The Hot Yoga Doctor – Free Bikram and Hot Yoga Resources › Hot Yoga Doctor Forum › Injuries, Restrictions, Ailments, Pose Modifications › Injuries › Toe Stand Danger
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I just started a Bikram practice after a very long hiatus. In my third class back, I felt a weird click on the outside edge of my left knee as I went down into toe stand. I suffered the same injury on the same side doing the same posture about seven years ago.
It is a very mild injury and only gives me (slight) pain if I rotate my lower leg in a particular way. I haven’t been back to yoga since it happened (yesterday), but I don’t want to lose my momentum as this practice is keeping me from a destructive host of habits that I am danger of slipping back into.
So, what should I do? I think tree/toe stand is the most dangerous, but supta-varjasana may be dangerous as well. But, as you must know, when one is in the heat, one is not always aware of the limits of movement. I really, really want to keep practicing: advice?
Hi Roachbeard – welcome to the forum (and back to your Bikram practice).
I do think toe stand is one pose where students must be careful – for you I’d recommend simply skipping it and repeating tree pose (and/or modifying any pose where knee twisting is causing you pain).
Fixed firm “might” be OK depending on your set up and foot direction – precision is important here. If there is pain then obviously modify it (you can put a rolled up towel or cushion under your bottom).
I have a knee injury (but on the INSIDE – and it clicks when I rise up) so I skip both tree and toe on that side, plus I modify floor head to knee (keeping sore leg extended and not bent, thus avoiding knee twist) and also spine twist, same thing, keeping the sore leg extended.
In over 5 years practicing like this it hasn’t gotten any worse so I’ve learned to live with it for all the other benefits, as you point out!
I’d recommend you do a search on the forum for “knee” and you’ll see some quite extensive advice already written that may help.
Hope that is a helpful start!
Robert
Hi Roachbeard
I have some questions myself about what technique you were using. I want to get a clearer picture if you’re willing to share.
Would you be able to tell me where exactly the heels of your lifted feet are when you are in Tree pose and whether you can bring one or both hands in prayer position.
Does your foot stay in that spot when you let go of it? Does it slide down your foot a tiny bit? Where does your foot settle?
When you go into Toe stand do you get your hands to the floor with your leg straight or do you bend it before you get your hands to the floor?
Or do you have your hands in prayer and you keep your whole body upright and bend your leg to bring your hips down toward your heel?
Your injury of 7 years ago: Do you know what your diagnosis was for your right knee?
Re Suptavajrasana: It really depends what the damage is and how your movement is limited to know what exactly I would recommend… Robert has given his experience but as he said, he may have a different problem! Researching others’ knee problems in the forum is a great place to start though because you will ‘try those ideas on’ and see if they resonate.
Please let me know some more details
Namaste
Gabrielle 🙂Wow, thanks for the speedy replies.
My heel on the lifted foot is quite high on my thigh and I’m able to bring the knee of the bent leg into alignment with the the knee of the standing leg. Although I’m not sure if this isn’t the source of the injury, since I’m not yet very flexible and the heat may be deceiving me as to my limits.
When I go down to the floor, I exploit the length of my arms. I am a 6″4 fellow and I generally just fall into my hands (I think my leg is straight at that point) and then come down with my hands balancing me – this is the point at which the over-extension or “click” happens. I sometimes wonder if the length of my limbs has something to do with it.
The injury 7 years ago was never diagnosed because, as I’ve said, it never bothered me outside of certain movements, ie bringing my foot beyond my knee in the manner of someone going into tree or lotus. It healed quite quickly as I remember and never bothered me at all in the subsequent (perhaps 2 years following my Bikram practice) practice of other, non-heated yoga, even in pigeon, lotus and other poses which require that movement.
Howdy Roachbeard
Would you now be able to tell me if your heel of that lifted leg sits to the outside, on the middle, or on the inner part of your thigh when you are in Tree pose.
That answer is important!
Regardless of that answer it is important that at least at first your hands take the lion’s share of your weight of your body as you come to the floor. It takes the pressure of your legs and knees to be able to support yourself with your arms.
Namaste
Gabrielle 🙂 -
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