by Nina
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| Truth Rescued by Time, Witnessed by history by Francisco Goya |
How’s the Side Plank Pose for Scoliosis Challenge working for you? I’m still practicing the pose as promised, but to be honest the experiment is not turning out the way I’d hoped.
I started out practicing the pose every single day, two times on my convex side and one time on my concave side. After several days, I started feeling wrist and hand pain in the pose. So I decided to start practicing the low version of the pose on my forearm on alternate days, just to give my hands and wrists a break. I also started doing wrist flossing on the days when I practiced the full version of the pose as a prevention strategy to try to ward off wrist problems.
But even with all these modifications, I started feeling like this pose wasn’t agreeing with my body. I’d been having some lower back pain and stiffness before I started practicing Side Plank Pose every day, and it felt to me like the pose wasn’t helping that in any way. In fact, I began to develop a kind of dread about doing the pose. In my home practice, I really try to listen to my body and not just power through things because they are supposedly good for me. So finally I took a few days off from practicing the pose.
The next time I returned to practicing the pose, it felt a lot better to me. And I made a decision that I would no longer practice it six or seven days a week. Because I knew that practicing a strength building pose three or four times a week is often enough to build strength, I decided to go for a more modest strategy. Maybe this way of practicing would take me longer to improve my curve (if that happens—I learned that the type of low lumbar scoliosis I have is very rare) but it felt a lot safer. And I have continued as well to do my wrist flossing after doing Side Plank Pose. I’m happy to say that while I still don’t know what’s happening with my curve (I will be checked soon), my body is feeling better and my dread of doing the pose is over.
When I told Baxter about the modifications I was making, he wrote me the following:
“I agree that doing the same pose every day is going to produce some problems for students in the wrist, elbow or shoulder on the weight bearing side, although Loren denies that was a problem in their study.”
So how’s it going for you? Please let me know in the comments. Are you still practicing the pose? How does it feel to you? And how does your back feel? Did you decide to change anything about how and when you are practicing the pose? If you want to add wrist flossing to your practice as a preventative measure, we have a post on it Featured Sequence: Wrist Flossing.
For those of you who are not taking the challenge, do you follow your intuition in your home practice?
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I have a wavy spine, but primarily left lumbar scoliosis, not a severe case but enough historically to cause low back pain and neck pain. Both my pelvis and shoulder girdle are twisted. I am 58 years old and have a strong daily yoga practice. At the start of this side plank practice I had no pain, and had not had a back pain crisis in about 2 years. I had a shoulder injury about 4 years ago, and through the recovery realized on-going peculiarities of my shoulder rotation and limitations. When this article came out I began doing the pose daily, maintaining it longer on the left side, because that is the side that indicates to me that needs the most attention. I noticed significant improvement in all my standing poses on the left side that had always been my "bad" side. I also feel like my right shoulder blade has learned to move in toward my spine, instead of arcing out which has been the historical pattern. This practice seems to complement my handstand practice because it seems like they both track the humerus correctly into the shoulder. I have also been practicing 3 types of shoulder rotations in a door way in which I stand on an even support that allows me to stand in Tadasana with my arms overhead with palms pressing up into the door jamb with straight arms. The 3 types of rotation are fingers back, fingers to the side and fingers forward. My shoulder are still not even but I feel like they are beginning to track much better. No pain has resulted from the daily practice of side plank. If you have any questions, please ask. I am very grateful for the Side Plank Challenge! Thanks Nina!
In regards to your question about intuition, I say a resounding "yes". My own "reading" of my body is my primary guide of what I choose to practice each day. My practice is also influenced by suggestions made by my teachers of how to open areas of my body that are resistant.
That's great news, PM. So glad to hear the experiment is working for you.
I have done this pose almost every day. I have felt no wrist pain at all. The biggest difference I notice is that my arms are stronger now. When I started, it was hard to hold for 45 seconds, and now I can hold for almost twice that time. I haven’t noticed much difference in my back–I had no back pain before and no back pain now. I still stand crooked if I am not paying attention.
Joanne
I'm glad it's working out for you! And holding it for 1.5 minutes is quite an accomplishment. It will be interesting to see if someone can evaluate your curve to see if it is improving.
It is easy to write and discuss about poses and their benefits. True experience comes from doing it. It is funny how Dr Bell easily described that pose as helping people with scoliosis. Forget scoliosis, the pose is so tough to do even for a non-scoliosis individual. Each time I do the pose, it hurts my wrists and back and my teacher goes one step further in class-she wants us to lift the top leg and hold the big toe with the extended hand. Easier said than done. All of you writers of this blog need to tone down a bit about the merits of each pose and provide more caution.
I definitely cautioned people about this pose, Anon. In the post about the challenge, I wrote this: "And, of course, if you do start practicing regularly and Side Plank Pose causes you pain or any bad side effects, please do stop." And my decision to practice the pose myself and to ask other people to join me was more in the nature of an experiment that in a firm belief that it was definitely going to help everyone. For you, I'd suggest practicing the version of the pose where you have your forearm on the floor, instead of just your hand. And if your teacher is not sympathetic with the difficulties you are experiencing, I recommend finding another teacher.
Thank you, PM, for a helpful comment on a helpful post. I am also working to open and track my shoulders and would like to know more about the shoulder rotation exercises you do in a doorway. My understanding is that you stand on a chair or stool so that you can reach and press upwards with your palms on the part of the doorframe that is directly overhead. Are you facing through the door? And when you say the fingers are pointing sidewise, are they pointing outwards or towards the center of the body? How long are these poses held and how forceful is the pressing? Are there instructions or videos for these poses you can point me towards? Again, thanks and I hope to hear from you.
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I hope PM or some other reader will reply to you, Abby. I myself don't know the shoulder rotation exercises being referred to. Until then, have a look at an older post of Baxter's that includes shoulder stretches using the wall and doorknobs (poses that I myself have practiced regularly): http://yogaforhealthyaging.blogspot.com/2013/06/featured-sequence-opening-tight.html
I found the pose to be too hard on my wrist and shoulder daily. I am working on a modified version, where I lay on my back and contract the concave side of my spine.
Very interesting variation!
I knew that the pose would not be good for my wrists and shoulders so I practiced it for several day on my forearms. Then after consulting my long-time chiropracter (and a Yoga practicioner) she advised against against it, I stopped doing the pose daily..
I'm curious about why your chiropractor advised against doing the pose. Mine is all for it.
I highly recommend Stuart McGill's "Low Back Disorders" for explanations of variations on Side Plank (Side Bridge).
For absolute beginners he begins leaning against a wall on forearms, and with shoulder problems he suggests reclining on the side with arms crossed at chest and raising the legs off the floor. Progressing to a bent knee side plank resting on the forearm and showing how to brace the supporting shoulder with the opposite side hand.
He has two other exercises for working the core muscles which support the spine. The familiar cat/cow balance with opposite arm and leg outstretched. He calls this Bird-dog.
Finally a Curl-up…NOT a crunch….where the hands are palm down under the lumbar spine and head and shoulders are raised as a unit just a few inches off the floor thus protecting the lumbar vertebrae.
The first part of the book concerns the mechanics of the spine and how to reduce risk of injury. The latter part shows safe and effective ways of stabilizing and strengthening. The variations and progressions have been very helpful to me personally so that I can now demonstrate a side plank safely with support for my shoulder. And I have a range of options to suggest for my mixed level class which has a wide range of ages as well as abilities, while protecting wrists and shoulders.
There are several demonstration videos on You tube