Discussion Forum: General Discussion: Medical Aspects: upper middle back pain

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Discussion Forum: General Discussion: Medical Aspects:
upper middle back pain

michellet
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Dec 3, 2003, 6:57 AM

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upper middle back pain	Can't Post

Dear All,

I am a long time Iyengar yoga practioner and have recently begun to have a constant pain in my upper middle back: the area more or less between the base of the shoulder blades. I have very open shoulders and a very flexible lower back, and so I know that this over flexibility probably plays a role in this pain. As a result i am trying to 'come forward' in my practice--to bring my tail bone in, abdomen back, to spread the back, and not to press my shoulders back, thereby pinching the space at the base of the shoulder blades. However, the pain seems to continue to get worse. Strangely enough , the pain is exactly in the place where i have an ever so slight curve of the spine. Additionally, I have been told by various natural health practicitioners (from different backgrounds) that I have (or at least that i have the potential to develop) problems with my middle back. Seems now that they knew what they were talking about and that my tendancies in my daily practice may have brought the problem out... I have been told that twists will be helpful and essential to incorporate regularly into my practice-in addition to modifying my poses as stated above. Does anyone have any further suggestions in this regards? Especially for ways to address the issue outside of my asana practice--should I see someone, for example, could this be something to do with the discs or something else--Or should constant and devoted practice , with this new focus help to modify the problem and ease the pain?

MAny thanks for any suggestions!

michelllet

emily
Regular

Dec 11, 2003, 4:11 PM

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Re: upper middle back pain [In reply to]	Can't Post

Michellet,

What type of work do you do? Yesterday I had my first massage, and the therapist worked hard at one point she said was very knotted. This was the exact same place you describe: the upper middle back at the base of the shoulderblades. She said that she sees this tension very commonly in people who "work at computers" (who doesn't, these days?).

I was astonished: she said that my muscles were really tense, which was surprising given my yoga practice. I felt an enormous difference in muscle relaxation afterwards, and I didn't feel particularly tense before the massage.

While I do not have the pain that you do, I wonder if massage might help (there is another discussion topic on massage). Iyengar in the Tree of Yoga says that massage is incompatible with yoga, but I wonder how it could be harmful if I was so tense.

emily

pascal
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Dec 19, 2003, 10:13 AM

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Re: upper middle back pain [In reply to]	Can't Post

i had a painful back myself last week, it is very seldom, because i practice carefully; but i tried a variation on sirsasan where you slowly get your legs at 90°, then slowly a little closer to the ground...i have strong muscles (trapezoid) on my upper back and it is very diificult to do this slow movement without tensing a lot this part of the back. i should not do this exercise until my upper back is ready for it. i tried hard to move my back mayself doing strong torsions, but the upper back vertebraes are very difficult to mobilize by yourself... Crazy

by chance, i know a very good chiropractic in paris, and he fixed this jam, in the very evening, i was all right. do not hesitate to se a chiropractic, nobody can telle you that is not compatible with yoga; and i will add this: chriropractic action is made easier an more efficient thanks to your yoga pratice. Smile

pascal (Paris, France)

tenderwoman
Novice

Jun 21, 2004, 1:45 PM

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Re: upper middle back pain [In reply to]	Can't Post

Hi Michellet,

The best way might be to talk with your teacher, because he/she knows you.My personal experience with this upper middle back pain is that the best way how to release it, is to do yoga-active way-lots of work with this upper middle part, arms, shoulders, whole backbone-especially twists are good for releasing blocks in this part.Massage can release some blocks only for certain time in the beginning, and might be good help, when somebody feels helpless, and doesn t know to exercise yet.When having massage you make no effort for that, some other person does it,it s a passive way.Going again and again to see a massage terapist can make some people to be dependent on such a help.The effort you make on your own has the best results.When you attend yoga classes,and you are used to exercise also on your own at home regularly, than might be no problem to solve this.Maybe if you consult this with your teacher who can give you some special homework, what to exercise, for this problem.

Namaste

Eva

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