The Hot Yoga Doctor – Free Bikram and Hot Yoga Resources › Hot Yoga Doctor Forum › Injuries, Restrictions, Ailments, Pose Modifications › Neck, Shoulders, Arms, Upper Back › tendonitis
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Hi Gabrielle, I’ve been practicing Bikram yoga with certified teachers for about 10 weeks and just came across your site. I have developed what appears to be lateral tendonitis – my elbow has been getting increasingly sore until I can’t lift a cup of tea without pain. The pain muscular pain is mostly in the elbow, the outer muscle of the upper right arm, some in the shoulder and is starting to move downwards into my outer forearm. I’m almost 60, weight about 140 and height 5’3″ – In my teens and early 20’s I was a professional ballet dancer, and in my 30’s-40’s did figure skating. My arms, however, have never been very strong. I asked my instructors several times about the increasing pain, but they are not giving me any clear help. The worst pain was during the leg lifts on the mat with arms turned outward under the stomach, so I’m resting through that one now, but I wonder what I’m doing wrong that caused it in the various poses and how to heal and correct this problem?
Thanks very much, MeganHi Megan
I have several questions for you!
>> What is it that you do now routinely?
>> Do you work? At a desk? At a computer?
>> Are you right handed?
>> What gives you relief from these obviously very uncomfortable sensations?Please see what else you come up with as answering the questions may prompt you to think of other information that you realize has some relevance too.
Looking forward to your reply!
Namaste
Gabrielle 🙂Hi Gabrielle, Thanks for asking these questions. I work at a desk and computer off and on during the day, and have for many years, although recently I do less computer work (about 4 hours). I am right-handed. About four months ago I started playing guitar and I practice about half an hour a day. I noticed some stiffness and slight pain in my right hand and elbow from this activity, but it didn’t affect much else. My husband tells me to not drink Pelligrino – a bottled mineral water, which I started drinking a lot of since doing hot yoga and needing to hydrate more. I used to have arthritis, but drinking diluted raw apple cider vinegar in water for a few months seemed to clear it up so well that I stopped taking it regularly. I was quite sendentary for the past two years after straining my achilles tendon several times and then tearing a muscle in my heel when I tried to exercise at a gym. Hot yoga is amazing because I’ve become as stretched out as I was at 16 when I was a ballet dancer and haven’t injured my leg muscles, torso, etc. (except possibly the right arm?). Thanks again – I appreciate your questions and answer very much.
MeganHi Megan,
I saw your blog and wanted to write because I too had the excruciating tendonitis pain you had. I couldn’t lift a coffee cup or pick up a file off my desk at work. I went to a specialist and he prescribed lots of physical therapy which was too time consuming (not to mention expensive) for me. I was taking a Bikram class and when the Salabhasana posture came to turn our arms under our body I thought this was one posture I was going to have to sit out due to the pain. My teacher said this is actually the posture I needed to get relief, so I endured. Lo and behold, my arm felt better that night and I couldn’t believe it. I started using Bikram as my “physical therapy” and my pain started to go away. I have no tendonitis pain at all to this day. This is the exact experience which made me a true believer in Bikram. I know everyone’s different, but I wish a similar experience for you. I hope you get the pain relief you need.Namaste,
brewHi Megan and brew
Brew thanks for your story. I agree that this will also help for you Megan. It seems that the habitual bending of your arm and associated use could be part of the cause. Your guitar playing probably highlighted the problem too because of a similar pattern of usage.
There are things you can do to try and reverse this. Locust pose as brew suggests is one of those poses that will help. What you can do from time to time during the day is to stretch out that arm. Place your palm against a wall (fingers in line with shoulder and arm) straighten your arm and turn your body away from the wall. Another exercise is to interlock fingers behind your back and lift your arms (and turning your hands out as well).
A final point about locust. It may be very difficult to get your arms right under your body right now. So if that is the case line them up next to your body. Test where you can place them. Avoid excruciating and debilitating pain but even if you can’t lift your leg or legs, at first lie with them at a distance that YOU can manage whether right next to your torso or just a little under your body.
Try not to avoid that pose. This slight modification will help you. As you make progress you will be able to bring the arms closer and closer. Be careful to try to spread your shoulders outward and not draw them centrally!
Namaste
Gabrielle 🙂Hi Gabrielle and Brew – thanks so much for the advice and help! Brew, I appreciated hearing what helped you and am glad you shared it with me. Gabrielle, I’ll do all the things you suggest throughout the day and adjust the locust pose as you suggest instead of sitting it out. I’m really very grateful you’ve taken the time to answer my question so thoroughly – it’s such a help to have a specific answer. Also, my husband and I will order your book and the wonderful package deal in January and we look forward to receiving them very much. I think it’s great that you have put so much into the site and in personalizing the bikram yoga experience. Warmest thoughts – Megan
You’re very welcome Megan. Please keep us posted.
Namaste
Gabrielle 🙂Hi,
I am glad to have found this forum. I have started hot yoga and just love it!!!
I read this thread carefully because I have IT band doubled by tendonitis at my left knee. Would you know if hot yoga could help me with this, or what postures I should avoid because it’s really tough to give up to hot yoga classes because of the pain?
Namaste,
ErdoHi Erdo
Hey, I have a few moments before I head out. I located a couple of threads where I am sure I talked about Iliotibial band problems and yoga before. Please go and check out this link Knee Pain and this link Tight Hips and Sciatic/Piriformis Issues and see if they help you.
And then please come back and add to your post or update us to let us know if ‘we’ can help you further.
Happy to help
Namaste
Gabrielle 🙂Thank you Gabrielle for your help. I will update you on my progress in regards to my tendonitis. I am doing physiotherapy as well for my IT band and with the practice of yoga I hope to be able to take the stairs down without any pain and to start the training for my April 10-miler race.
I used to have sleep problems and was very stressed in general, but with hot yoga my sleep has improved dramatically and I also feel more confident and more at peace with myself and have a better posture.
Unfortunately it seems like I can’t lose weight (and since I arrived in the U.S. two years ago I have put 11 pounds on me; but I’m still 131 pounds at 5’5″ so I am not so concerned but I wish I could stop here with my piling up pounds).Namaste and thank you for this wonderful website and forum,
ErdoHi Gabrielle, It’s weeks later and I’m still struggling with painful elbow tendonitis. To avoid intense pain, I bend my raised right arm like a chicken wing during yoga practice. I’ve had to ease off the floor asana with arms under the body and leg lifts, and also go easy in the bow poses. Today on the recommendation of a friend, I went to see a therapist who claims to relieve pain quickly with somatics. He gave me a free demo working against resistance on the shoulder and elbow for 15 minutes and relieved the pain by about half, so I’ve made two appointments for one-hour sessions, which he says should completely relieve the pain and re-align my right side. Also he’ll teach me some exercises to keep it from re-occuring. I’ll keep you posted. My husband and I are taking two weeks off next week for a Caribbean holiday and cruise. The warm sun and rest will be great. I’d like to see how I can do some yoga on the trip. Oh, the Master Class book arrived and I read a different pose every time before class (2-3 times a week) and put what I’ve learned into practice. There are so many important tips and explanations that are making quite a difference! It’s a wonderful investment – thanks very much,
MeganHi Megan
How’s your healing going? I hope your holiday is doing you both tremendous good!
Please report back when you return!
Namaste
Gabrielle 🙂 -
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