asana: parsva karnapidasana

yogabuch / asanas / parsva karnapidasana

parsva karnapidasana
„lateral pressure on the ears“

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last update: 30.12.2018
Name: parsva karnapidasana
Trivial name: lateral pressure on the ears
Level: A

Classification

classic: lying posture / reverse forward bend
psychomental: introverting, calming
physiological: stretches the back muscles, stretches the cervical spine muscles

Contraindication

Postures and movements that convexly round (flex) the spine are contraindicated in the case of acute disc disease in the lumbar spine and can trigger pain and have a detrimental effect on the relief of symptoms. This is all the more true here compared to normal karnapidasana, as instead of the required pure rotation of the spine, a small lateral flexor component often creeps in. Like karnapidasana, parsva karnapidasana is strictly contraindicated in the case of disc problems in the cervical spine.

Effects

Preparation

Neck: Since karnapidasana is THE elementary posture for stretching the neck and back, it is difficult to give preliminary exercises for karnapidasana and parsva karnapidasana, but those that are synergistic or otherwise helpful:

  1. Headstand is good for warming up the neck muscles. These muscles have a slightly different character than the muscles that move the extremities; they have more of a „holding muscle“ character, which is why they react positively to being warmed up before stretching, as in karnapidasana and parsva karnapidasana.
  2. halasana is very similar in terms of the cervical spine, often even a little more demanding for the cervical spine
  3. Shoulderstand the shoulderstand is very similar in character to karnapidasana and its variations in terms of the cervical spine and is no less demanding.

Back of the legs: Although the knees are widely bent, in cases where the hamstrings is very immobile, it can be helpful to stretch them before performing karnapidasana so that the feet can reach the floor:

  1. uttanasana THE standard to warm up and stretch the ischiocrural group
  2. prasarita padottanasana similar to uttanasana
  3. downface dog good preparation with a strong tilt of the pelvis
  4. parsvottanasana preparation that goes beyond uttanasana
  5. hip opener 5 preparation that goes beyond uttanasana

The monoarticular extensors of the hip joint (mainly the pomus muscles) can also prevent the feet from reaching the floor if they are very immobile:

  1. half lotus forward bend
  2. hip opener at the edge of the mat
  3. hip opener 3
  4. parivrtta trikonasana
  5. parivrtta ardha chandrasana

Follow-up

derived asanas:

similar asanas:

Diagnostics (No.)

(680) Esophagus/stomach/intestine:

A disturbed closure function of the stomach or esophagus can be particularly noticeable here, as can an overfilled stomach or intestine, which can exert pressure on the heart and lungs.(200) Goiter:

A sensation of pressure in the throat area may occur here.

  1. Due to the extensive flexion of the cervical spine, a sensation of pressure can occur in the throat area caused by a goitre. A goitre is an attempt by the thyroid gland to extract more iodine from the bloodstream to produce its hormones T3 and T4 through tissue growth. It is therefore usually an attempt to compensate for iodine deficiency and usually indicates hypothyroidism. This needs to be clarified.
  2. Other thyroid diseases such as Hashimoto’s thyroiditis or carcinoma, usually with, less frequently without endocrinological changes, can also lead to pressure sensations. In general, they all require clarification.

(680) Difficulty swallowing:

Swallowing difficulties (i.e. physiological swallowing of the patient’s own saliva) may occur for the first time or become more obvious.

  1. There are many causes of dysphagia, and this symptom requires clarification for several reasons.

(650) Kyphosis and lordosis of the spine:

Here the back should round reasonably evenly, still a little in the lower lumbar spine, then steadily increasing up to the beginning of the cervical spine. The vertebrae (perhaps apart from the lowest lumbar spine) should all emerge accordingly and evenly and progressively. A hyper- or less kyphosis of the thoracic spine or a hyperlordosis of the lumbar spine become quite visible in this posture. See the FAQ. The following observations can be made in this posture:

  1. Reduced kyphosis (also: steep posture and remaining lordosis) of the lumbar spine: reduced flexibility of the lumbar spine, possibly hollow back.
  2. Hyperkyphosis of the lumbar spine: is very rare and would be much more pronounced in other postures.
  3. Less kyphosis of the thoracic spine: presumably a steep position of the thoracic spine and reduced flexibility in the direction of flexion.
  4. Hyperkyphosis of the thoracic spine: is probably also present when standing and can be a secondary change in a hollow back.

All changes in parts of the spine should not be considered in isolation and are often compensations for other changes! Consider the whole and all its parts!

(601) Back extensors:

In this pose, the back extensors should allow the back to fall into rounding(flexion). If the tone is too high, this can prevent this or cause a distinct stretching sensation in the back and a squeezing sensation in the front of the body. Any tension, whether caused by posture, professional or other demands, scoliosis, hyperkyphosis of the thoracic spine or misaligned vertebrae, should be clearly visible here.

(611) Pelvicobliquity/scoliosis of the spine:

Lateral deviations of the spine from the sagittal plane, known as scoliosis, are also not particularly visible in this posture, especially when compared laterally. See the FAQ.

(201) Neck:

In parsva karnapidasana, various types of neck pain can become noticeable, from simple muscular tension to neuroradicular pain caused by disc problems.

  1. Simple stretching sensations can be tolerated to a small extent. If the stretching sensation becomes too great, this may indicate an impact, the consequences of which do not necessarily disappear immediately after stopping the posture.
  2. See above under contraindications. If there is a disc problem (protrusion, herniation, etc.) in the lumbar spine, pressure on a nerve root can lead to neurological symptoms such as numbness, pain, sensory disturbance, paraesthesia). Of course, this is not tolerable. Parsva karnapidasanaa is strictly contraindicated for cervical disc disorders. In the case of known disc problems, karnapidasana and parsva karnapidasana should only be practiced after consultation with the treating therapist.

If dizziness occurs, the pose should be discontinued and if it occurs frequently in this pose, this should be clarified.

Variants:

(P)

Instructions

  1. Lie on your back and place your feet close to your pelvis with your knees bent wide.
  2. With momentum, pull the legs towards the upper body(flexion movement in the hip joints and bending of the knee joints) and at the same time bend the upper body using the strength of the abdominal muscles.
  3. If the swing was strong enough, the center of gravity reaches the head side of the shoulder line and – except in the case of massive flexibility restrictions of the back and the dorsal cervical spine muscles – it is possible to place both feet right behind the body.
  4. Allow the back to sink passively and both knees to the floor next to the right ear.

Details

  1. In parsva karnapidasana, the pelvis tends to hang down on the side where the legs are, causing the back to arch sideways. In this pose, however, the back does not make a stretching movement that would make it easier to stretch the back straight upwards, but is passive.
  2. The head clearly tends to turn away from the knees. Under no circumstances should you give in to this. The head would rather push the knees to the side to lie straight again than allow itself to be pushed to the side by the knees or turned (on a mat: due to the friction of the back of the head on the floor).
  3. In this pose, the two knees on one side are less likely to reach the floor than in karnapidasana. The rotated flexion requires a little more flexibility than the pure flexion of the spine, as is often seen in twisting postures, see FAQ. In addition, one leg is slightly in adduction, which geometrically increases the distance to the floor.

Variants

(P)

Instructions

  1. Take the pose as described above. The supporter stands behind the performer’s back and pulls the pelvis into a straight position at the hips.

Details

  1. Proceed with caution as there is a significant load on the cervical spine, which may increase or change as a result of the correction.
  2. As described in the basic posture, the head should be completely straight. The supporter may have a clearer view of this than the performer has in terms of body awareness and can correct this. Both possible evasive movements must be observed and corrected: the rotation of the head (or the cervical spine with the head) and the lateral flexion of the cervical spine, which tilts the head sideways in relation to the trunk.
  3. During correction, care must be taken not to change the flexion of the cervical spine in the direction of flexion, i.e. not to pull the pelvis away from the head or push it towards the head, but only to cancel out any existing lateral flexion of the spine and, if necessary, to rotate the pelvis.