Yin yoga extension poses for people with some lumbar pain

There are often many questions about Yin Yoga and specific spinal conditions. Feel free to ask your question here, or check out other posts or contribute input from your own experience.
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patdlob
Posts: 2
Joined: Fri Aug 29, 2008 1:55 am

Yin yoga extension poses for people with some lumbar pain

Post by patdlob »

Dear Bernie,

I had an MRI which showed spinal stenosis at L4/L5 after experiencing pain in my back for the first time ever. The “trauma” at that joint probably happened 20-30 yrs ago according to the doctor. My rolfer and I think I just let the glutes and hamstrings get tight (I had stopped the rolfing for 2 yrs or so and just restarted). Do you think that the passive yin extensions are ok if I don’t feel any pain?


I know you can’t give medical advice but was wondering what your experience has been with other clients who have back issues.


Thank you.
Bernie
Posts: 1293
Joined: Sat Sep 23, 2006 2:25 am
Location: Vancouver

spinal stenosis

Post by Bernie »

Hi Pat ... thanks for asking this question in the forum. Perhaps other Yinsters who have a similar condition can share their experience with us.

Firstly, you are right - I am not a doctor and can't give you any medical advise, especially without having seen you in person. I can offer my thoughts however, and leave you to use your inner guru, and your health care provider, to work out what to do.

I know that to "stenose" means to narrow, and so spinal stenosis is a narrowing of the spinal canal causing pressure on the spinal cord. This can manifest as pain in many areas of the lower body. Unfortunately there are many possible causes of the narrowing of the canal. From your description it sounds like the cause was some sort of one-time trauma, not a congenital deterioration. Again, without knowing the exact cause, it is hard to work out the best remediation for the condition.

You are really asking one simple question: are passive yin extensions okay if there is no pain? In spinal extension we are creating compression in the vertebra: normally that is a good thing. Compressing the bones helps to stimulate the osteoblasts to get busy and build thicker bones for us. Since once possible cause of spinal stenosis is osteoporosis, this should be good. However, if the narrowing of the canal is made worse by compressing the disks, this may be bad. The real key is - is there pain, both at the time you do the pose and after your practice?

There exists a lot of evidence that passive extension of the spine promotes healing for many back problems. However, there are always cases where it doesn't help and may make the situation worse. I would suggest, with your health care professional's guidance, you do try the Yin Yoga postures and really check in on how you feel during and after each practice.

Start with the easy backbends like Sphinx. In time, more to the higher positions (ie: resting your elbows on bolsters or books). Before trying Seal, which is the deepest backbend, you may want to experiment with Saddle pose, providing your knees and ankles approve. [You can find all these poses described in detail in my book YinSights, right here in the Asana section of this site: http://www.yinyoga.com/ys2_2.0_yinyoga_asanas.php]

Let us know how this works for you. I am sure that there are many people who would love to learn from you.

cheers
Bernie
Kat
Posts: 2
Joined: Sat Aug 30, 2008 1:59 pm
Location: Vancouver

Post by Kat »

Hi there,
I am a physiotherapist and have worked with a number of people with severe spinal stenosis, so thought I would share what I know about this condition. Unlike with discogenic back pain, people with spinal stenosis usually find flexion or posterior pelvic tilts of the pelvis to be a more pain-relieving position than extension. The flexed position of the spine will take some of the pressure off of the nerve roots and open up the spinal canal. If there is other damage to the discs or other soft-tissues, this may not be the case for you, but generally spinal stenosis likes flexion so you may do better with the forward flexed postures. When we teach people with spinal stenosis core stabilization exercises, they are also encouraged to do them in a slight posterior pelvic tilt. So you may do better in the flexed postures than the extended ones.
Kat
patdlob
Posts: 2
Joined: Fri Aug 29, 2008 1:55 am

Post by patdlob »

Dear Kat and Bernie,

Thank you for your replies. I do find the flexion poses feel better. But I also find that over time my glutes are getting weaker (especially when I play tennis), and I guess that's because it's harder to do strengthen them if more of my poses/exercises are flexion exercises...???

Thanks.

Pat
Bernie
Posts: 1293
Joined: Sat Sep 23, 2006 2:25 am
Location: Vancouver

Strengthening the glutes without deep extensions

Post by Bernie »

Hi Pat

Given Kat's helpful advice, you may want to try some butt strengtheners that don't stress the lower back in extension too much. Strengtheners of course are part of yang yoga, but we need both yin and yang in life!

You could try salambhasana (locust pose): it doesn't require too much of a backbend (hard to lift up really high against gravity) but does work the glutes and the hamstrings. Lying on the ground on your belly, with your hands beside your hips on the floor, lift your chest and legs up off the floor at the same time. If you want a stronger challenge you can bring your arms over your head out in front of you. Hold for a few breaths, then come down, rest and try again 3 to 5 times. An even easier way is to do this with just one leg and one arm at a time lifting up (usually the opposite leg/arm lift up, and then the other sides ... you can combine this into a flowing movement with the breath.)

Baby cobras are also great for building lower back and glute strength: do a regular cobra but have your hands off the floor, or resting very lightly on the floor. In this way you minimize your arms and uses your backside muscles much more. You also won't rise up so high because you aren't using your arms.

There is also a flexion way to work the glutes: shoulder stand. We use our big butt muscles to extend the body straight up in the air, but until we reach straight, most students are flexed a bit (or a lot) in the midsection. You can find these poses well described at http://www.yogajournal.com/poses/480

Hope this helps and good luck!
Bernie
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