Is yoga harming my back?

Yoga Discussion General Yoga
#1

O.K. the details …practised 2x week Ashtanga Primary series for a year, switched to Anusara style 2 x week and most recently mixed the 2 style about 3 - 4 times per week for the last 2 months. My question is this, I suffer from a compressed joint in my mid spine area which I’ve been working with my physiotherapist and osteopath for the last 2 months but most recently I’ve noticed that the days I practice yoga my back is in more pain than usual.
Is this a coincidence or is it possible that yoga is agitating my problem?

My physiotherapist is a great believer in exercise whatever shape it takes so is hesitant to say that any form of exercise can be of harm.
Any thoughts?

#2

yoga is not hurting your bak, the way you are doing the postures is. It is kind of like the stores dont drain my wallet, it is the way I spend my money in the stores that does. I need to be aware of what I am doing with my money just as you need to be aware of what is going on in your body.

are you doing enough balancing? for example. I used to have bad back problems when I was a kid so what I did was strengthen the abbs and this relieved my back problems. if you are doing too many back bends and not enough forward bends then you can create an imbalance. Currently I do yoga with a torn meniscus in my left knee, I am very aware not to make this worse, and it has seem to have gotten better.
Good luck to you, I hope you can find the balance.
Neil

#3

any other thoughts???

#4

Sure but I’ve hesitated because the very nature of the post places respondents in a position of critique.

I have two thoughts to share. The first is that you are mixing practices with very different purposes. I’ll not get into the purposes of Ashtanga and Anusara respectively. If you are not aware of them AND you’ve simply just picked this and that out of the air then it’s appropriate to go back to the drawing board and find out the “directions” of these two practice.

Upon uncovering that information it would be interesting to hear how they can be blended and what unified purpose they might have following that blending. So I’m dancing around a bit, minding my P’s and Q’s to say “pick one”.

But that doesn’t directly answer your question. That would involve you providing a bit more information about your issue. Compressed facet joint? Midback? Where?

Frankly it is quite possible you are aggravating whatever it is wherever it is with your asana practice. Depending on what you’ve got going on, there are simply some things that are not done and others that are done but in this way or that.

Most exercise has benefits. That is not in question. What is in question is if this exercise or that exercise is beneficial for your compressed thingy. Tell me more and I’ll tell you more, maybe:-)

#5

Tell you more…mmmmm…not sure that I can as all my physiotherapist has said is that I have a compressed joint in my mid back which is causing some “stabbing” sensations when aggravated. I am aware that the practices are very different I originally practiced Ashtanga, but due to a studio and teacher change I started the practice of Anusara which I thoroughly enjoy. More recently the new studio has started with Ashtanga classes and hence my now practicing 2 types of yoga. Your right in that I need to make a choice, but I am having problems deciding what is more important to me.
Back to my back… I believe I started noticing the pain flair up when jumping through from downdog to the top of my mat. I am unable to jump through with both feet so I kind of do a hop through with one leg, my back then rounding and causing pain. Also in sitting postures if my back is not completely straight I notice pain. I guess it is sensible then to say “keep your back straight” and this is where I have a problem.
Does any of this information help ?
Perhaps I have answered my own post hear in realizing that Anusara is a more gentle style yoga, that is perhaps more helpful to someone with a previous back injury.

#6

Well compressing actions when already compressed may lead to both pain and some greater dis-comfort. So running and jumping, in particular, come to mind as something to NOT do when having a compression. Though I’ve not got the slightest idea what your physio is conceptualizing.

I’d encourage you to be more involved in your healing process by having an articulate discourse with your care provider(s) so that you DO know what’s going on.

I’d also like to point out that the spine is never straight. It’s state for bearing weight in the bi-pedal position has three curves. That is a neutral spine (for the sake of this conversation). If you have difficulty in seated poses place a folded blanket under your sitting bones in order to tip your pelvis anteriorly (forward).

It does seem like you’ve answered your own question.