Yoga, doing it wrong or possible injury?

ninnyfurr74

I have been doing the Jillian Michaels Yoga Meltdown to burn calories and strengthen up some. Yesterday about halfway through I noticed a sharp pinch and burning pain in my back going from upward dog to downward dog positions (I know, sounds vaguely perverted). Today I had the same problem. I am a little sore atm but it is a general soreness, back doesn't seem to be hurting except when I do this move. So should I take a bread from this for a while? Work through it? Or just stop completely? Some well reasoned advice with explanations would be great. Thanx

CindyC60

I would talk with a yoga instructor about it. But sometimes, our bodies just don't conform to certain yoga positions. It can have to do with bone structure or a million other things.

Downward facing dog has never felt good to me, so I avoid yoga classes that include too much of that pose.

grimendale

It sounds like your not quite transitioning right, and may have tweaked your back a little in the process. I would take a break from the poses for a few days to let it heal. The next time you try, take extra time to really focus on the transition and make sure you are moving correctly. Consulting with a yoga instructor, as suggested, is a good idea.

thesupremeforce

I'd give it a couple of days and see how you feel. As has been said, the next time you do it, try to make certain that you're transitioning correctly. Jerky movements during yoga are a no-no (I'm not saying that's what happened, but it's something to watch.). Since you're just starting out, you've got to be extra careful in order to avoid tweaking something.

quiltlovinlisa

Upward dog is really easy to overdue, especially if you're not super flexible. You should never feel like you're straining. It might be worth shopping around for some different yoga tapes too. The reviews on amazons for Jillian's yoga meltdown are pretty bad overall, so while I can't give personal experience, I will say I chose to not purchase it from the negative reviews on amazon.

klp1017

I tweaked my back yesterday and did yoga today. My back felt fine in every position except downward dog. For me, I think the position of downward dog just happened to aggravate the part of my back I tweaked. Do you notice it hurting before yoga? Maybe it's something like that for you too. I'd take a couple rest days and see if anything changes.

bajoyba

I own Yoga Meltdown, and for the most part, I like it. I tend to refer to it as "cardio yoga"... it's really more of a yoga inspired body weight training workout. But after the first or second time I did Level 1, I had lower back pain for a few weeks. I'm sure I must have pulled something either transitioning into downward dog or doing her version of camel pose. My back is fine now, but I usually avoid Level 1 and only use Level 2 as a workout. If you haven't done Level 2 yet, you may find you like it much better. It's a lot of balance poses, which I find both challenging and enjoyable.
I say take a break from it for a few days, or skip the poses that irritate your back.

ninnyfurr74

Thanks everyone! Looks like it is back to the bike for me for a couple of days! Hopefully the weather clears up!

yogalign

Yoga injuries are epidemic and I have a website called yogainjuries.com if you want to check it out. Lots of information about how to stretch and do yoga without hurting yourself. Many yoga practitioners become hypermobile too and wind up with hip joint replacement surgeries. Do not bend over with your knees straight from sitting or standing as this is very hard on your spine and lower back ligaments. Bend your knees a lot and use your leg and glute muscles. I invented a new process of yoga called YogAlign which is based on doing poses that simulate how you use your body in real life function. www.yogalign.com

yogalign

The straight leg forward bending positions in yoga from sitting or standing create a torque on the sacral/ hip joint that leads to a loss of hip stability and causes low back pain. go to www.yogainjuries.com to learn more. The human body is made of curves and yoga poses oftentimes put the body in the right angle chair shape which is unnatural for the human body. The right angle poses like plow, staff and seated forward bends can overstretch your spine and sacral ligaments and your gluteus muscles and give you a flat looking butt. Be careful with yoga. I should know as I have done it forty years but now teach a new way of doing it I invented called yogAlign. See my website at www.yogalign.com to get important safety information on how to do yoga safely. Many of the top teachers have hip and knee replacements too so I am not exaggerating the dangers.