Your knee joints manage your body weight while standing, walking, running or balancing. In a yoga class, this joint may be relied on to stabilize yourself in unusual positions and for more time than you are accustomed to. If you have a knee injury, some poses can be modified to lessen the strain on the knee joint and some should be eliminated altogether, according to the Yoga Cards website. Stop if you notice that knee pain begins or worsens in any yoga pose. Possible injuries to ligaments, tendons and cartilage should be assessed by a medical professional.
Knee Anatomy
Your knee joint is less stable than most people realize, according to Julie Gudmestad, a physical therapist and Iyengar yoga teacher in Portland, Ore.. It is basically two long bones, the femur in the thigh and the tibia in the shin, stacked one atop the other with only ligaments and tendons connecting them. When these attachments become too flexible or loose, the alignment of the knee becomes comprised, setting the stage for strain and injury.
Balancing Poses
To compensate for a knee injury, modify balancing poses by using a chair, a block or the wall to assist you in airplane or half moon pose. This will ensure that your knee does not buckle or wiggle into poor alignment, while allowing you to open the rest of the body into the pose.
Standing Poses
Modify standing poses that require a bent knee by limiting your range of motion. For chair pose, simply envision that you are sitting in a higher chair, instead of on a low stool. In warrior poses I and II, align the knee cap of your bent knee over the center of your foot. Attempt to advance this pose too quickly, by bending your knee deeply, and you may notice the kneecap drifting toward the big toe. This means that your thigh bone is rotating inward and your knee has lost its proper alignment, says Gudmestad.
Seated Poses
Take extra care in seated poses that involve deeply bent knees. Substitute easy pose, which is simply sitting with your legs in a gentle criss-cross position, for lotus pose. For meditation, seated hero may be performed with a rolled towel at the fold of your knee to add cushion and lift to the joint.
Reclined Poses
When it comes to poses like pigeon and reclined hero, which fold the knee to its maximum extent while placing pressure on it, take a pass and ask your yoga teacher for other options.
References
- Julie Gudmestad, PT; Gudmestad Yoga Studio; Portland, Ore.
- Yoga Journal: Please Your Knees
- Yoga Cards: Knee Injury Exercises and Yoga
