I have a student who has a heel spur on her right foot and when doing warrior I & II and south-side stretch feels pain into her achilles. Can you advise how to offer alternatives for relief?
Thank you.
Sure. I am not familiar with anything called South Side Stretch. If it’s parsvakonasana…
In Vira 1 lifting the back heel may help.
If not, then a foam wedge under the heel (in Vira 1 and Vira 2).
You can also use a rolled mat or blanket. The mat is preferable since it provide needed traction.
What is the third pose please?
Tension in Achilles Tendon will definitely pull on the fascia (connective tissue) of the foot. Plantar Fascitis and/or bone spurs can result from excessive tension in the small muscles of the balls of the feet and the Achilles. Modifications to go deeper into poses are great, but dealing with the underlying problem will have a more lasting effect.
She probably has a limited range of dorsiflexion (bringing sole of foot toward the face) such as happens when in the back leg of WI. As she is feeling pain, my recommendation would be to work more gently with the poses mentioned to access a stretch of the tight tissue, rather than relying on a prop to access a deeper appearance of the pose. WI should be felt in the lower back leg as a stretch.
If your student will practice WI at the wall - eliminating the upper body aspect of the pose and focusing on the stretch in the calf, she can use it as a therapeutic pose on a daily basis. The deeper muscle of the calf can be reached by bending the knee (while keeping the heel on the ground). Relaxation should be maintained throughout - and no pain - just a slow stretch!
Massage or self massage can also be helpful. She can try using a golf ball to roll out the tight tissue of the sole of the foot.
Note of Caution: If an actual bone spur has developed, this person should be under the care of a physician. Occaisionally surgery is recommended for this condition.
Namaste,
Chandra
I’m going to have to take a bit of exception with the narrow view you present of prop use. There are only two issues I have. The post, Chandra, like all of your posts, is mindful, precise, and in the best interest of the student.
My two issues are this:
The OP asks about “relief” in three specific poses. The props will provide what the OP has requested based on what she’s shared. Since she did not ask about remedy I gave her what she asked for.
Second I was not suggesting she a) go “deeper into poses” or b) develop reliance on props for “appearance”. The semantics of this text may mislead readers relative to my comments.
Generally speaking the tone of your post would discourage prop use. Which is fine if that’s your position and I would respect that - delivered a bit more directly.
Inner Athlete,
Thank you for the constructive criticism. Offering modifications toward finding comfort and steadiness in the asana is of course beneficial, whether it involves a prop or not. I apologize for sounding judgemental of prop use!
Also - this student is in a group class and not a yoga therapy situation, and depending on the experience of the instructor, providing this modification may be exactly the best way forward.
As to moving deeper into the pose vs feeling the stretch - the question is for the yoga student to consider as she/he works through the sensation/pain spectrum. What are his/her goals - motives - hinderances - insights? An opportunity for ahimsa and svadhyaya…
Namaste,
Chandra
The adjustment to this person posture that comes to mind is to avoid placing the back foot on an angle in this postures but instead have the foot up on the ball with the heel raised. One can also place a support of some kind under that same foot to provide a contact and reduce the strain.
I hope that helps.
Jennifer
Hello Kat,
I’m assuming that your student experiences pain in her rear foot. Planting the rear foot during these postures can over-strain the plantar fascia and achilles tendon. You can modify this by coming up on the ball of the back foot (base roots of the toes). While the back heel is no longer “pressing” against the floor, it is still engaged.
You can help her to engage the inner and outer edge of her back heel by cupping her heel and asking her to press into your hands. She can also experiment with pressing the fleshy part of her heel against a wall. Using the wall in this way prevents the achilles from being over stretched and creates a stable base of support.
I’ve put this answer on our blog and included a photo to show you what I mean. Click here to go there.
Hope this helps!
Sonja