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 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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?
Yoga flow for beginners – 30 minute video!
Christopher Mitchell
This is exactly the post that I needed right now, thanks so much for putting it together!
Di Hickman
No problem!
The Panicked Foodie
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 🙂
Di Hickman
yep, it’s definitely something that you can get used to. But in the interim, best to find comfort.
Gill Trotman
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.
Di Hickman
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.
Michele Dennis
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!
Di Hickman
Yep, I started using a blanket years ago and haven’t looked back since!
Kristine Nicole Alessandra
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.
Di Hickman
Yep flexibility is definitely a case of use it or lose it.
Karen Monica
My aunt suffers from knee pain. I think this exercise will be good for her. I will ask her to try this
Di Hickman
Ye, to avoid pain in the knees when in an all fours position these tips will help!
Annemarie LeBlanc
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!
Di Hickman
totally! Pain and yoga is something to avoid!
MELANIE EDJOURIAN
A nice simple solution that everyone can try. Thanks for the tips I will be sure to make use of them.
Di Hickman
Yes, comfort in yoga is so important!
Aditya Tiwari
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.
Di Hickman
no problem! Hope it helps!