Low Back Pain
The most important thing I learned working at the physiatrist’s office is that you cannot treat low back pain without knowing the source of the pain. Below I will break down some of the most common sources of low back pain and give you an idea of how I can help you. If you don’t know the nature of your back pain, schedule a free consultation and we can discuss next steps.
Herniated Disc
If a disc is herniated and pressing on a nerve, certain daily movements can cause the disc to push out further, creating more pain. I will show you some yoga poses informed by the McKenzie Method that can move the disc back to center and away from the nerve.
Sacroiliac Joint Derangement
This common but little understood issue can be very painful. Our first goal is to get you out of pain by creating space in the joint, making it easier to realign the sacrum and the pelvis. Once you are free from pain I will teach you how to stabilize the region to prevent this from happening again.
Spinal Stenosis
Stenosis, a narrowing of the spinal canal that can put pressure on the spinal cord, is another condition where certain everyday movements can cause pain. I will educate you about what to do to avoid pain and teach you poses that can provide relief.
Piriformis Syndrome
Very often a cause of the dreaded sciatica, this is a pesky problem. I can show you yoga poses that stretch this muscle which will reduce the inflammation so the nerve is no longer aggravated. Then we can work on strengthening the muscle.
Spondylolisthesis
This condition, when a vertebrae is slid in one direction (usually forward), can be very uncomfortable. I will show you some poses to relieve the pain, and then work to strengthen the muscles around the spine to help stabilize the area to reduce discomfort in your daily life.
Back Spasm
Strain of the Quadratus Lumborum (QL), a strong muscle that supports the stability and movement of the spine and pelvis, is a common cause of spasms. For relief I will give you poses to relax and gently stretch the QL, then we will work on strengthening other areas of the body to help prevent future strain and spasms.
Scoliosis
For this condition we will work unilaterally, strengthening the curve side, stretching the opposite side, and giving you some resting poses for relief. For more information about my scoliosis programs, visit scoliosisconditioning.com.
Shoulder Health
Rotator cuff tear is a very common injury, partially because of the highly mobile nature of the shoulder joint. Whether you are looking to strengthen and mobilize the shoulder region as a preventative method or to heal the shoulder, there is a way to address this with movement.
Balance
Yoga provides wonderful opportunities to address balance issues by increasing awareness in the body, especially the feet. We can also improve balance by focusing on strength, mobility and coordination.
Imbalance: Stress, Anxiety, and Depression
The nervous system is a finicky thing. Most of us get stuck in the fight or flight response (sympathetic). We tend to address this with types of exercise that can sometimes exacerbate the issue. Specific yoga practices activate the rest and digest response (parasympathetic), resulting in better rest, cognitive function, and digestion.
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However, sometimes you need to upregulate the nervous system, which basically means you need to press on the gas pedal to increase the amount of energy available in the body. The yoga tool kit is vast-- it contains dynamic practices that can rev you up, as well as restorative practices to calm you down.
Hip and Knee trouble
Hip flexor, adductor, and hamstring tears tend to stick around for a long time if not addressed. Pain in the hip area can often lead to pain in the knee. We can work on some fun and challenging yoga techniques to help heal the tears, and ultimately get you moving with ease.
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Knees are what they call “those things in the middle.” Meaning, they tend to bear the brunt of a lot of force because there is less movement in the joint compared to the hip and ankle. Whether you are dealing with good old fashioned arthritis or healing from an injury, we can mobilize and stabilize the joint where ever necessary.
Bones and Joints
Osteoporosis
Based on current research, one of the best ways to stave off osteoporosis is with resistance training. What does this have to do with yoga? We can add some bells and bands to your yoga practice to stack the odds in your favor!
Osteoarthritis
There was a time when doctors advised patients with pain from arthritis to move less. Now we know that movement can actually soothe pain from arthritis. Yoga offers a wide variety of movement patterns, mobilizing even the smaller joints that we often ignore.
