Tennis elbow

Yoga Discussion Structural Yoga Therapy
#1

I have developed tennis elbow in my right arm, and need some help in treating it. I did it with a combination of digging hard earth with a trowel over a few weekends, and nadi sodhana every day for 6 weeks without supporting my arm, always using the right arm and hand (hmmm, rajasic and heedless).
I have switched hands for nadi sodhana, supporting the elbow just below shoulder level, with fingertips placed on the third eye instead of bent into the palm; and no more digging. I have also started the squash and rice diet. to try to ease the inflammation. Any suggestions on specific postures/exercises to strengthen the pronators/supinators in the forearm, as well as postures to definately avoid? I have eased off on my Ashtanga vinyasa practice, as weight bearing postures like down dog, up dog, chatteranga really aggravate my elbow.
Thanks, any suggestions appreciated…
Donna

#2

Structural Yoga Theray for elbows is more about what not to do to aggrevate the condition. You have made smart choices to stop digging and modify your practice. Have you gone far enough in these modifications? Almost any weight bearing activity on the hands will aggrevate the condition. Gentle practices like JFS are recommended. Also ice and massage therapy can help. Try to find a therapist that is familiar with “stripping”, a painful technique that realigns muscle fibers. There is a good case study on elbow tendonitis on Mukunda’s web page yogatherapycenter.org. Also aloe vera juice taken internally can be very good for cooling pitta.

#3

Thanks, Mangala
It is much better–I rested for a few months, did only JFS and Mukunda’s pranayama for pain. Last week I did an Ashtanga intensive for the first time in 6 months. My arm muscles were very weak, and so I was in pain and frustration for the first half of the week, trying to let go of rajasic tendencies. But now the muscles have strengthened a bit more, a lot of the pain in the elbow itself seems to have gone. I was considering a steroid injection, but with a mindful practice I think the pain will finally go.