Scoliosis – difference between left and right increasing

[Nina73]

#1216

Hi all,

I have had a mild scoliosis ever since I was little. When I was younger I used to wear insoles in my shoes to correct this, but as it wasn’t troubling me and not getting worse I haven’t worn these for the past 20 years or so.

I started doing Bikram yoga about 4 months ago (and absolutely loving it!) but I am beginning to notice that the difference between my left and right side is increasing. For example, in the half locust my right leg can go much higher than my left, in the floor bow my right leg sticks up much higher than my left and even with the fixed firm pose, when I look down toward my belly button I can see one side of my chest come up a little bit higher than the other. (Also, I can’t balance on my left leg for toffee, while my right is no problem, though I don’t know if this has to do with my scoliosis).

I am a little bit worried that the difference seems to be increasing. Should I do anything about this?

Nina

[Gabrielle (The Hot Yoga Doctor)]

#3618

Hi Nina

Thanks for writing to me about this! I don’t know if you realize but I have scoliosis too. In fact, I put my testimonial on Bikram’s own website YEARS ago and have answered and have been answering hundreds of personal emails about it ever since.

There is definitely the possibility that your scoliosis could worsen. Let me see if I can explain it. Like all spinal imbalances, conditions get set up that allow usage and gravity to effect your body: if your alignment is not close to ideal then ‘normal’ usage can worsen it.

For example someone who has stooping shoulders, and never stands up with their spine in balanced alignment (and I will put a link to a very useful video here: A Transformation Technique for your Practice) will over the years experience a spine that continues to round. So at the moment you are experiencing a change in your lateral curvature (which probably includes some kind of twist as well).

The nature of your curve imbalance will make one side of certain (and maybe most) poses much easier to do than the other side.

Here is the interesting bit: one of the sides of your poses could actually be causing a worsening of your spinal curvature towards further imbalance. This could even be the easier so of the pose; the very side that if your alignment is off at all, could actually be the cause of your worsening condition. There may be a side that is harder for you to do, that you can’t go in as deeply. Just notice this. Notice how once side is easier and the other is harder. Notice that one side you feel you have to work harder to keep everything in alignment. This is the side that you MUST pay extra, super-duper attention to getting it spot-on and square.

I remember how difficult it was to do 2nd side half moon. Yikes that was hard.

Like you I noticed an asymmetry in floor bow. What I suggest is to learn what it takes to get that right. For example I would go into floor bow and then look at my feet in the mirror. My adjustments had to do with my shoulders and that fixed my leg difference. I would square them up and it made huge difference. Once you learn the adjustment you can make it without looking at yourself and you use your mind’s eye (your proprioception).

In all your poses work on alignment and don’t give 2 hoots about depth. Work well and solidly with the best technique you can. One side will be easier in many poses. Work toward depth but don’t get hung up on the differences between the 2 sides.

Here is a hint too that I worked out that helped me enormously: when you are sitting down NEVER cross your legs. You will probably find that one leg feels MUCH more comfortable over the other and this can also exacerbate your spine problems. Sit with feet square in front of you when you are on a chair. BTW: After many months of fixing my back I was able to effortlessly cross my legs in total comfort and still feel symmetrical. This may sound trivial but this made a huge difference to me.

Check out your other habits around whether you tend to lean into one leg even when you are just standing around. If you aren’t already, work on your alignment from the ground up and keep mindful about it until it becomes your solid unconscious habit!!!

Let me know if this resonates with you. I am happy to give you more ideas and specifics about how to approach different poses. Let’s first establish where you are at…

Namaste
Gabrielle 🙂

[Nina73]

#3666

Hi Gabrielle!

Thanks for your explanation!

I paid more attention to particular things I was doing that were aggravating my left-right difference in my last Bikram class. As I am a relative beginner, there are still so many things I am trying to pay attention to, so often I was too busy to think about the left/right side specifically! But I did have a good look at myself in the mirror during the floor bow pose and, like you suggested, I could tell that not only was my right foot up higher than my left, my right shoulder was pulled further back than my left, too. It was like I was actually curving to the right rather than squarely facing the mirror. Rather than focusing on my feet I tried to focus on my shoulders, and I pulled my right shoulder forward so that my top half was square with the mirror again. This immediately also pulled my right leg down a bit so that my feet were more at the same level too!

I also tried to pay attention to the half moon pose, but at the moment I am still struggling with that one anyway, regardless of the left-right difference. I’m working very hard to incorporate the teacher’s instructions while I’m in the pose but the right alignment just hasn’t “clicked” for me yet. I even asked one of the teachers to have a look at my alignment during the pose and adjust it for me, which she kindly did and I was nicely aligned that day, but the next day I couldn’t quite figure it out on my own again. But I’ll keep working at it!

You were also right in that I found some (many, in fact) habits in every day life that may effect the curvature of my spine! I ALWAYS have one leg pulled under me when I sit on a chair, for example. Most of the time I don’t even notice I’m doing it. Trying not to do that any more now, though.

Nina

[Gabrielle (The Hot Yoga Doctor)]

#3667

Hi Nina

Great stuff. OK now that you are more aware of your alignment, start to notice the sensations in your body as your spine starts to realign. For me it started at the bottom and moved its way up my spine over a number of months. It was sometimes uncomfortable. I even remember finding it hard to turn over in bed. BUT I LOVED THAT because I felt my body was changing.

Please keep us posted.
Also you will find that poses present different challenges to you as your body transforms.

Namaste
Gabrielle 🙂

[Lubi]

#4445

Hi Gabrielle,

I have a mild scoliosis in lower back and found your tips very useful.
Thank you for that.

I also used to sit on my left leg or sleep with my left leg bended.

Try not to do it now.

Namaste
Lubi

[Catalina]

#8015

Hi Gabrielle!
I am very excited to have found this forum!

I have a pretty curved spine from adolescent Scoliosis (I am now 38). I have newly started up with Bikram yoga and feel so much better already! I will keep in mind your suggestions above in my Bikram which I am doing an est. 5 x’s a wk.

I am addicted to Bikram!!
Will check in regularly!

Cheers!
Catalina

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