Mysterious arm pain only in downward dog

Yoga Discussion General Yoga
#1

I’ve been having a strange problem that started several months ago. I used to attend yoga class at least once a week, but had gotten out of the habit of going for quite some time. I decided to start again and begin with a home practice to get in shape. When I went into downward dog, I started getting a pain in my left arm within 10 seconds of holding the position. The pain starts a little lower on my arm and seems to travel up to my upper arm and I have to get out of the position or it really starts to hurt quite severly. It’s almost like a cramping pain.

I haven’t done anything (ever) to injure this arm and I don’t notice any pain at any other time - it’s just downward dog - well, I haven’t tried a handstand,lol.

Does anybody have any idea what this might be? A nurse practioner has already ruled out carpal tunnel syndrome and she doesn’t know what it is, but suggested I start taking anti-inflammatory medication. However, I want to know what’s causing this. If it age-related (I’m in my early 50’s), why would it be just my left arm?

Thanks for any input.

BJ

#2

I suggest stopping a studio somewhere to have an instructor evaluate your hand/wrist/arm/shoulder/back alignment. If its just on one side it could be a body misalignment, or maybe even a vertebrae out of place in your back thats causing excess pressure on one side. An experienced teacher should be able to at least rule out a few problems just by looking at you. In the meantime make sure that you warm up all of your joints - wrist/elbow/shoulder, and give your back a few good stretches before you start. Tightness in places like your lower back or even hips can affect the mobility of muscles in your arms.

Better luck!

#3

Please comment on the issue’s presence or absence in:

Plank (phalankasana)
Cobra (bhujangasana)
Upward Facing Dog (urdhva mukha svanasana)
Vasisthasna (side plank)
and Ardha Uttanasana with hands on the wall

#4

I tried cobra position and that wasn’t a problem. Then I went into plank position and Yikes! My upper arm (around the tricep) muscle went immediately into a severe cramp. It seems to be getting worse, although thankfully the pain and cramp stopped as soon as I released the weight on it.

#5

Can I presume your elbows were not in full extension in Bhujangasana (arm straight)?

And the pain in Phalankasana was at the top of the tricep in the back of the left upper arm?

If the pain is just the upper arm and not closer to the shoulder joint (but more so the fleshy back of the arm muscles) it is possible you’ve strained the tricep as the lateral head of one of them originates at the posterior portion of the upper humerus. You might be able to test this out by bending your elbows in plank by bending your elbows.

If the pain IS higher up it could be the insertion of the teres minor infraspinatus (rotator cuff muscles).