Namaskar - Oct 09

Anatomy
Elbows and Yoga
Valerie Wilson Trower
The elbow may seem a strange part of
the body to write about in
conjunction with yoga however, after
backs, knees, shoulders, and wrists, this
joint commonly causes pain in a yoga
practice. The purpose of this brief article is
to introduce this joint and five common
conditions which can arise.
ELBOW ANATOMY
The elbow is the joint where the upper arm
bone (humerus) and the two lower arm
bones (ulna and radius) meet. Elbows move
in two dimensions: bend and straighten,
and turning the forearm palm-up or palmdown,
where the radius appears to cross the
ulna.
The shape of the elbow is gender sensitive:
when the arm is extended, as it is usually is
down the side of the torso, the forearm
does not form a straight line with the upper
arm. The angle formed is called the ‘carrying
angle’ and is greater in women than in men
because women generally have wider hips.
Their elbows need to bend in order to
accommodate their hip width.
1. TENDONITIS
Tendonitis is an inflammatory condition of
the tendons, which connect muscles to
bone. It is a common overuse injury,
especially in people in their 40s and 50s.
Tendonitis at the outside of the elbow
(Tennis elbow), is caused by excessive
gripping, lifting, and extension movements
of the wrist when the elbow is straightened
– as in a backhand tennis swing. Yoga is
unlikely to cause this because fingers are
usually spread when the elbow is straight –
in Up and Down Dog, for example.
Tendonitis at the inside of the elbow (also
known as Golfer’s elbow) is caused by
excessive gripping of the thumb and
fingers, clenching the fist while the palm is
facing up, or stressing the elbow whilst it is
bent outwards in the carrying angle. This
occurs in Chaturanga, Up Dog, and the
Cobra when the hands are shoulder-width
apart but the elbows are tucked in towards
the mid-line of the body. People with
narrow ribcages and waists experience this
more because their elbow is tucked further
inwards relative to their hands.
Many people, who have never played tennis
or golf, suffer from one of these problems.
Treatment apart from rest, is not easy. It
generally consists of anti-inflammatory
medication, ice, stretching and strengthening
exercises, massage, ultrasound, acupuncture,
homoeopathy, or cortisone injections.
2. POSTERIOR IMPINGEMENT
Another common elbow injury is Posterior
Impingement is and is felt at the back of
the elbow when the elbow is straight. It is
caused by compression of the elbow bones
when they over-straighten or hyper-extend.
This occurs when students lock their
elbows, rather than use their muscles to
support their weight. Incorrect practice of
Vashishthasana (straight arm stretch pose),
Up Dog, and Utplutihi (Tolasana, or Scale
pose), may cause this. In Up Dog and
Utpluithi, practice pushing hands in to the
mat and supporting your weight on your
muscles, try not to hang off your shoulders.
Treatment includes anti-inflammatory
practices as for tendonitis, and
strengthening the elbow to reduce the
weight on the joints.
3. ULNAR NERVE ENTRAPMENT
Ulnar Nerve Entrapment is a common
result of the nerve becoming pinched or
trapped. This can be caused by sleeping on
one side, with one or both elbows bent,
causing numbness in the little and ring
fingers, which can be helped by raising the
arm. This is a problem for many people and
is not related to yoga practice.
4. CERVIAL SPONDYLOSIS
Arm pain can also be caused by problems
with the cervical spine: cervical spondylosis
will cause tenderness on the side of the neck
beside the disk affected - this can be
confirmed by an X-ray. Treatment means
avoiding poses which cause pain for two to
six months whilst it heals, and practising
with care afterwards. These can include
headstands, chakrasana (the backwards
somersault), and any pose in which the
weight is taken on the neck and shoulders.
5. REPETITIVE STRAIN INJURY
Lastly, Repetitive Strain Injury (R.S.I.) is a
long-term psycho-social problem, which is
unlikely to affect yoga students.
Thanks to Virginia Brooks for her help in
compiling this article.
SMALLER CARRYING ANGLE AT ELBOWS FOR THOSE
WITH NARROWER HIPS
LARGER CARRYING ANGLE AT ELBOWS TO
ACCOMMODATE WIDER HIPS
Dr. V holds a docterate in
Historical and Critical
Studies, from The London
College of Fashion, The
University of the Arts,
London. She practices
Ashtanga yoga, Mysore
style and leads Hatha yoga
stretches for the Siddha Meditation Path.
27