Dear Mukunda: I attended your Structural Yoga Therapy Workshop Level 1 at Yogaville this past year. I also had a private session with you. I have had lower back pain, which radiates down the side of my left leg and it has begun affecting my knee about two months ago. When I do not stretch or do impact exercises like running or walking it seems to lessen or disappear. In fact when I sleep and get up in the morning I feel good. An x-ray showed nothing wrong with my bones or cartilage in my knee. An MRI from about one year ago showed herniation in 2 discs. L-5 and L-2.
Can years of over-stretching hamstrings and quads do permanent damage that cannot be erased? If I simply do not do exercises that cause pain do you think the muscles that ache in my leg will get better or heal in any way from not stressing them? Can ultra sound improve my muscles? Bicycling seems not to cause pain. You prescribed some of your joint freeing series movements including the pelvic rocking motion. It feels OK when I do the motions you prescribed. I like more strenuous exercise and I am not sure where to go from here.
Any insight or help will be welcomed to relieve the tired achiness in my muscles and furthermore is there a chance if I rest them for a certain period of time I will be able to use them for more strenuous exercise at some point in the future? C
Without having access to the records of assessment that I did at Yogaville, it is not easy to comment on your questions. If you wish more accurate information email a summary of the findings. It sounds like the root of the trouble is the nervous system inflamed from herniation. Hydrating the disc can often relieve this and doing all that you can to maintain that for a full season. Overstretching tendons and ligaments can led to permanent hypermobility and thus instability. Overstretching muscles is quite another thing. When you feel the stretch in the joint region you are causing damage. When the feeling of stretch is in the belly of the muscle away from a joint then you are usually fine. I have had only limited experience with ultra sound and in most of those instances it was only of temporary relief. I find best relief is from using BF & S ointment and herbs from Nature’s Way this can be rubbed into the injured tissue and I find it works better than taking glucosamine and chondrotin. The latter supplements are also highly recommended. Laying off an injury is a good idea for anywhere from 2 weeks to an entire season - 3 months. Depending on the severity of the injury. What is wrong with being gentle with yourself for a while? As we age it is important to be sensitive to the changes life brings. Personally I feel that intensive exercise is only appropriate for those who are young and/or foolish.