The Hot Yoga Doctor – Free Bikram and Hot Yoga Resources › Hot Yoga Doctor Forum › Injuries, Restrictions, Ailments, Pose Modifications › Lower back › tender lower back
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I have been practicing for about 4 months now going 4-6 days a week. All of my back-bends (half-moon, camel) had been getting deeper and deeper, but suddenly my lower back is getting very sore and tender. I noticed after I officially “let go” while doing the back-bend part of half-moon (this was a month or so ago) and my back-bend deepened, I could hear the bones in my lower back pop and my back was tender for a week or so. Now I noticed this tenderness started when in advanced class as I was deepening camel (putting hands in center of chest, looking to feet and then straightening arms to floor), my lower back popped again and this time my back has been tender and sore for over a week. I can still do all the poses in class with little to no pain, I just have more of a tender, bruised feeling in my spine and have to watch it when doing the back-bends. Sorry for the overly elaborate description, but you seem to like getting all the details. My question is, first, is this normal? Second, am I doing something wrong that could hurt my back? And third, is there anything I can do to either not hurt my back this way or speed up the recovery process? Thanks so much!
Hi!
Seems to me that you are probably unstable in your lower back. I would go see a therapist. I have it too. Basically when we are very bendy in back extension, we do sometimes get all that extension from only one vertebra. I had to learn to control my extensions by contracting my transverse. (core muscle+++)
My best advice is to check it with a therapist. Show them the postures and how you do them. They will be able to analyze your back movements.
You might also want to check with your teachers.
Hope I helped a bit. I know how you feel though!
oh yes and when I asked one of my teachers to check my practice once he told me I was so bendy I was collapsing. If you are very flexible and back bend very easily you most likely have to work on your core more than anything else.
Thanks so much! It’s nice to hear that I’m not the only one! In class the past few days I’ve really been focusing on lengthening the back a lot before I start bending. I don’t know if that will help at all but I will now try to focus on my core more (hehe it rhymes). I did pilates a long time before trying out this yoga so i would think my core is pretty strong, but you never know. i still need to build a lot of strength to balance out my extreme bendiness and I suppose this is all part of it, right? My back has been steadily feeling better the past few days but I will still ask a teacher for some advice, as I obviously don’t want this to become a regular thing! I can’t really afford to go to any type of doctor or therapist, so I will see what happens.
Hi gummisteph
I didn’t chime in before because you and Annie were having a great conversation with basically good answers to your questions. I do note that you said you DID Pilates before. So perhaps some core strengthening exercises to supplement your yoga classes and also work on engaging your core in class as often as you can. It takes a concerted effort to do it. I do believe that your strength really does need work and it seems you are taking steps and indeed you have noticed some improvement. Please keep us posted as to your progress.
Namaste
Gabrielle 🙂Thanks Gabrielle! I would like to supplement the yoga with more core strengthening exercise, but at this point I go to yoga 5-6 days a week, work 40 hours a week and can hardly find enough time to wash the dishes and shave my legs, so I haven’t yet really felt up to trying to do any more exercise. I’m not trying to make excuses or anything, but I will try more to use my core more in class.
My back tenderness, however, has gone away the past few weeks or so and I’ve noticed I can now go much further in my backbends than before. I asked an instructor about it and she theorized that as you deepen more than your back is used to, the muscles react and readjust (causing the tenderness), but eventually even out and then you can go deeper. Not sure if this is correct, but it seems to be true in my case!
When I first started Bikram, about 3 years ago, I was fairly faithful, 3 or more times a week, for about 6 months. Then, I was off for about 2 weeks, for an offshore sailboat race. Came back and felt pretty good. However, a month or so later, I started having a problem with my lower back. It would become very stiff, and if I was bent over, say while brushing my teeth, and then started to stand up I would experience a sharp pain, but would be able to stand up. Went to an orthopedic surgeon, he took xrays and said I have some arthritis in my back and suggested I stop whatever I was doing that aggrivated it. So, I stopped, then switched jobs, which meant traveling a good bit for awhile, and just a couple of weeks ago started back again. I haven’t had any serious pain in my back, but just noticed that sometimes when I’m bent over and stand up, there is some stiffness and a little pain.
From the previous comments I’m guess I don’t have enough core strength and rely on my back muslces more than my abdomen. Does that make sense? Any suggestions would be appreciated. I really enjoy the benefits I get from Bikram, I sleep better, appetite is more controlled, etc, etc, etc. So don’t want to strain my back to the degree that I have to stop again.
Thanks (Have I said how much I enjoy the board?????)
Hi decatur1945
Yes I think you are right! Here’s an article for you and some ideas: Core Strength (in another recent post!)
Namaste
Gabrielle 🙂PS thanks
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