Spinal stenosis: Relief through exercise

Posted by rayreich3 @rayreich3, Aug 13, 2019

Diagnosed with deteriorating discs and stenosis lower back looking for relief through exercise any suggestions?

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Yes, I am interested because I still remember the epidemic when I was a child and I remember when the vaccine came out we all went to the school, lined up and had the vaccine put on our tongues. We didn't believe we were safe, but the epidemic went away after that. It was the beginning of my lifelong education about communicable diseases and life threatening problems. I didn't understand how a machine could make a person breath. I am glad you lived long enough that we can get to know you and appreciate your success in living. it inspires me to keep on pushing myself. Dorisena

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@dorisena

Yes, I am interested because I still remember the epidemic when I was a child and I remember when the vaccine came out we all went to the school, lined up and had the vaccine put on our tongues. We didn't believe we were safe, but the epidemic went away after that. It was the beginning of my lifelong education about communicable diseases and life threatening problems. I didn't understand how a machine could make a person breath. I am glad you lived long enough that we can get to know you and appreciate your success in living. it inspires me to keep on pushing myself. Dorisena

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Beautifully said, Dorisena. Amomynous, I think her last two sentences speak for all of us in this forum.

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I also have spinal stenosis. I have found tremendous relief from doing yin yoga, the type of yoga where you hold a position for 4-6 minutes, supported by bolsters and other props, to get maximum release of the ligaments and fascia. If you live in Rochester, you can find a yin class at the Dan Abraham Healthy Living Center. I go once a week and do Hatha Yoga once or twice a week, plus 20 minutes of back stretching before I get out of bed in the morning (suggested by my physical therapist). My pain level has gone from a 6 to a 1 in two years of regular practice.

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@robinesta

I also have spinal stenosis. I have found tremendous relief from doing yin yoga, the type of yoga where you hold a position for 4-6 minutes, supported by bolsters and other props, to get maximum release of the ligaments and fascia. If you live in Rochester, you can find a yin class at the Dan Abraham Healthy Living Center. I go once a week and do Hatha Yoga once or twice a week, plus 20 minutes of back stretching before I get out of bed in the morning (suggested by my physical therapist). My pain level has gone from a 6 to a 1 in two years of regular practice.

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Wow, I am happy for you for getting some pain relief. I don't have the confidence that I could make this tired body do all that stretching. I am sure if I had started younger, there would have been some improvement. The only exercise my body really likes is playing the piano.
There is no one here in my home to make sure I do the work, so I let it go. I am half asleep now and probably will take a nap. Dorisena

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@robinesta

I also have spinal stenosis. I have found tremendous relief from doing yin yoga, the type of yoga where you hold a position for 4-6 minutes, supported by bolsters and other props, to get maximum release of the ligaments and fascia. If you live in Rochester, you can find a yin class at the Dan Abraham Healthy Living Center. I go once a week and do Hatha Yoga once or twice a week, plus 20 minutes of back stretching before I get out of bed in the morning (suggested by my physical therapist). My pain level has gone from a 6 to a 1 in two years of regular practice.

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@robinesta, Good afternoon. I was happy to read that what you call yin yoga, we call restorative yoga which I practiced for about 10 years in CA. The description fits with the use of props and longer holds. I also found it to be meditative. If I do a search for St Cloud area in Minnesota....shall I use that title....yin yoga?

In a way....the holding of restorative poses for 4-6 minutes goes along with the practice of MFR which often finds the therapist holding a treatment "pose" for that long while the fascia gets itself untangled and unrestrictive. Have a day filled with content and ease. Chris

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@artscaping

@robinesta, Good afternoon. I was happy to read that what you call yin yoga, we call restorative yoga which I practiced for about 10 years in CA. The description fits with the use of props and longer holds. I also found it to be meditative. If I do a search for St Cloud area in Minnesota....shall I use that title....yin yoga?

In a way....the holding of restorative poses for 4-6 minutes goes along with the practice of MFR which often finds the therapist holding a treatment "pose" for that long while the fascia gets itself untangled and unrestrictive. Have a day filled with content and ease. Chris

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This idea of holding the stretch or pose fits with my learning in my physiology class about stretching the muscles and holding the stretch for a while. I also learned that fast stretches that were not held did not strengthen the muscles, as in bouncing around and calling it warm-up or muscle training. In gymnastics, the best trainers have the students hold the stretches for a long time. My 83-year-old body never wanted to do sports, unless you call playing the piano a sport. I could do that for hours at the age of 50 to avoid doing the dishes and cleaning the house. I also liked riding my bike except in strong winds. I just got out my knitting needles and will start some Christmas projects while I think about the exercise for a while. You do inspire me, however. Dorisena

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@artscaping

@robinesta, Good afternoon. I was happy to read that what you call yin yoga, we call restorative yoga which I practiced for about 10 years in CA. The description fits with the use of props and longer holds. I also found it to be meditative. If I do a search for St Cloud area in Minnesota....shall I use that title....yin yoga?

In a way....the holding of restorative poses for 4-6 minutes goes along with the practice of MFR which often finds the therapist holding a treatment "pose" for that long while the fascia gets itself untangled and unrestrictive. Have a day filled with content and ease. Chris

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@artscaping, yes I think you might be able to find this type of yoga under "Yin" or "Yin Restore." If you can't find a class, try your public library and see if they have any DVDs on it. You probably don't have to buy any special equipment, either--just use cushions and rolled up towels to support the poses. I have definitely found myself "untangling" over the past couple of years. Good luck to you!

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@robinesta

@artscaping, yes I think you might be able to find this type of yoga under "Yin" or "Yin Restore." If you can't find a class, try your public library and see if they have any DVDs on it. You probably don't have to buy any special equipment, either--just use cushions and rolled up towels to support the poses. I have definitely found myself "untangling" over the past couple of years. Good luck to you!

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@robinesta, Thank you. I will begin a search. And you are right about the props....you can find them around the house. I think I enjoyed that the teacher came around and checked to make sure our bodies were in alignment for each pose. A bit spoiled......

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Several people stated that walking helps their systems! Curious, with spinal stenosis can only walk short distance! Would love to actually walk! Yes, have had shots, surgery etc!

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@wilcy

Several people stated that walking helps their systems! Curious, with spinal stenosis can only walk short distance! Would love to actually walk! Yes, have had shots, surgery etc!

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@wilcy I've had three back surgeries, along with numerous injections. I find I can walk longer when I'm on the treadmill. Holding on to something like the railing on a treadmill gives me much more stability. I can't walk much more than one block without pain. And part of my problem is my SI joint slipping out. I was scheduled for a surgery to have it screwed to my pelvic bone. I canceled that surgery and will hold off until I can no longer walk any distance without pain. I just have to pace myself.

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