Leg injury

Yoga Discussion General Yoga
#1

Hello

I’ve been doing yoga for 2 years and I have always had leg problems when doing downward dog. More specifically, I would feel numbness on my upper, left calf.

Then a few months ago while practising the Gate pose I did the most stupid thing, I forced my left leg to streighthen. ouch! I didn’t immediately feel the strain on my muscles but a few days later I couldn’t walk and it took me 3 weeks to be able to walk w/o being in pain.

I am back to doing yoga but I feel this numbness and heaviness on my upper calf even when I am at work sitting .

I saw a physio soon after my injury and he told me that both knees hyperextend but the joint of my left knee is veeery loose. He also said that my quads are not strong enough and since my ligaments are long, my knees are not supported.

I am supposed to be going to the gym to strengthen my quads but I feel like a hamster in the wheel :frowning:
The physio doesn’t think that I’ve overstretched my hamstring but I think I am tight on the hamstrings anyway (Staff pose is very challenging for me, my back collapses)

This numbness on my calf is really annoying, has anyone experienced it or does anyone know what it is? My physio said it is part of the same problem and he gave me an exercise to loosen it but it doesn’t help much.

I live in Scotland, UK and the cold seems to be making it worse. I was in Greece for 2 weeks and I had no problems whatsoever. Also, my yoga practise is first thing in the morning - could it be that my muscles haven’t warmed up properly? But then again, it is only the left leg that gives me grief…

argghhh sorry for loooong post. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Many thanks

Maria

#2

Your story: pain in back of upper left calf, weak quads, tight hamstrings, hyper-extended knees. Warmth helps, PT exercise for calf doesn’t. You haven’t done quad strengthening as recommended by PT.

My story: I can’t know what your calf is telling you without seeing you in person. You may have pulled a hamstring or gracilis tendon, but the numbness could even come from nerves in your lower back.

Please give your calf some more time to rest and move it gently (as in pavanmuktanasana = joint freeing series). Don’t overdo the downward facing dog; modify it to a bent knee pose. Make sure that you maintain lumbar curve in the pose, too. Keep your lower back hollow, similar to the curve that you have while standing up.

Plus: your PT is right. With hyper-extended knees you should be strengthening your quads. If you don’t like the gym, try bridge pose, warrior II and squat pose repetitions instead.

Hope this helps.

#3

[QUOTE=Willem;23586]Your story: pain in back of upper left calf, weak quads, tight hamstrings, hyper-extended knees. Warmth helps, PT exercise for calf doesn?t. You haven?t done quad strengthening as recommended by PT.

My story: I can?t know what your calf is telling you without seeing you in person. You may have pulled a hamstring or gracilis tendon, but the numbness could even come from nerves in your lower back.

Please give your calf some more time to rest and move it gently (as in pavanmuktanasana = joint freeing series). Don?t overdo the downward facing dog; modify it to a bent knee pose. Make sure that you maintain lumbar curve in the pose, too. Keep your lower back hollow, similar to the curve that you have while standing up.

Plus: your PT is right. With hyper-extended knees you should be strengthening your quads. If you don?t like the gym, try bridge pose, warrior II and squat pose repetitions instead.

Hope this helps.[/QUOTE]

Hello and thank you for your reply.

I don’t think I keep my back hollow in Downward facing dog, and I recently did my back lifting a heavy box of apples over a fence (I was trying to help some kids who went apple picking) so you could be spot on in saying that the numbness may come from a nerve in my lower back.

I have started doing squats, will using an elliptical strider at home help you think?

Many thanks,

Maria

#4

Hello Maria,

To be honest, I have never used an elliptical trainer in my life. To me it appears to simulate running or walking. So I can’t asnwer this question. But, for quads strengthenening, the following gym equipment could be more efficient: rowing machine, legs press equipment, quads-knee extension equipment. Don’t go out and buy these, though. Like I said, there is nothing wrong with good old yoga (bridge, warrior II, squats). And please don’t strengthen the quads at the expense of aggravating your injury.

#5

[QUOTE=Willem;23592]Hello Maria,

To be honest, I have never used an elliptical trainer in my life. To me it appears to simulate running or walking. So I can’t asnwer this question. But, for quads strengthenening, the following gym equipment could be more efficient: rowing machine, legs press equipment, quads-knee extension equipment. Don’t go out and buy these, though. Like I said, there is nothing wrong with good old yoga (bridge, warrior II, squats). And please don’t strengthen the quads at the expense of aggravating your injury.[/QUOTE]

Hello again

Your last sentence is once again spot on. I was doing squats this evening and my lower back was really sore. It was easier if I tucked the tail bone under but like you said I thought I should better stop. I’ll pop in to see the PT again. He will probably shout at me for not going to the gym. (Actually I did go but then I was on holiday and now I just can’t motivate myself to go back). He said that it should take 3 months to notice an improvement; that was based on going to the gym twice a week ooops!

Thanks for your advice.

Kind regards,

Maria