Well, I did it again...I "threw out" my back. The weird thing is I don't even know how I did it. I did my normal routine and after my shower, boom. The sharp pain, the inability to move, the agony!
I'm already wondering what I'm going to do tomorrow to keep things moving smoothly. I've been icing every hour for 15 minutes and I've got my TENS Unit on. Thursday I'll take an Epsom salt bath. However, this really got me thinking, are there any signs that you're about to have a problem.
Well, after my Google search, turns out there are!
4 Signs Your Back is About to Go Out
I love these guys. They're so friendly and knowledgeable about your physical body. This video is great and make sure you subscribe to their channel!
As per the advice of my chiropractor and physical therapist I'm desperatly trying to strengthen my arms, traps, and romboids. All of the physical therapy is keeping me from my favorite activity, yoga.
I found out the hard way that I can't do my yoga practice and do PT. I'm as strong as they come, but this chronic pain warrior has an energy bank that zero's out when I do both.
I kind of need to be able to cook a healthy dinner too. Stumbling to the kitchen in a daze to eat Annie's Organic Gluten Free Mac and Cheese is happening waaaay too much.
Behold my surprise when I found this gem of a yoga routine that I feel adquatly replaces my off day physical therapy "homework." Brett Larkin Yoga is one of my favorite go-to's. You should totally subscribe.
This morning I was talking to my Chiropractor about my extreme shoulder issues. Insert eye roll here. Seriously, I feel like I'm taking 2 steps forward and 3 back. I was telling him how every time I do the shoulder physical therapy exercises I piss off my rhomboids and traps. Come on, cut a girl some slack. I just need a win!!!
I will say he agreed with my physical therapist that my problem is too much flexibility and not enough strength. If I start practicing proper posture, keep up with the trigger point exercises from last weeks post, and continue to strengthen, I should see some relief in 6 weeks.
So how does one practice proper posture?
How to Fix Your Posture
Well, I'm going to go back to my new BFF Tone and Tighten on YouTube. Seriously, subscribe to his channel!
Knots in your neck and shoulders, we all have them, and lately because I've been working on healing my rotator cuff injory, mine are really talking to me.
There was one night this past week where my traps were so tight and my knots so painful I couldn't even lower my shoulders. All I wanted to do was stab something into this spot of tension between my shoulder and neck.
I knew something had to give because I was not backing down on my shoulder physical therapy. Remember the "to the cloud" commercials? I always think that when I go to YouTube.
To the YouTube!
10 Things to Try for Knots in Your Neck and Shoulders
Seriously though, they have everything. Want to knit a hat? They've got it. Learn to prepare eel? They've got it. YouTube is amazing and it's no wonder Google owns it. For me it's the new Google, mostly because I learn visually, to watching a video is a sure fire way for me to make sure I've got something down.
I found this gem in a moment of despiration and after doing all the things listed in the video I actually did feel temporary relief. I also made a reflexology appointment, chiropractor, and acupuncture appointment. Did I say I was so over my shoulder pain because I sure as hell meant it. Anyway, this guy is brillant. Like his video, subscribe to his channel Tone and Tighten, and click the bell to get notified of his new videos. I can't wait to dig through his library to see what else he has.
I hurt my left shoulder in yoga April 2018 and it's been a rocky road since. However, I've dedicated February 2019 to kicking it's ass and getting on with my life.
I've committed to yoga everyday but part of that commitment is listening to my body. While I can't control what a yoga teacher decides to do in class, I can control my YouTube channel and it's free!
I'm also doing another round of PT for my shoulder. That has made keeping up with daily yoga a very big challenge.
On days that I have Physical Therapy, I'm doing yoga flows that do not use my shoulder to give it a rest. I need to rest it so I don't undo the progress I have made.
Ugh! I thought my knee problems were bad.
Here is one of my favorite non-shoulder yoga flows from one of my favorite YouTubers Yoga with Kassandra. Subscribe to her channel!
Last week I talked about doing yoga while sick or that phase of getting sick. You know that terrible feeling you have that something is just not right, no it's not a poltergeist, it's the beginning of a cold or flu or bronchitis. Ugh, the worst. I shared an awesome YouTube yoga session for just that occasion.
Yoga for When you are Sick Part 2
This week I want to share another awesome YouTuber, Yoga with Adriene.
I love this woman. I, of course, found her by one of my searches...yoga for shoulder pain. She had an amazing no shoulder class which I desperately needed at the time (still do). I had an inkling she was a fellow Texas girl and come to find out that yes, she is. I could tell by her colloquial phrases. Texans have some amazing catch phrases.
Anyway, her Yoga for When you are Sick is much more low key. I found it helpful when I was in the middle of the "I'm going to die" part of being sick. This flow is gentle and relaxing, plus Adriene's voice is very soothing, especially when she talks about honoring your body and your immune system.
Definitely check her channel out and subscribe to her videos because they are amazing.
So it's official. I've got strep and a sinus infection at the same time. Awesome. Actually, I've probably had the sinus infection since early December after I got the flu, but I've been fighting it all these weeks homeopathy style. I also committed to doing yoga no matter what and I've done a damn good job at that part.
What about when you are sick as hell?
There's an app for that. Kidding!
No, but there's a YouTube class for that.
Seriously, my new favorite thing is typing into YouTube what I need and it comes up with it in seconds.
Yoga for When you are Sick!
I've got two different videos for you.
The one I'm going to share this week I feel works best when you have that little inkling that you are coming down with something. It does have some power moves that might be challenging if you are feeling like death warmed up. Again, I recommend this at the beginning of an illness, for the slight cold or allergy attack, or when you are finally rounding the corner and need some moderate exercise.
From one of my favorite Yoga YouTubers Brett Larkin. Subscribe to her channel and definitely follow her for updates.
I tried to do this in the middle of my strep infection and failed miserably but not to worry I've got something for the "I'm going to die I'm so sick" days, next week.
Shoulder pain? Yeah. I've been there since April. It sucks so hard and frankly, I wish it would just stop.
I'm at my wits end with my inability to sleep how I want to.
My Adhesive Arachnoiditis makes my right side unbearable to lay on most nights, which has been fine because I can get my mountain of pillows and stack them to get my right leg into the perfect position to sleep laying on my left side. However, since I messed my left shoulder up in April, getting bursitis and shoulder impingement, I can't lay on my left.
Sleeping on my back makes my shoulder pain throb and I can't really lay on my right side so I'm just SOL.
It got so bad I even considered dropping $300 on this pillow system.
If you don't know what the different things that can go wrong with your shoulder...this article is great at explaining.
My awesome PT guy hooked me up with some stretches and a few exercises I'll cover next week.
1. Doorway stretch.
3 times, 30 seconds each, move arms up and down. Now I will say this does bother my back. I have to make sure my core is tight and I'm tilting my pelvis up so my lower back extends. Gosh, I hope that makes sense.
2. Foam Rolls
3 different locations: lower shoulder blade, mid, and upper. 10 each. Hold your neck for stability
3. Arm Levers
Keeping your injured arm perpendicular to your body. Bend at the elbow and raise the forearm. Using your opposite hand, gently push the stretching arm to the floor.
10 times, 10 seconds each
Even though it is my left arm that is injured, I repeat the arm level on my right side because I don't need that side acting up!
Well, all is said and done. As long as I keep up with my stretches and exercises on a daily basis I'm fine...but it's just one more damn thing to keep up with.
In yoga, the position called Viparita Karani, commonly known as the "legs up the wall" pose is so beneficial. I wrote about getting into this pose here.
This time I would like to get into the benefits.
Viparita Karani is actually quite the therapeutic pose. Since learning about my Adrenal Fatigue I upped my time in this pose from my usual 5 minutes to 15 minutes.
I combine this pose with 5 minutes of 4-7-8 breathing and my daily 10-minute Headspace meditation.
In order to receive the full therapeutic benefits of this pose, you really should also focus on deep breathing while in the pose.
Viparita Karani for 15 minutes a Day
1. Circulation
Your body has to work really hard to pump all the blood from your legs back to your heart. In legs up the wall, your legs are higher than your heart so it allows gravity to help bring the blood flow back to your heart. The increased circulation decreases inflammation as well as swelling in the feet and legs.
4. Relieves Muscle Tension
Raising your legs is one of the best ways to get rid of tension in your legs, feet, hips, and lower back. It gently stretches the hamstrings which are usually tight, especially if you have been sitting all day.
2. Decreases Stress and Anxiety
You activate the parasympathetic nervous system and oxygenate your brain. When the muscle tension or pain eases and your deep breathing regulates and calms, you will find your stress decreases, and your body will have the chance to heal and repair.
3. Improves the Immune System
When your feet are in the vertical position the lymphatic system is stimulated. The movement of lymph removes the toxins in our body.
5. Improves Digestion
Putting your legs up is an exercise known as "active inversion." Changing your position, and raising your legs above your head helps to loosen fluids and move your bowels. The increased blood flow also helps absorb more nutrients from your food in the long run.
I've been searching for-ev-er for yoga pants with pockets that also have at least some amount of cotton in them. Alas, it seems that manufacturers just don't seem to grasp the concept that cotton is better for our lady parts to breathe in. You're killin me Smalls!
Sandlot quotes aside, I finally found some amazing pants in my search on Amazon. They not only have one pocket but three!
They were comfortable to wear all day and kept their shape!!
Sometimes to me, it seems that yoga pants can be great in the morning but too loose when it comes to the twilight hours.
These stayed in place all day and they fit my iPhone Plus! The two inseam side pockets are big. I'd say big enough to put your ridiculously large phone on one side and a wallet on the other.
There is a tiny pocket for keys or a credit card or id in the lower back waistband.
I love these and recommend them! I got the black ones that had a 34" inseam!! I also got the grey capris which fit equally as good.
Ardha Chandrasana is one of my favorite poses. Don't let the fact that you are balancing on a leg scare you from trying this amazing pose.
Half Moon strengthens the thighs, ankles, glutes, core, and spine. While you are strengthening you are also stretching. The hamstrings, calves, chest, shoulders, spine, and groin are all opening and lengthening. This asana also helps you work on your balance and focus and gives you a sense of better coordination.
Since your head is usually below your heart it is also a stress reliever. It can help with menstrual pain, leg pain, and back pain. Those three items are why it's worth it to include this pose in my weekly practice.
Let's get into it.
I hope you've been practicing your Virabhadrasana II and Trikonasana because these two poses help you prepare for Ardha Chandrasana.
Modifications for Ardha Chandrasana, Half Moon Pose
Last week I showed you some ways to modify Warrior II. This week we are going to cover another challenging standing pose, trikonasana.
There are a couple of general rules when it comes to doing triangle pose or trikonasana. Your goal is to make an isosceles triangle with your body...working up to placing your lower hand on the floor and your spine straight and parallel to the floor.
3 Modifications for Trikonasana - Triangle Pose
1. Start high up on your shin.
I generally put my hand on my shin. My shin is much taller than using a block as a prop. I have issues with tilting my pelvis and my abductor strength, so I really can mess up my back if I'm not careful.
Using the block forces me to go lower than I normally would, but, I do know that I eventually have to make it to the floor. Sigh.
2. Use two blocks.
If I use two blocks and place one near the wall for my toes to go up on it forces my quad to engage in the front leg. The second block lets me go a bit lower to the floor.
When you're folded sideways into Triangle, you build strength in your torso muscles, which support the weight of your spine, rib cage, and head against the pull of gravity.
As you train the muscles around your shoulders to keep your arms in place, you're not only teaching yourself not to slump but also opening your chest so your lungs can expand more fully.
Engaging your front leg with your toes up a block works first on strengthening the front leg.
3. Put your back foot on the wall.
Once you feel your front leg is stronger, you can switch up the pose and place the back foot on the wall. For your front leg, press out through your right leg into the four corners of the foot, as though you're trying to push the mat away from the floor.
This will engage your quadriceps to support your right knee - which was the purpose of using the block in modification 2.
Next, place your back hand on the hip of your back foot.
Inhale and, as you begin to exhale, push with your front hand so your front buttock slides back, away from your head and torso. This will initiate your pelvis tipping to the front and help you maximize the length of your hamstrings and adductors.
When you feel your hamstrings and adductors stretching, reach for your block. When the leg stretch becomes intense, that's a sign you've rotated the pelvis as far as you can.
The important thing here is to keep your spine straight. If you have to use a chair or two blocks, it's better to use that than to curve your spine trying to reach lower than you should.
Instead of reaching for something your body isn't ready for, remind yourself that it takes years to develop the hamstring and adductor flexibility that allows you to put a hand on the floor without curving the spine.
Until you can do that, use a block and work regularly on stretching your hamstrings and adductors. Eventually, you'll work your way to the floor without sacrificing the length of your spine.
Virabhadrasana II or Warrior II can be a demanding pose.
First, you have the slight twisting action of rotating the greater trochanter (outside lower hip) away from each other, the balancing by bending your knee, and the strength to keep your arms up.
If you haven't worked out in a while or you suffer from chronic pain or illness you can't just jump into doing the pose in the middle of the room. You need to work up to it.
1. Toes Up the Wall (or Block)
My pointing around the legs is to remind you to turn your thighs away from each other or out.
2. Foot Against the Wall
3. Over a Chair
After you feel strong and comfortable with these, you can work up your time in the pose.
When you can hold about a minute, cut down the time and start working in the middle of the room.
Since I got bronchitis from hell over December, oh, and January, and did I mention February? Yep. Three months of bronchitis. Three months of coughing with adhesive arachnoiditis. Gee and I thought bronchitis was bad before...
Where was I? Oh yeah, yoga.
I did private lessons for the last 6 weeks rebuilding the strength I lost during my three months of bronchitis. I finally made it back to class. The class was fine. After class was fine. That night though...I was a little tired. However, I did not expect day two to be a day from hell.
I was so tired I couldn't even. I mean seriously. Nothing. Not even move from the couch. I ate freaking Mac n Cheese for lunch. I haven't done that in for-ev-er! (Thank goodness it was Amy's so at least it was organic and not so many chemicals)
I then proceeded to eat my husbands leftover pizza for dinner because oh yeah I was so in the throws of IUEV that I couldn't even make logical or rational decisions.
Food.
Pizza.
Me eat.
Yum.
So when I started my cycle the next day I thought well no wonder, it was just the day before Satan's Waterfall. (Sorry if TMI but I'm trying to keep it real, plus if you know me IRL and I was a total ass to you, well now you know it wasn't me. It was Satan.)
Flash forward to this week.
Monday - Yoga. I felt fine and got some good things accomplished that day, however, I did fall asleep on the couch watching TV with #leohusband.
Tuesday - Total Train Wreck. I wasn't quite as bad as last week, but still bad enough where I spent the majority of my day on the freaking couch or in bed.
At least I made better food decisions, mainly because I had leftover roasted vegetables and chicken in the fridge for lunch, and stuff to make a super fast and easy lettuce wrap for dinner.
Ok, so I may have stuffed a handful of 80% cacao chocolate in my mouth in a moment of weakness before I decided to throw in the towel and crawl into bed. Whatever. At least I didn't eat pizza this time, that box of Amy's was calling me though...
So now I know that it is simply recovery time from my 90 minute Monday yoga class, I need to start planning in advance.
7 Ways to Regain Energy After a Workout for Chronic Pain and Illness
1. Hydrate Before, During, and After
I normally hydrate plenty but I'm going to make a special point to drink only water or coconut water on Monday's. I had a cup of coffee in the afternoon both this and last Monday, so I'm going to avoid that in the future. I don't want the diuretic effect of the caffeine to dehydrate me, leading to a greater energy suck.
2. Protein and Healthy Fats
Days when I have yoga I'm going to load up on protein at lunch and healthy fats, post workout. I'm also going to switch to a smoothie bowl (thank goodness it's getting warm enough to eat one) before and load it with superfoods and plant-based carbohydrates.
3. Avoid Long Hot Showers or Baths
Again, I'm glad it's getting warmer because since my thyroid is so low, I get cold very easily. I tend to take hot showers which are not only bad for my skin but saps my energy as well. Taking a warm shower or bath at night adjusts your body temperature so you're nice and groggy by the time you hit the sack so you wouldn't want to do it during the day unless you want a snooze fest!
4. Caffeinate Before Your Nap
So I know I said no caffeine, this does seem contradictory. I'm going to avoid caffeine on Monday, but the day I need it, Tuesday, I'm going to drink a cup of mushroom coffee - superfood - and then straight to a nap. This way when I wake up, the coffee has had a chance to take effect.
5. Rest or Take a Nap
Seriously, one of the biggest things I deal with is IUEP. When you have a chronic illness you just have to rest to recoup your energy. This may be going to bed earlier than planned or sleeping in or taking a mid-day nap so you can clean the kitchen and fix dinner.
Mainly you can't run on empty, that will cause a pain flare.
6. Do an evening walk
I'm lucky in that I have a big fluffy dog to take out for a walk at night. He makes me keep moving even when I don't want to. Yes, you do need rest but you do need to do gentle movements as well. Nothing strenuous so a slow walk is just the thing.
7. Have dinner ready
The last is this, to avoid eating bad things that are easy or comforting because let's face it when you are really drained, comfort food is number one on your list.
So identify your healthy comfort meals and always have them ready. That may mean making them ahead so you can reheat or have some frozen. Either way, the goal is to be able to just grab something from the fridge and eat it without much thought.
It's one of those days. You hurt. The last thing you want to do it workout. In my experience though, if I don't work out a little it's even harder the next day. While it may hurt, it hurts more to not move, and sometimes a little yoga can actually lessen the pain. You just need to find out which poses are your go-to poses. These are some of my GO-TO poses.
5 Yoga Poses When You Just Can't
Supta Padangusthasana - against the wall
Find a doorway where you can stretch one leg up and one leg out. Placing half of your bum on the wall and using the wall as leverage, reach through your big toe mound while pushing your hip into the floor.
You want to create opposing action by doing this. To reach you have to use your quad and to press down you have to use your hamstring. This is stretching and strengthening at the same time.
The leg on the floor should be completely engaged by pressing the back of the leg down to the floor and flexing the foot.
Think mountain pose for your bottom leg.
Here's another view.
Ardha Uttasana - Modified on the Wall This pose is going to work your core, open up the shoulders, work the hips, open the SI joint and stretch the hamstrings.
So in traditional Uttasana you are in the middle of the room and you extend forward bending all the way down, level your hips, open the SI joint, with your arms extended in front of you. However, on a high pain day that is not the best pose. In the top photo, you can see I couldn't even get my hands level and I have my SI joint belted down. My heels are out, my toes are in and lifted. I'm still working every part of my body, just not as extreme. Look at me now. I can level out because I have built up the core strength.
In order to help open your SI and really engage your legs, you can use two blocks. One between your feet and one between your inner thighs.
Since your feet are gripping the bottom block, this forces your SI to open. Keep your core tight and again you want opposing action. Reach back through your sit bones and press forward through your hands. Balasana into Adho Mukka Svanasana These really are the best poses to do every day. In fact, they have sometimes stopped the pain flare I've been in. Make sure you do them with support, so put a bolster underneath you.
Don't have a bolster?
Viparita Karani I always end in Viparita Karani because having your legs up the wall eases so much tension and stress. It helps with my nerve pain that runs down my legs and hips. It also takes pressure off my back and discs.
Getting in can be tricky. Face the floor and put your bum on the wall. Roll your back onto the bolster and keep your bum on the wall while you do it.
Sa Ta Na Ma Meditation is a powerful tool for increasing perception, thinking, reasoning, remembering, and reducing stress levels while improving short-term memory. Something of which chronic pain and illness patients need desperately.
Let's face it. If you aren't ready to try chanting meditations then you haven't reached rock bottom, and really, do you want to reach rock bottom where there is no hope and you are desperate for anything that might work? No. You don't.
So try it for a week and see how you feel. If I'm brave enough to film myself doing this, then you are brave enough to try it.
I will say this is the first chant that I have felt comfortable enough to actually chant out loud in yoga class. I was super interested in what my yoga teacher was saying about the studies that the scientific community has done with this meditation.
This is what I found in my research:
Two studies were done at the University of Pennsylvania and one continuing studying is being done at UCLA University of California. The University of Pennsylvania study was published in 2010 in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease.
Their second study was published in the Journal of Nuclear Medicine in 2010.
The Canadian Alzheimer’s Research & Prevention Foundation is recommending the meditation as a daily practice to slow down the effects of Alzheimer’s which is great since it seems everything causes Alzheimer's nowadays.
Sa Ta Na Ma Meditation is a Kundalini Kirtan Kriya (KEER-tun KREE-a) brought to North America by Yogi Bhajan.
Kirtan Kriya is Sanskrit, a classical language of India. Kirtan means “song” or “praise” and Kriya means “to do” or “action.”
The meditation is a combination of chanting a mantra while moving the hands through mudra’s.
Mantra and mudra are also Sanskrit words.
Mantra means “an often repeated word or phrase” and mudra means “a motion of the hands” or “a dance of the hands.” To fully experience the benefits of the meditation, a combination of singing, whispering and silently repeating the mantra are used.
Let’s start first with understanding the mantra Sa Ta Na Ma.
SA is birth, the beginning, infinity, the totality of everything that ever was, is, or will be.
TA is life, existence, and creativity which manifests from infinity.
NA is death, change, and the transformation of consciousness.
MA is rebirth, regeneration, and resurrection which allows us to consciously experience the joy of the infinite.
How cool is that? Chanting and moving the fingertips at the same time really brings my focus to the forefront. Again, I urge you to try 6 minutes of this meditation and track your energy levels through the week.
I tend to get tension headaches more often than migraine headaches. This is because my stress levels are usually through the roof.
I haven't been really able to just catch a break in the last three years. I feel like I'm on top for a day and then thrown under the bus the next.
While I'm not a yoga teacher, I hope to one day have the strength and pain control to do the training, I always turn to yoga first to see if there are any asana that can help before taking medicine. There are some of the poses I found.
9 Yoga Poses for Tension Headaches
1. Parsvottanasana Arms: Opening the Chest
Right Arm on Top
Left Arm on Top
Sitting in easy pose, propped up on a blanket or bolster. Grab opposite elbows (if you can) and stretch gently. Hold for 30 seconds. Switch the cross (defined as switching which leg and which arm is on top) and put the opposite arm on top. Hold for another 30 seconds.
2. Garudasana Arms: Opening Between the Shoulder Blades
Stay sitting in easy pose. Hold your arms out.
Swing your arms toward the body crossing one arm under the other and pull down.
Hold for 30 seconds. Repeat switching the cross. This is what it looks like all together.
3. Gomukhasana Arms: Stretching the Shoulders
Stay sitting in easy pose. Reach up with one arm and back with the opposite arm.
Grab hands behind your back.
Pull elbows away but keep your hands locked. Sit up out of the ribs and breathe. Hold for 30 seconds. Switch the cross, and put the opposite arm on top. Hold for another 30 seconds.
If you cannot reach, use a belt or a strap.
4. Simple Seated Twist: Relieving Strain in the Back, Rotating and Stretching the Neck
Sitting on a block if you need to, pull the left foot toward the right hip on the floor. Bend the right leg. Place your right hand behind your back and extend your spine up. Gently and slowly put your left elbow behind your knee and twist to the right. Switch the cross and do the opposite side. Hold 30 seconds - 1 minute.
5. Supported Child's Pose: Resting the Upper Back and Releasing the Neck Hold for 1 - 3 minutes and move directly into...
7. Supta Baddha Konasana: Passively Opening the Chest, Releasing Tension From the Neck
Place your bolster or about 4 tri-folded beach towels vertically behind you.
Sitting with your feet together slip the strap over your body and low on your hips. Tuck the other end of the loop under your feet but over your knees. Tighten the strap
Using your arms to lift yourself up gently tilt your pelvis to the sky. Slowly lower down and even slower lean back on your bolster.
Using the strap here to help release the outer hip and inner thigh. Use blocks under your knees if you need the support.
This is what it looks like all together. Hold for 1 - 3 minutes.
8. Viparita Karani: Inverting the Blood Flow and Calming the Mind
Put your bolster about 3 fingers away from the wall, parallel to the wall. Facing the ground and on the far side of the bolster, place your bum right up on the wall. Now rotate your back down onto the bolster and bring your legs up the wall. Hold for 1 - 3 minutes. Breathe. Rotate off the opposite direction.
9. Savasana (Corpse Pose): Relaxing Completely
Legs and arms open. Shoulder blades tucked under and palms facing the sky. Relax 3 - 5 minutes.
A five star general in my own personal war against the intractable pain of Adhesive Arachnoiditis. Living life to the fullest and making the new normal my bitch.
