Yoga Postures for Prenatal Hip Pain

Yoga Postures for Prenatal Hip Pain
This month Bliss Baby Yoga's Founder and Director Ana Davis shares some of her favourite yoga postures to assist in relieving hip pain during pregnancy. Women often complain of aching hips during their pregnancy. This is defined as a dull, persistent achiness, or even a nerve-like pain in the outer buttock region (piriformis). This pain is usually caused by the increasing strain of the growing belly upon the hips, sacrum and lower back, and may also be related to the fact that she is forced to sleep on her side throughout the mid to latter parts of her pregnancy. This is where yoga can make a big difference to a pregnant woman’s pain-levels and her overall comfort. Modified yoga postures that stretch and release this area can give her some relief. She needs to do these stretches regularly as the relief may only be short-lived. If she is experiencing ongoing, persistent hip pain, and if she is finding little or no relief from these kind of stretches, her pain may be related to sciatica stemming from a spinal disc injury. In this case she needs to consult her doctor and/or physiotherapist. One of my favourite postures for prenatal hip pain is what I call “Chair Thru-the-Hole Pose”. This is a variation of the supine “Thru-the-Hole” or “Thread-the-needle” hip stretch which is difficult and not safe for a heavily pregnant woman to perform. By using the props of a chair and a wall she can easily access these deep, outer-hip muscles without having to be supine or compress her belly in any way. There are two movements that are part of the Bliss Baby Yoga Prenatal Pawanmuktasana (Joint-Releasing) sequence that relieve hip pain. The first one is a great warm-up exercise for the hip joint and is called “Stir the Pot” pose. This involves taking your left foot in your right hand and your left knee in your left hand (as pictured) and circling the heel as if your heel were a giant ladle stirring a pot of soup.This circular movement of the hip joint involves a rotation of the head of the femur (thigh) bone in the hip joint to lubricate the joint and also loosen up the hip muscles. This movement can then be followed by the “Rock-the-Baby” pose in which she supports the left knee in the crook of the left elbow and the foot in the right hand and gently rocks the shin back and forth in very small movements. The Pigeon Pose is also helpful in releasing tight hip muscles with the added bonus of stretching the psoas muscle of the back leg. Do with the front sitting-bone supported with a folded blanket or bolster (depending on flexibility) to support symmetry of the hips and this will also protect the front knee and sacrum. Another sitting pose to stretch the outer hips is the leg-variation of Gomukhasana (the Cow Face Pose). To create more space for her pregnant belly she can rest your hands on a prop in front– like a brick, as pictured. Also make sure she sits up on a folded blanket, bolster, or block to make the pose more accessible during pregnancy. Ana Davis and her team of experienced yoga teachers and women’s health experts offer Prenatal and Postnatal Yoga Teacher Training courses in Melbourne, Byron Bay and beyond. We also offer the flexible option to study with Ana from the comfort of your own home through our Bliss Baby Yoga Online Prenatal and Postnatal Yoga Teacher Training Courses. Original article and pictures take http://www.anadavis.com/ana-davis-blog/entry/yoga-to-relieve-hip-pain-in-pregnancy site