Which Asana for Cervical Spondilosis

Yoga Discussion General Yoga
#1

I have been practising Yoga for over 10 years but I started noticing that after doing Yoga my back pain is worsen, so I assume I’ve been doing something wrong due to my condition. I have a problem with neck spondilosis, and the pain (sometimes followed by numbness and tingling in in the hand fingers and foot fingers) goes between my shoulder blades, at the back of my right hand up to the three last fingers. It feels as if something is pulling and if I move my little finger I can feel the pain between my shoulder blades. At the moment I am travelling, and I tried to research on the net which asana are suitable for this condition but I found contradictory results, where some suggest asana with bending the head back and some towards the chest. What do you suggest? Anyone with similar experience and maybe even solution :)? Couple of days when I was doing Surya Namascara in the Parvatasana I pushed my head between my shoulders and I felt sharp place between the blades, I took couple of days for the pain to ease and of course I had to rest from doing asana.

Thank you,

Angelina

#2

I had a student and developed sort of program for bulged cervical disc… please send me your email to private message and I can send you what I have

do you have just worn cartilage of is the disc bulged or herniated?

#3

I am not sure, One doctor said its fibrosis but two out of three doctors said it is neck spondilosis, also now and then I feel sharp pain in the spine at the root of the neck. None of them did the x ray. Meditation is also hard to do since the pain gets worst as the back is forced to stand straight and usually after some time I give up in loosen up.

Thnx

Angelina

P.s my mail trangelina@gmail.com

#4

Hello Angelina,

First, I would avoid posting your email address on a public forum like this as that makes it readily available to spammers. You can PM David, the admin here, and ask that he edit the post accordingly.

To the question of your neck issues, as a therapeutically trained yoga teacher with a 2,000-hour training and a certification from the State of Washington I tend to deal with symptomology rather than labels. Obviously spondylosis is not a clinical diagnosis but rather a natural state of the spine in aging human beings. Simply because degeneration is present that does not mean it is the cause of one’s issue(s).

Since these things are correlated with aging it would be helpful to know your background, including but not limited to your age.

Generally speaking, a therapeutic issue like the one you present is not remedied by a prescription of asana. In fact it borders on negligence to state that a set of poses should be taken like a pharmaceutical and will remedy your issue. For this reason, and others, the most effective course of action is to find a highly skilled, therapeutically trained yoga teacher (if you wish to use that modality to address the issue) and work with that person directly. Such work should include asana, pranayama, nutrition, lifestyle, meditation, and applied philosophy.

gordon

#5

Namste,

I am 31 and in the past I have had hip operation in my teenage years, after that I had issues like Lumbago and then I was diagnosed the spondilosis, which I think runs in the family since both my father and aunty has it, although I don’t believe this can be a genetics issue. The issue that bothers me now the pain between the shoulders which travels down to my hand and sometimes left food as well happened couple of years ago, I suspect that while doing Candle pose, than something clicked in my lower back and after that I had numb foot and tingling left foot up to the knee. I work a lot on the computer which requires sitting and I do travel a lot. This is why I haven’t seen a practitioner until now because I move a lot. I also find that this pain becomes stronger when I am stressed out. So until I stay somewhere longer and find a practitioner what are your suggestions, what should I do and what should I avoid (asana,pranayam). Meditating in sitting position is upcoming painful so I was thinking to do it laying on the floor.
Thank you

Angelina

#6

Wow that is infinitely more helpful Angelina, thank you!

The pose you mention as “candle” is often another term for Sarvangasana or “shoulder stand”. That pose, in order to optimize effect and safety, should not be done flat on the floor. Instead, props, in the form of folded blankets or foam pads tightly wrapped with a sticky mat, should be used to preserve the cervical curve (vertebra in the neck).

The innervation of the upper extremities routes through the cervical spine. And since you mention tingling in the arms/hands/fingers it makes sense to address any compression in the neck. This compression can come from;
[ul]
[li]gravity[/li][li]muscle tension[/li][li]subluxated vertebra[/li][li]reverse cervical curve or military neck[/li][li]trauma/impact[/li][li]ongoing flexion (sitting at a computer)[/li][li]incorrect extension (poor action in back bends)[/li][/ul]
The two primary things I have found helpful are passive and active traction in the wall ropes and passive backbends on a backbend bench. Sirsasana between two chairs has also been helpful. If you have two bolsters you can rig the cross-bolster passive backbend.

I would avoid any weight-bearing on the head as in sirsasana, sasangasana, and matsyasana and would only do Sarvangasana with the guidance of a therapeutically trained teacher and the appropriate props. Also avoid tosing the head back in any active back bends like Bhujangasana, Urdhva Mukha Svanasana, Sarpasana, Ustrasana, Dhanurasana, and even Vira I.

Pranayama, in the supine position on a pranayama pad or bolster or accordion-folded blanket, would be find as long as the pranayam selected was gentle and calming to the nervous system - radiant breath, ujjayi, viloma I.

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#7

Hi… I just entered the forum to read advices for bulged cervical disc. I’m 33 years old and I had been diagnosed with a disc bulge in the cervical region. Doctor did not tell that it’s serious but when it pains the pain radiates in my right arm completely. Right now I’m doing only the neck strengthening exercises which my doctor suggested.
I was a practicing yoga atleast 4 days a week and had no serious health issues like this until 2 months back. Last two months I did not do yoga or any other exercise but sat on a chair for hours continuously in my class and at home studying. Since exams are approaching I started avoiding even yoga taking things easy forgetting my age too. And now all the posture related problems lead to disc bulge in the cervical region and now I have no clue which postures I’m not suppose to do.
Can I do surya namaskar, sarvangasan, trikonasan and leg lifts lying on my back?
Could you suggest me other asanas to heal myself from this condition quickly?
Kindly help.

#8

All good suggestions. Might also try Sarvangasana (candlestick) with a chair