Lower back pain

**xela** · 05-03-2007, 11:29 AM

Hello everyone,

Lately my lower back has been killing me. I steped in a hole a few days ago while walking my dog and I feel like it compressed a bunch of vertabrae. Only thing is that it has been a bit sore for a few days before that, but now its not just soreness...its pain.

Also, I sit at a desk all day and its been very hard lately. I'm constantly having to do a modified talasana-esque pose on my chair to kind of stretch out my spine.

I have refrained from doing any backbends because I'm scared I'll hurt myself worse, but are there ary posed I could do to help?

**Nichole** · 05-03-2007, 11:16 PM

Hello Xela,
I am sorry to hear that you are in pain. I have been taught to rest while the injury is acute, but maybe some passive, prone postures like Saastaangasana and Makarasana, where the weight is distributed across the entire length of the body, would be ok for you since you are an advanced student and you know what to watch for.

Baths with plenty of epsoms salts can really speed up the healing of muscle strains. Maybe you can get your partner in crime--your sweet dog--a treat and he/she will curl up next to the tub while you soak! Arnica montana, both topical and oral, often make a big difference for strains.

Consider too that this might be a chance to explore other aspects of your yoga practice while you rest body for a few days.

I hope you're feeling better soon.

Namaste

**xela** · 05-04-2007, 08:14 AM

Thanks, Nichole! I want to do the epsom salt baths, but I just got a new tattoo and can't soak fully for 10 days!

Bad timing!!!

**Alix** · 05-04-2007, 11:49 AM

Oh Xela OUCH! I sympathize, as I have dealt with lower back pain for years. Let me see if I can find the link to the suggestions InnerAthlete gave me. Edit: try here.

For starters though, can you sit on an exercise ball at your desk? I know that sounds strange, but it is truly a godsend. Keeps your spine in alignment and you are forced to use the correct motion to rise from sitting which is a huge help to the affected area.

**xela** · 05-04-2007, 12:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Alix

Oh Xela OUCH! I sympathize, as I have dealt with lower back pain for years. Let me see if I can find the link to the suggestions InnerAthlete gave me. Edit: try here.

For starters though, can you sit on an exercise ball at your desk? I know that sounds strange, but it is truly a godsend. Keeps your spine in alignment and you are forced to use the correct motion to rise from sitting which is a huge help to the affected area.

I was looking through the gaiam catalog and they have a balance ball chair there that I really want, but I'll have to see if it will be a problem bringing it into work. They also have a few other things you can put in your chair that help keep your pelvis and spin in the right position, so I might try those first.

Thanks for the link too...I'm going to read it now.

Trinity · 05-07-2007, 10:11 PM

Hi,

Your description of the event makes me think that perhaps you've compressed your vertebrae and now have a bulging disc. When an intervertebral disc protrudes laterally (to the side) it may cause irritation of nerves - aka OUCH.

If you do have a bulging disc, yoga can help you to move back into alignment. If you feel that you are capable of a performing a gentle asana practice, please do so under the watchful eye of an experienced teacher who'll guide you into proper alignment.

I have heard that side plank (Vasisthasana) is amazing for back pain as all quadrants draw discs back into alignment. This pose can be modified by keeping the lower knee down.

Alix's link to InnerAthlete's advice is so amazingly comprehensive. I hope that it assists your in your healing journey.

Here is a link to an article on lower back pain that you may find useful as well. Trinity Yoga Blog: Lower Back Pain

namaste,
Sonja

InnerAthlete · 05-08-2007, 02:31 AM

I'm not going to regurgitate what I've already posted re: the previous lower back issue around muscles in spasm. What I will point out is that more care should be used in prognosis when it does not follow diagnosis.

Huh? He said, "we don't know what you did". I typically would not tell a student, let alone someone on an Internet forum, anything regarding a spinal injury. Why? Two reasons. One the fear alone can do far more damage to the student than the actual injury and two, when we place such a thing "out there" it gathers a propensity to be a self fulfilling prophecy. Since the muscles around the spine are smooth and not striated they respond more to emotions, thoughts, and feelings. Some bright chap said 'the thought manifests as the word...the word manifests as the deed...'

As I stated in another post here, the language of the student has to shift immediately. In fact it's one of the primary responders and it's easy, free, and right there in you. It's not "killing" you but rather teaching you. The relationship with the dialogue of the dis-ease, the illness, the injury must be the sort of marriage that lasts a lifetime, not the sort that ends in divorce.

It is possible, though unlikely, that stepping in a hole would result in spinal injury. More likely, the femur slammed into the acetabulum and that might have aggravated a variety of muscles, might have shifted the pelvic girdle, might have subluxated a vertebra, might have jambed the sacroiliac joint. But these things can all be healed in a straight forward fashion.

If you are the sort who believes in chiropractic this is a good time to go. I do and I would. Once you get an idea of the "what" then we can provide a much better "how".

**xela** · 05-08-2007, 07:59 AM

Hi everyone and thanks for your help. I took a few days off from asanas, but then I thought that NOT practicing was hurting me more! So, I did an easy practice Saturday morning and when I was done I could actually crack my neck! Yay.

Saturday afternoon I was to the acupuncturist and she injected an anti-inflammatory into my lower back which helped a lot and now I feel a lot better and can crack my back again.

I'm still a little sore, but doing very very very simple backbends seems to be helping, like my body wants to be pushed a bit instead of no backbends at all.

This whole situation has just taught me to slow down and listen to my body!

Hubert · 05-09-2007, 01:11 AM

I also have chronic low back pain, and side plank usually helps alleviate it. Not for long, though, and because it is a strenght position ( I am doing it with my elbow down), I think the effect, at least partially, is due to the anastezic effect of endorphines secreted by the brain in such conditions. Also the heroic feeling induced by this pose (manipura ?) is a nice change for the usual anxiety what goes with this kind of pain.

InnerAthlete · 05-09-2007, 02:26 AM

Or you are overstretching ligaments which are already overstreched as this feels good during, but painful the following day.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hubert

I also have chronic low back pain, and side plank usually helps alleviate it. Not for long, though, and because it is a strenght position ( I am doing it with my elbow down), I think the effect, at least partially, is due to the anastezic effect of endorphines secreted by the brain in such conditions. Also the heroic feeling induced by this pose (manipura ?) is a nice change for the usual anxiety what goes with this kind of pain.

Hubert · 05-09-2007, 01:43 PM

I don't think it is so in this particular case, but I will take into account this possibility in my general practice.

Hubert · 07-01-2007, 02:17 PM

Yoga Therapy for Low Back Pain in a Classroom Setting by Robin Rothenberg

It is for therapists, but reading it might help home practitioners too. I found it googling, and I thought providing the link might be useful.

05-03-2007, 11:16 PM	#2
Nichole SYT Moderator Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Boulder, Colorado Posts: 797	Hello Xela, I am sorry to hear that you are in pain. I have been taught to rest while the injury is acute, but maybe some passive, prone postures like Saastaangasana and Makarasana, where the weight is distributed across the entire length of the body, would be ok for you since you are an advanced student and you know what to watch for. Baths with plenty of epsoms salts can really speed up the healing of muscle strains. Maybe you can get your partner in crime--your sweet dog--a treat and he/she will curl up next to the tub while you soak! Arnica montana, both topical and oral, often make a big difference for strains. Consider too that this might be a chance to explore other aspects of your yoga practice while you rest body for a few days. I hope you're feeling better soon. Namaste __________________ Nichole Nurenberg-Miller Structural and Ayurvedic Yoga Therapist • RYT500 www.FiveKoshaYogaTherapy.com

05-04-2007, 11:49 AM	#4
Alix Administrator Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Edmonton Posts: 327	Oh Xela OUCH! I sympathize, as I have dealt with lower back pain for years. Let me see if I can find the link to the suggestions InnerAthlete gave me. Edit: try here. For starters though, can you sit on an exercise ball at your desk? I know that sounds strange, but it is truly a godsend. Keeps your spine in alignment and you are forced to use the correct motion to rise from sitting which is a huge help to the affected area. __________________ You're only given a little spark of madness. You mustn't lose it. Robin Williams

05-07-2007, 10:11 PM	#6
Trinity Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Posts: 41	Hi, Your description of the event makes me think that perhaps you've compressed your vertebrae and now have a bulging disc. When an intervertebral disc protrudes laterally (to the side) it may cause irritation of nerves - aka OUCH. If you do have a bulging disc, yoga can help you to move back into alignment. If you feel that you are capable of a performing a gentle asana practice, please do so under the watchful eye of an experienced teacher who'll guide you into proper alignment. I have heard that side plank (Vasisthasana) is amazing for back pain as all quadrants draw discs back into alignment. This pose can be modified by keeping the lower knee down. Alix's link to InnerAthlete's advice is so amazingly comprehensive. I hope that it assists your in your healing journey. Here is a link to an article on lower back pain that you may find useful as well. Trinity Yoga Blog: Lower Back Pain namaste, Sonja __________________ Trinity Yoga Teacher Training

05-08-2007, 02:31 AM	#7
InnerAthlete Mostly Good Egg Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Certified Purna Yoga Teacher - Seattle, WA Posts: 1,035	I'm not going to regurgitate what I've already posted re: the previous lower back issue around muscles in spasm. What I will point out is that more care should be used in prognosis when it does not follow diagnosis. Huh? He said, "we don't know what you did". I typically would not tell a student, let alone someone on an Internet forum, anything regarding a spinal injury. Why? Two reasons. One the fear alone can do far more damage to the student than the actual injury and two, when we place such a thing "out there" it gathers a propensity to be a self fulfilling prophecy. Since the muscles around the spine are smooth and not striated they respond more to emotions, thoughts, and feelings. Some bright chap said 'the thought manifests as the word...the word manifests as the deed...' As I stated in another post here, the language of the student has to shift immediately. In fact it's one of the primary responders and it's easy, free, and right there in you. It's not "killing" you but rather teaching you. The relationship with the dialogue of the dis-ease, the illness, the injury must be the sort of marriage that lasts a lifetime, not the sort that ends in divorce. It is possible, though unlikely, that stepping in a hole would result in spinal injury. More likely, the femur slammed into the acetabulum and that might have aggravated a variety of muscles, might have shifted the pelvic girdle, might have subluxated a vertebra, might have jambed the sacroiliac joint. But these things can all be healed in a straight forward fashion. If you are the sort who believes in chiropractic this is a good time to go. I do and I would. Once you get an idea of the "what" then we can provide a much better "how". __________________ ---- http://www.yogamojodojo.com http://www.teamyoga.com http://www.innerathlete.net/forum

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05-03-2007, 11:29 AM	#1
xela Super Moderator Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Boston, MA Posts: 353	Hello everyone, Lately my lower back has been killing me. I steped in a hole a few days ago while walking my dog and I feel like it compressed a bunch of vertabrae. Only thing is that it has been a bit sore for a few days before that, but now its not just soreness...its pain. Also, I sit at a desk all day and its been very hard lately. I'm constantly having to do a modified talasana-esque pose on my chair to kind of stretch out my spine. I have refrained from doing any backbends because I'm scared I'll hurt myself worse, but are there ary posed I could do to help?

05-04-2007, 08:14 AM	#3
xela Super Moderator Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Boston, MA Posts: 353	Thanks, Nichole! I want to do the epsom salt baths, but I just got a new tattoo and can't soak fully for 10 days! Bad timing!!!

05-08-2007, 07:59 AM	#8
xela Super Moderator Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Boston, MA Posts: 353	Hi everyone and thanks for your help. I took a few days off from asanas, but then I thought that NOT practicing was hurting me more! So, I did an easy practice Saturday morning and when I was done I could actually crack my neck! Yay. Saturday afternoon I was to the acupuncturist and she injected an anti-inflammatory into my lower back which helped a lot and now I feel a lot better and can crack my back again. I'm still a little sore, but doing very very very simple backbends seems to be helping, like my body wants to be pushed a bit instead of no backbends at all. This whole situation has just taught me to slow down and listen to my body!

05-09-2007, 01:11 AM	#9
Hubert saptashata Member Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Romania Posts: 755	I also have chronic low back pain, and side plank usually helps alleviate it. Not for long, though, and because it is a strenght position ( I am doing it with my elbow down), I think the effect, at least partially, is due to the anastezic effect of endorphines secreted by the brain in such conditions. Also the heroic feeling induced by this pose (manipura ?) is a nice change for the usual anxiety what goes with this kind of pain.

05-09-2007, 01:43 PM	#11
Hubert saptashata Member Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Romania Posts: 755	I don't think it is so in this particular case, but I will take into account this possibility in my general practice.

07-01-2007, 02:17 PM	#12
Hubert saptashata Member Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Romania Posts: 755	Yoga Therapy for Low Back Pain in a Classroom Setting by Robin Rothenberg It is for therapists, but reading it might help home practitioners too. I found it googling, and I thought providing the link might be useful.