Knee Injury - Torn Meniscus

Yoga Discussion Structural Yoga Therapy
#1

Thank you for providing great answers to our questions. I have searched the Yoga Forum and did not find what I was looking for. My questions is: How can a student continue a yoga practice if he is recovering from a torn miniscus? I read in some of the Forum emails something about a “joint freeing series” however I have no idea what that series is.
Can you please inform me of the asanas that are relatively good for this student to do? Also, a list of big No-No asanas would be great (asanas to avoid).

I look forward to your answer.

Thank you very much.

Patricia.

#2

The Joint Freeing Series is a set of 22 motions I adapated from the Sivananda School of Yoga to take every joint of the body to its full range of motion (ROM), thus restoring ROM, strength and improving circulation to the deeper joint tissues. It is fully described in my book STructural Yoga Therapy. In terms of a torn meniscus, i would suspect this student has great knee flexion limiations prevening him from doing the full motion as shown in pg. 138 of my book. Instead he should do the motion without his arms assisting.
Also i would avoid the obvious poses that will aggravate the knee and do not try to stretch the knee back to full ROM for sometime, let healing come at its own pace. Avoid hero pose, cross leg sitting on floor - instead sit with legs extended; avoid pulling heel toward buttocks as in Dancer King, Frog, etc. Warrior poses would be good held gently and focus on toning his adductors and abductors. namaste mukunda