Spinal Stinosis?

Answered by Nicole DeAvilla Whiting, BA, RYT, developer of therapeutic yoga teacher training at Ananda.

I'm 60 years young & have spinal stinosis in the base of my neck with bone spurs & arthritis. (I lost 64 pounds & changed the way I eat & have been exercising & doing weight-bearing exercises for over 2 years now, but always have to watch what I do because some exercises make my neck pain worse.) Are there any yoga exercises that would be good for my condition or that would make my neck worse? -Ruth

Namaste Ruth,

Congratulations on losing weight and making positive changes in your diet and exercise routine!

Ideally you want to have a range of yoga exercises that will move your neck in its range of motion – forward, backward, twist left, twist right, and side to side. However, your condition may limit you in some of these directions or even all of them to some degree. Move your neck only to the point of resistance and not to the point of pain or discomfort. Be sure to ask your doctor or physical therapist if there is any direction that you need to avoid moving your neck. And avoid any asanas that place weight on your neck.

You will want to emphasize yoga asanas that will safely strengthen and increase flexibility for not only your neck but also your upper back and arms as well. There are many muscles in the neck that extend into the upper back and/or connect to the upper arm/shoulder area (such as the trapezius and levator scapulae). There may be some motions that you cannot do for your neck without irritating your condition, but other poses that target the upper body will help keep as much tone as possible in these overlapping muscles. For example, you may not be able to twist your neck very far without aggravating it. However, you can probably twist the rest of your spine in the normal fashion without twisting your neck (or just rotating it a little to a point that is safe for your condition). This type of modification can help you maintain as much flexibility in your neck as possible without risk. Keep in mind that our bodies are rarely balanced, so what you my be able to do more on one side than the other, and that is OK.

In general a wide variety of standing asanas that move your spine and arms in many directions should be helpful. Always be sure that you are practicing with good alignment/body posture. Do not do any pose that causes discomfort to your neck. Consider these options:
 
Virabhadrasana I can give your body a slight upper back bend if you just move into the safer beginning position and not bend fully backwards.
 
Virabhadrasana II can give your neck a gentle twist.
 
Parsvakonasana brings the body into a side bend. You may want to just look straight ahead in this one and not turn your face up toward the ceiling or take your hand all of the way to the floor (placing your hand or arm on the thigh can be enough).
 
Downward Facing Dog is a forward bend that will strengthen your arms.
 
A nice restorative is inversion Legs Up the Wall: Lie flat on your back with your legs up on a wall. You want to feel very comfortable so you may need a pillow under your neck. Be sure that your lower back is completely relaxed onto the floor. (Avoid if you have hypertension).
 
Start slowly and add a few poses at a time. If you want to try asanas that work the neck more deeply, I suggest that you find a qualified yoga instructor who is experienced with yoga therapy to guide you.

Nicole DeAvilla Whiting, BA, RYT, has been teaching yoga for 24 years.  She has a background in sports medicine, chiropractic physiotherapy  and research.  Nicole developed and teaches Ananda's prenatal yoga teacher training program, and therapeutic yoga teacher training. 

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