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| I started taking a yoga class earlier this summer. I happened to mention to my instructor that I had been diagnosed with a severe case of cervical stenosis. When doctors see the MRI, they can't tell if I'm paralyzed from the neck down. Surprisingly, I feel no pain and have good range of motion. However, I have fallen flat on two different occasions while walking. I landed on my knees, palms, and face. I did not trip and the only explanation that I or my doctors can give is that the message from my brain to my legs was cut off for a part of a second. On one instance, I am walking fine and the next I'm flat on the ground. My doctor referred me to see a surgeon and he doesn't know whether or not to operate since he thinks the shrunken spinal column may put me at greater risk for paralysis if I were to be in a car accident. My yoga teacher told me that I'm very flexible at least in some parts of my body including my neck. Her theory is that because of the flexibility in my neck, my neck muscles have had a more difficult time holding my head straight and that somehow that has aggravated my vertebrae contributing to the stenosis. Because my neck is flexible and fluid, she doesn't think my vertebrae is pressing against my spinal cord all the time as it was when I had my MRI. In contrast, other people with stenosis who have more rigid necks may experience the compression on the spinal cord all of the time.
I know this question is a bit farfetched for a yoga listserve, but I have seen other messages dealing with stenosis and flexibility and I do know that yoga advocates often take a wholistic perspective toward medical problems. Has anyone else heard of spinal stenosis being caused or aggravated by flexibility. If so, do you know of any asanas that might be helpful?
Thanks,
Ragnes |
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Location: London, England | Hi Becky,
Well, as you mentioned, many cervical stenosis 'patients' have limited flexibility in the neck-but I can't tell if your neck really is flexible or not-it's usually the case in people with flexible necks that you find that flexibility is actually reduced in one direction or another-perhaps as a result of specific muscles becoming dominant in the neck region in order to hold your posture. I don't think that anyone has proved the advantage or disadvantage of having a flexible neck-but one thing that is a given is to have good posture and good movement, both of which spare the skeleton and improve muscle function.
Bearing that in mind, I would have thought that some work with a Feldenkrais or Alexander teacher would be of benefit, or even a yoga instructor if they are fairly knowledgeable.
Nick
Edited by Nick 2007-08-17 1:23 PM
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| Nick, thanks for the suggestion about finding a Feldenkrais or Alexander teacher. I did a websearch and learned that there is actually an Alexander teacher near where I live and I plan on giving him a call. I'm not sure how I'll decide whether or not he is doing me any good since I don't have pain and my two falls were a year and a half apart. I wish MRIs were cheaper.
When you say, "one thing that is a given is to have good posture and good movement, both of which spare the skeleton and improve muscle function." what do you mean by the phrase "spare the skeleton"? Are you agreeing with my yoga teacher that perhaps poor posture in my neck aggravated or somehow contributed to the stenosis?
Becky |
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Location: London, England | Hi Becky,
What I mean by 'spare the skeleton' is that bad posture puts extra force on the vertebra and their joints, which can result in a gradual injury, or one that occurs suddenly.
I wouldn't imagine that there are too many stenosis sufferers in the world with perfect neck alignment-that's probably true of the general population, and it can only be worse, I would think, with stenosis-but there may be exceptions.
Nick |
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| Nick, thanks for the clarification. I think I'll decide whether the person is doing me any good by how much they help me stand and sit with better posture.
Becky |
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flexibility and stenosis
