop doing this position. It is a strong indication from your body that this position is not good for you, but it might hurt you in the long run.

I have experienced the same thing as you, and the above was what I was told by my doctor. So it has nothing to do with you not doing the exercise correctly or not, your spine may simply not cope with the huge burden it is to make such positions.
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