Pain in middle hip in Apanasana :(

Yoga Discussion General Yoga
#1

Dear all,

I have been practicing hatha yoga for 3 years. I recently started Ashtanga classes and everything was going well. However, I seem to have developed a pain in the middle of my left hip (towards the front - the part you can push your finger deepest into the joint (if that makes sense)) when I get in any pose with my left knee close to my chest (squats, lunges) - especially Apanasana.

If I lie in the pose, without holding my knees, there is no pain at all.

however, if I pull my knees even slightly towards my chest, where my right feels just gentle tension, my left screams a pinch-of-something type pain.
I have never had this before in all my practice.

My questions are:

  1. any idea what is causing this pain
  2. should I stop all stretching altogether for a while
  3. is it possible to have “caught” something in the joint - that is what it feels like.

Any help is hugely appreciated, I am worried I may have tainted my practice long term!

Many thanks

Afj_yoga
:slight_smile:

#2

Go back to hatha if you have pain and knows it is from ashtanga. Many people get injuries from yoga in fast pace. It should be static to build lasting strength. Fast going is prone to injuries.

2 if you stop it wont get better, i suggest you go back to hatha yoga if possible. If there is unbalanced now you need to try to balance it or else the problem might move to another part.

Is your front legs stiffer than normal? Do you get the same pinch in bow pose , dhanur asana? Just trying to figure if i understood your location of your pain.

#3

Dear Fakeyogis, thanks for the quick reply.

in answer to your question. No the pain does not occur in dhanurasana. only when I squeeze my knee towards my chest (either standing or as in apanasana or in childs pose with my knees touching each other).

The feeling is as though something is being pinched / squeezed in my hip and it feels as though it almost needs to pop or squelch.

The front of my legs are generally quite flexible, I can lay in heroes pose very easily without any pain.

Thanks for any help / advice

:slight_smile:

#4

Maybe then some muscle has been overworked or overloaded and strained. And you nest need some rest, if a muscle has begin to tear we need rest otherwise it might get worse. I dont know what it can be , maybe some other here knows more exact.

Can you manage to sit in one leg hero pose and the other forward and twist your over body to the side of the straight leg lets say right leg, then twist body to right 90 degrees and hold right hand on the floor and go down over your leg but with twisted body. Try both sides is there abnormal stiffness in side of hip?

#5

Dear Fakeyogis,

I can do the position you described both sides with no pain (although I am not felxible enough to touch my head on my knees - so perhaps I am not flexible enough to make it hurt), it appears only to hurt when the knee comes up to the chest directly in front of me. My hips have always been fairly tight but there does not appear to be any abnormal stiffness inside the hip.

I think perhaps rest for a few days and lightly start back with the hatha yoga.

If you can suggest any specific hip exercises that may help please do let me know.

Best

afj_yoga

#6

There are various muscles running across and around that region of the body.
For the poses that are troublesome roll a hand towel or mat remnant and wedge it in the frontal hip crease before flexing the hip joint.

In the meantime have your teacher show you the beginner’s hip opening series, the eight movements of the hip joint, why one is never done, why one is always done and how to properly do the other six toward balance.

gordon

#7

Dear Gordon,

Great idea with the towl, thanks. It eases the movement a lot.

Which one of the movements is never done?! sorry if I am being ignorant.

Today, I had a gentle practice opening my hips and I noticed that now I am feeling discomfort on the inside of my hip and more on the outside at the front (on top) especially, when I lean back and to the right (the pain is in my left hip).

When reading about hip flexor injuries they sound similar to my pain, although luckily I don’t think mine is particularly bad.

Could this new discomfort at the front (as i stretch back) be a bruise coming out on something like my hip flexors?

Thanks for the help and advice

Its really appreciated.

:slight_smile:

#8

Compression since the hip lives in compression as a result of being bipedal.

I’m not following your landmarks very well - inside hip, outside at front, on top, lean back, to the right … too confusing. Perhaps you could reference a particular posture and add some anatomical reference like medial or lateral. To some inside the hip is at the bone while to others it references the groins.

#9

Ok, sorry.

I still have pain in my left hip, deep in the groin (above the joint - as i lie on my back) (apologies I should not have said hip as this does make it sound like the actual ball joint) it feels like something is being squeezed painfully when I lie in apanasana.
this pain is a sharp squeezing “something is being compressed pain”.

however, I now also have a pain at the front of my Left hip (feels closer to the surface) and the pain here hurts if I lie in heroes pose (stretching backwards).
This is a “bruised muscle stretch pain”.

Just so you know I am not trying to diagnose myself, I am still asking for advice - this is just the way I find it best to describe the aches.

Many thanks for your patience!
:slight_smile:

#10

I would suggest you rest for a week and then start slowly. It seems you muscles have been over stressed as you get more pain, rest is what you need. Just do meditation instead.