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Help stop wrist and knee pain on all fours

November 12, 2018 //  by Di Hickman//  18 Comments

Yoga should not be painful. Unfortunately, so often in class and online I hear comments like “I would do more yoga… but it hurts my knees/wrists”. More commonly wrist and knee pain can be caused by an all fours position. I want to address a few easy modification you can do to help alleviate and maybe even stop wrist and knee pain on all fours.

wrist & knee pain on all fours PIN

Wrist and knee pain on all fours?

Why do some people experience wrist and knee pain? Because they are stuck in “traditional rules” of a yoga pose. The traditional way of being on hands and knees is to have everything stacked. Wrists below shoulders, and knees below hips. You can see more clearly in the photo below.

wrist & knee pain on all fours

Most people can be perfectly comfortable here. However for others, being on all fours like this can be painful. This position can cause a lot of compression in the joints of knees and wrists, causing pain and discomfort. So how to we prevent wrist and knee pain on all fours? Follow the three steps outlined in this article, or go watch my video!

Easing knee pain on all fours

How do we make the knees happier on all fours? One of the simplest and easiest ways to help with knee pain is to simply add support. The knee joint is pretty complex and has very little muscle/fat around it. Folding a blanket or towel under the knees does wonders in relieving knee pain in this position. You can buy yoga blankets at Yoga Nook, and Amazon also has a great selection. Personally, I don’t do yoga without my blanket.

wrist & knee pain on all fours

 

Easing wrist pain on all fours

Wrist pain is probably one of the common complaints I hear in yoga. If you’re experiencing wrist pain on all fours, it could simply be that the floor is too hard. Consequently a blanket could be your solution again. You could also use a couple of soft yoga blocks under the hands.

wrist & knee pain on all fours

Another simple solution is to move the hands forward. Again, that tradition ‘stacked’ position may just be causing too much compression in your wrists. So, move the hands further forward of the wrists. Towards the front of your yoga mat. Therefore, as a result. you have a less severe angle at the wrist causing less pain.

wrist & knee pain on all fours

wrist & knee pain on all fours

Still got wrist pain?

So you tried walking the hands forward and still have wrist pain? You may need more lift for the heel of your hand! Take the blanket again and drape the fingers over the front edge. Subsequently reducing the angle of compression in the wrist. Likewise a yoga wedge can also work well for this task. I heartily recommend a wedge to clients with wrist or ankle issues.wrist & knee pain on all fours

wrist & knee pain on all fours

So I hope these tips help alleviate wrist and knee pain in yoga poses, and specifically in the all four position. If you have questions about yoga or poses you’d like to me cover then let me know in the comments!

Questions:

  • have you experienced pain/discomfort in yoga?
  • Do you use a blanket in Yoga?
  • What’s your favorite yoga pose?
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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Christopher Mitchell

    November 19, 2018 at 11:34 am

    This is exactly the post that I needed right now, thanks so much for putting it together!

    Reply
    • Di Hickman

      November 22, 2018 at 2:35 pm

      No problem!

      Reply
  2. The Panicked Foodie

    November 18, 2018 at 6:33 pm

    These are all really great tips! I wish I had come across this at the beginning of my yoga practice, as I had a lot of wrist and knee pain. Thankfully that eased with time 🙂

    Reply
    • Di Hickman

      November 22, 2018 at 2:34 pm

      yep, it’s definitely something that you can get used to. But in the interim, best to find comfort.

      Reply
  3. Gill Trotman

    November 15, 2018 at 2:35 pm

    These are some great tips. When my wife and I first started yoga, we had to purchase extremely thick mats to help us with our knee pain.

    Reply
    • Di Hickman

      November 15, 2018 at 10:24 pm

      Ah, now the thick mats come at a different price. When you do balance poses they will be more difficult due to the thickness of the mat.

      Reply
  4. Michele Dennis

    November 15, 2018 at 12:04 pm

    These are really great tips! I gave up on some yoga poses do to my joint pain when too much pressure and weight were applied. I will give these a try. Thank you!

    Reply
    • Di Hickman

      November 15, 2018 at 10:23 pm

      Yep, I started using a blanket years ago and haven’t looked back since!

      Reply
  5. Kristine Nicole Alessandra

    November 15, 2018 at 3:58 am

    I do some yoga but not as regularly as I should. I guess when you age, you lose that flexibility. I will heed your advice and follow these tips to avoid pain in my knees and wrists when I do my exercises.

    Reply
    • Di Hickman

      November 15, 2018 at 10:23 pm

      Yep flexibility is definitely a case of use it or lose it.

      Reply
  6. Karen Monica

    November 14, 2018 at 8:04 pm

    My aunt suffers from knee pain. I think this exercise will be good for her. I will ask her to try this

    Reply
    • Di Hickman

      November 14, 2018 at 8:44 pm

      Ye, to avoid pain in the knees when in an all fours position these tips will help!

      Reply
  7. Annemarie LeBlanc

    November 14, 2018 at 12:18 pm

    I have always wanted to try yoga but with every attempt, I end up with pain. I will try those tips you’ve mentioned in this post. I want to experience the health benefits of yoga but my body just won’t cooperate!

    Reply
    • Di Hickman

      November 14, 2018 at 8:43 pm

      totally! Pain and yoga is something to avoid!

      Reply
  8. MELANIE EDJOURIAN

    November 14, 2018 at 5:05 am

    A nice simple solution that everyone can try. Thanks for the tips I will be sure to make use of them.

    Reply
    • Di Hickman

      November 14, 2018 at 8:43 pm

      Yes, comfort in yoga is so important!

      Reply
  9. Aditya Tiwari

    November 13, 2018 at 7:05 pm

    Whoa this is exactly what I do to prevent all of this. I thought, I am the only few people who know this steps to prevent knee pain. Didn’t knew about wrist pain. Now I know what to do, thanks to you. Hehehe poetic.But seriously thank you.

    Reply
    • Di Hickman

      November 14, 2018 at 8:43 pm

      no problem! Hope it helps!

      Reply

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Hi, I’m Di. A yoga teacher with over 20 years experience in the health and wellness industry. My mission is to give you information so you can be fitter, healthier, stress-free and happier (no, seriously).

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