Mukunda-
could you please respond to what this is and the dos and do not’s in yoga asanas regarding this spinal ailment?
Thank you.
While i do not comprehend medical terminology due to having only a year of physical therapy training not being licensed in other words, I do find that learning about medical conditions and putting them into a Yogic and Ayurvedic perspective gives me something to work with. So let me do this with this condition of the spine.
I believe you misspelled the condition known as Spondylolisthesis. There are several terms that may be confusing due to their similarity of spelling and pronunciation. Among them are Spinal Stenosis & Spondylosis ? a degenerative arthritis of the vertebrae; Spondylolisthesis ? forward slipping vertebrae: Spondylitis ? inflammation of the vertebrae; * Ankylosing Spondylitis ? rheumatoid vertebrae; and Spondylolysis ? breaking down of a vertebral structure.
If you are referring to spondylolisthesis then this condition needs extra caution in baclward bending especially if the condition is in the lumbar region. Backward bends tend to further displace anteriorally vertebrae. They are great for khyphosis or rounded upper back but not when single or paired vertebrae are forward. Thus the major focus should be upon strengthening the abdominals and gluteus maximus not the erector spinae. Poses that will do this are rolling bridge, boat (navasana), locust (single leg low lifting), and sunbird (chakravakasana). These are detailed in my book Structural Yoga Therapy. Pranically this will manifest as displaced samana or apana prana, or stated in Ayurvedic language, a vata imbalance. For this condition the yogi will give deep wave (ujjaye) breathing, restorative poses, yoga nidra, and sattvic meditation to promote balance of prana and restoration of serenity of mind. All types of soothing practices may cause such a profound relaxation that the vertebrae simply fall back into place. namaste mukunda
Mukunda your comments, as usual, are right on target. In general emphasize neurtral spine with a touch of flection, emphasize lower rectus abdominus strength in Navasana in particular (assuming we are dealing with a retrolisthesis- vertebrae displacing backwards- at L4-5 or L5-S1 which are the most common forms of spondylolisthesis. SI stabilization exercise with care not to increase lumbar lordosis also good idea. Lastly suggest initially using a "reverse wave- exhalation into pelvic floor as per Frawley- initially to optimally stabilize Vata and maintain structural integrity till she can move into more complex vinyassa series.
I would be careful with cobra and locust - extra care for true extension typically requires constant verbal cuing by the instructor. Also would be careful with many of the viniyoga trasitional poses which tend to take the spine in and out of flexion and extension- Viniyoga tends to increase spinal axis mobility and in this particular condition we want to lesssen such mobility- at least at first. I would strongly suggest some one on one individual sessions with these types of students before putting them in a group class scenario. Hope this helps! Namaste, Bart Goldman, MD Physiatry (Physical Medicine)