Displaced L3

Yoga Discussion General Yoga
#1

Hello Mukunda,

I have a student in her 70s who recently found out via MRI that her 3rd lumber vertebrae is slightly displaced. Her main symptom is nerve pain relayed down her legs. She says yoga has helped her a great deal and wants to continue. The class she takes is basic beginning hatha yoga with a half sun salute flow (standing and folding forward). She has been advised to by a chiropractor to avoid strong backbending. I also have her fold from the hips with the knees bent or softened to avoid rounding the lower back. What else I should be thinking about for her?

Thank you, Daya

#2

I need more information. find out what area has pain more precisely ideally by identifying poses and muscles that aggravate condition. I suspect some of your statement is inaccurate so double check it. L3 nerve is the femoral nerve and will affect the quadriceps and gluteus medius muscles (lateral hip). They are not involved in pain down back of leg, that would be due to the sciatic nerve which has roots from L4-S3.
Advise is quite different between chiropractor and you. He says no strong backbending which is appropriate advice for femoral nerve but not sciatic. YOur recommendation of folding witharch in lumbar is against his wishes. So i need clarification before saying further. namaste mukunda stiles

#3

one must assert discernment in finding good health practitioners no matter what service they render. personal connection is best not necessarily the most skill. namaste mukunda