hand pain...

[Guest guest]

Has anyone ever experienced pain in the hands

(mostly the palms) while in up dog or in plank? I've

recently started feeling pain in the hands. I've also

noticed that after I do a full back bend or after I do a

handstand, my thumb and my index finger are tingly. Then,

they are usually numb after practice (I was thinking

about attributing this to yoga mudra...but what about

after handstand and all that???). Does anyone know

anything about this? All of the sudden my body is in pain

during practice! Not all the time... and it could be

that I'm just sor from doing it SO much (the most I've

done it is 4 times in one day). So, any advice is

appreciated!<br><br>Lauren

[Guest guest]

Lauren, take it easy! <br><br>More yoga can be

better, but I'm understanding more and more what Sam

Dworkis repeats over and over "Less, done correctly,

always gets you more."<br><br>Pain is a warning sign,

saying "Ow, don't go here, this is bad, you're hurting

me." Tingling and numbness are warning signs too,

indicating the potential for nerve damage. What do all of

the postures you mention have in common? Hands bent

backwards (extended, as opposed to flexed), and with weight

on them. If you were learning some musical

instrument or some sport or how to use some tool, there

would probably be mention of keeping the wrists

straight. When they are bent, there is more strain on lots

of things. When you have your hands over your head

at the beginning of a salutation or out to your

sides in other postures, the wrists are straight. This

is a safe, neutral, strong place. Since the hands

are able to bend, we should be able to work with them

bent too. But putting a lot of weight on bent hands

can be something that takes a while to work up to. If

you ease up a bit and maybe skip some postures for

awhile, you may be able to keep right on going. But you

may also have to really make some modifications.

Anyway, you don't want to keep pushing into anything that

causes these symptoms. The more you do, the harder it

will be to undo the damage. I heard about a yoga

teacher in England who was having problems with her

hands. The way she worked around this to continue

practicing Ashtanga was to place the front of her fists on

the floor instead of the palms of her hands, so the

wrists are straight. In Donna Farhi's book, she shows

how a slantboard can be used under the hands to

reduce the angle. It may be that by making some

temporary adjustments, the wrists will get stronger just by

practicing yoga. Or you may need to also explore specific

therapy to address this, which may all be contained

within appropriate yoga practice or you may need to

study other approaches as well. I have a page about

hand problems here:

<a href=http://www.ionet.net/~tslade/hands.htm

target=new>http://www.ionet.net/~tslade/hands.htm</a> These problems probably

have something to do with

pre-existing deep chronic tension. Some massage work could be

a good thing. I recommend an inexpensive tool

called the Dolphin-Massager, which can be used to dig

deep into the arms. (The muscles that control the

hands and fingers are in the forearms). There are many

other self-massage tools.<br><br>The article on

Krishnamacharya in the current Yoga Journal is very interesting.

He is the source for Ashtanga yoga and Iyengar yoga

and Viniyoga. All are similar but with different

emphasis. In Viniyoga, taught by Desikachar,

Krishnamacharya's son, the main thing is that yoga must be adapted

to the individual. You may have to start learning

how to adapt yoga to help you the best (and also not

to hurt you).<br><br>See post 7829 by Alan Little.

It can be frustrating to have these problems which

sideline us from yoga plans, but they can also be

blessings in disguise, allowing us to really start learning

about yoga.<br><br>Listen to your

body...................

[Guest guest]

I have been having the same problems with my

hands recently, and have wondered if it has anything to

do with improper alignment or form.<br><br>Most of

my pain radiates out of the big bone under the

thumb, and bothers me the most when in down dog, and

most arm balances.<br><br>I've tried placing my weight

in different portions of my hands but I find either

my shoulder or arm strength suffers because of

it.<br><br>I've laid off the arm balanaces, which is a bummer

and have tried practicing less (unfortunately) until

I can figure out what's going on...(I actually have

developed what looks like a hard bump or bone spur

protruding from my wrist...eeeek!)<br><br>Lilly

[Guest guest]

4 times a day?? Girl did it ever occur to you that you have a

problem?<br><br>crowjuice

[Guest guest]

I have had similar hand problems with up and down

dog and hand balances...I asked a teacher to look at

my alignment in the pose and he said my hand

placement was too far apart. So, I have worked on bringing

my hand placement closer in-- and into alignment

with my shoulders. It helps me get a more solid

jumpback in caturanga dandasana and I notice my hands and

arms aren't so tired by the last surya namaskara b.

Good luck and Namaste.-- K.

[Guest guest]

Well, it's only on Tuesdays that I have the

chance to take 4 yoga classes (this does not include

going to swim team at 6:00 am)...but the order of my

classes is: (9:30--power flow, noon--ashtanga primary

series, 4:30--iyengar, and 6:30--ashtanga short forms).

The 4:30 and 6:30 classes are 1 hour classes as they

are at a health club. So really I only do it for 6

hours on Tuesdays. (only...hmmm...that could be the

wrong word) I think that when I came to yoga, maybe the

reason I found it was to lighten up on myself. The

flexibility is not any kind of an issue to me, but if I miss

a class, I feel incredibly guilty and I can't help

it. Like today, I had a noon primary series class.

Well, I opted not to go because my wrists and hands

were bothering me a lot (I played piano for 16 years

and just stopped last semester because of wrist and

arm pain). Well, it took all that I had to not go to

class, and when it came time for me to decided whether

or not to go to the 4:15 primary series class (I

don't go to both of them on Thursdays, I go to one or

the other), I almost broke down and went to that. But

I didn't (still in pain)...and I'm very proud of

myself for that. However, I feel extremely guilty for

missing ashtanga today. At 7:30 I went to a restorative

class, but that's just not the same (obviously!)...so

maybe that's what I'm supposed to get out of yoga. I

know that I'm completely addicted to the physical

postures...but slowly I'm weaning myself from doing them to the

excess (pain helps with that!)...<br><br>So, that's all

I have to say right now... sorry to ramble

on!<br><br>Lauren

[Guest guest]

Beware, excercise addiction is a real addiction too.

[Guest guest]

Have you considered carpal tunnel syndrome? If

you spend a lot of time using computers, here or at

your job, that plus the piano playing could be the

culprits. You might want to check with your doctor.

[Guest guest]

I thought this was a parody when I read it. I'm

still hoping it is.<br><br>If not, I would strongly

suggest you limit your asana practice to 2 hours a

day.<br><br>If you do yoga this often you've probably stopped

getting your period due to overexertion. That's an

obvious sign that you are doing too much.<br><br>You are

going to hurt yourself if you continue like this.

<br><br>Yours, Dan

[Guest guest]

Lauren, I hope you will take the hand pain issue

very seriously. It can become a vicious cycle and get

worse and worse. The advice here to limit your Ashtanga

practice (1-2 hours a day) is good. I would suggest just

go to one class a day. Maybe Ashtanga or maybe a

different one, whatever seems appropriate. The rest of your

enthusiasm for yoga could be channelled into some very

focused, GENTLE, exploratory, therapeutic yoga and/or

spending time studying yoga books (there are hundreds and

hundreds). If you have to stop Ashtanga for now, that's OK,

you can get back to it later.<br><br>The suggestion

to look into carpal tunnel syndrome is also good.

This is basically what is going on, though it isn't

necessarily exactly CTS. One of the best books on the subject

is called Its Not Carpal Tunnel Syndrome! by Jack

Bellis and Suparna Damany. So named because the majority

of people diagnosed with CTS don't really have CTS.

There is an infinity of possible conditions of the hand

and arms caused by tension. These conditions are not

really caused by using computers, playing piano, etc,

but can be exacerbated by such activities, especially

if not done correctly. Its all about tension. And

yoga asana practice is all about removing tension.

Keep in mind that yoga practice can also cause tension

if not done correctly.<br><br>Please get this book:

Conquering Carpal Tunnel Syndrome and Other Repetitive

Strain Injuries, by Sharon Butler. This book is

basically a manual of therapeutic yoga for the hands and

arms. This book will explain what is going on and will

show you what to do about it. It has a strong positive

message of self-healing (notice first word in title). You

can get this book in most large bookstores or they

can order it. (Anyone else with hand/arm problems -

get this book!)<br><br>I would not suggest going to

see a doctor. The great majority do not understand

these types of conditions. They will prescribe drugs

(which just cover up the pain, allowing damage to

continue), they may prescribe wearing splints (which do not

address the cause and can make things worse), they may

prescribe physical therapy (theoretically a good thing, but

usually not), and they will recommend surgery. The

surgery for CTS is VERY common. The surgery consists of

slicing open the extensor retinaculum, which covers the

inside of the wrist, holding it all together. This is

irreversable and the hands will never be the same. Some people

find immediate relief. Most have the same problem

sooner or later, as the surgery does not address the

cause of the problem (tension - so far not much

acknowledged or understood by modern medicine).<br><br>If you

want to see someone for help, I would suggest a

Hellerworker. See <a href=http://www.hellerwork.com

target=new>http://www.hellerwork.com</a> There is a

Hellerworker in Kansas City (contact info is on the website).

Hellerwork is a very advanced type of bodywork, evolved from

Rolfing. Sharon Butler is a Hellerworker.<br><br>Also, a

clarification from my last post -<br><br>I think tingling and

numbness don't necesarily mean impending nerve damage but

do indicate nerve involvement, which may be due to

adhesions (nerve entrapment), causing nervers to be

stretched. There MAY even be times when it is OK to stretch

gently into some tingling, as this may lead to

unsticking stuck nerves. I read an interesting post about

this on the Sorehand mailing list from Sharon Butler

and I trust her a lot. Something to be careful with

though.<br><br>"..sorry to ramble on!" - Hey, you can discuss this here

as much as you want - that's what its

for.<br><br>You can fix this. It may take time. Get Sharon's

book!

[Guest guest]

Lauren, you have an attachment to an exercise

practice that is doing you harm.<br><br>Let me suggest

something radical: Just stop for a while. Fill the six

hours with productive activity: study, work,

volunteer.<br><br>Go back to asana when your hands and heart tell you

they're ready.