Yoga with injured wrist

Yoga Discussion General Yoga
#1

First off, hello everyone!

Okay, I am a 16 year old female and have been doing yoga and pilaties (sp* sorry) since I was about 10. About two weeks ago I had surgery to fix a severly torn tendon in my right wrist. Before that, we did not know that was the problem (I was having the pain for 3 years before the surgery) so I was keeping a regular routine doing a yoga and pilaties (sp*) mix in the morning and at night. Because of the surgery I will be in a cast for 6 more weeks. I cannot go that long without doing some yoga! I have a problem though, I cannot put weight or hold anything with my right hand, and I am off balance because of the medication, and the fact that I am being pulled to the side because of the big cast I have on. Any suggestions? Please!

Thank you! Abeille

#2

Hi Abeille,

I usually wouldn’t reply to such a question as I am no therapist, but I think we can work with good old common sense here:

Because of the surgery I will be in a cast for 6 more weeks. I cannot go that long without doing some yoga! I have a problem though, I cannot put weight or hold anything with my right hand
There are some Asanas that don’t require you to put weight on your hands. Do these. Also, there are a lot of Yoga techniques (Pranayama, concentration, meditation) that don’t require hands at all. Do them. And you can spend some time studying the theory. Do so.

That way you will spend the very short time of only six weeks with Yoga. Don’t attempt to put weight on that hand, if you do, you’ll only risk to extend that tiny little period of time without Yoga to maybe months, years or a full lifetime of forced abstinence.

Be smart!

#3

Some neck movements can be fantatsic for getting into a more meditative state, especially if breath synch is used. Good luck. I might have broken my scaphoid bone in my right hand, so I am in a similar position!

#4

Hello Abeille

My primary reply to such things is two-fold. The first is “ask your teacher”. The second is that healing and recovery and mending are most effective through rest not through activity.

While I’m not an ageist, the likelihood of a 16 year-old girl being still, meditating, moving light and color into the effected area, working with the breath, and eating the right things is remote.

Since you are currently under the care of a western medical doctor anything would have to be cleared with that person you’ve chosen to provide your care.

I teach in a style of yoga (Purna Yoga™ - which means “whole” or “complete”) and use the wall rope system so I’d have some ways to work with you directly that you would not have in working on your own.That having been said…

The following sequence is possible without supporting weight in the wrist or grasping with the hand.

Virasana
Parsva Virasana
Dandasana (back against a wall)
Baddha Konasana (back against a wall)
Tadasana
Utkatasana
Virabhadrasana II
Virabhadrasana I
Parsvakonasana (elbow on thigh)
Vrksasana
Salabhasana
Makarasana
Setu Bandha
Savasana

By no means it this therapeutic for what you are dealing with. It is merely an answer to what you’ve asked.

#5

Thank you all for your comment hugs

Quetzalcoatl, thank you and I am being sure to be as safe as possible.

YogaBija, thanks and I hope all is well with you! as long as you are okay with it (please let me know), my prayers are with you for your health.

InnerAthlete, thank you for all your comments. I am actually all self-taught by videos and reading, so I have no teacher to ask except myself. Well, unless I want to talk to the TV or my Books, hahahe! Also, you would be surprized at what a 16 year old can do after six years of practicing almost every day. I am no where near being even skilled, but I am not horrible either :slight_smile: I will look up those positions, thank you very much!

hugs everyone some more
Abeille