For most people, the practice of yoga brings to mind notions of relaxation and wellness. At its core, yoga pertains to the stretching of the body into many poses or “asanas” to achieve physical and mental wellness. These unique asanas have been perfected by gurus over many hundreds of years. Each relates to the natural movement of the body and can be quite safe to practice, although some positions require an almost contortionist approach. Ironically, however, at Rice Family Chiropractic, we do see our share of injuries caused by the improper practice of yoga.

This is not at all surprising. Over the past decade or so, the popularity of yoga has exploded. According to a New York Times story on the subject, the number of Americans practicing yoga increased from 4 million in 2001 to more than 20 million in 2011. The increase has led to some entirely new forms of yoga, along with new teaching methods—not all of them particularly safe.

Compared to some other sports, golf for example, yoga remains quite safe. For example, in 2007 in the United States, there were some 5,500 injuries caused by the practice of yoga reported to doctors and hospitals. That averages out to about 3.5 injuries per 10,000 yogis, compared with 39 injuries per 10,000 golfers. You may wonder what the golfers are doing to sustain so many more injuries… Fore!

Although they may be fewer, the injuries sustained in yoga compared with other activities can often be worse, take longer to heal, and in some cases may be life threatening, including strokes caused by vertebral artery tears.

The asanas that yogis practice are often improperly taught and practiced, leading to harmful stress on the very joints and muscles they seek to benefit. Using the correct techniques is fundamental to successfully practicing yoga. Not competing with those around us and keeping the “ego” out of the equation may be trickier than you think.

Yoga poses typically are built on foundations, so that one series of poses is taught before proceeding onto the next more challenging set of poses. As such, it is the job of the teacher to ensure that each student’s posture is correct prior to moving on. They must be constantly vigilant for poor alignment and posture—or else injury is likely to occur.

Yoga is a very individual practice. A straightforward pose for one student may be a challenge for another. Many poses can take years to learn. This is why good yoga teachers offer alternative poses for all but the simplest asanas. Additionally, teachers will remind students to only go as far as their body allows them, since it is relatively easy to push our joints, tissues and ligaments too far with just about any yoga pose.

Not all asanas are created equal!

For those new to yoga or fitness, it is advisable to begin with one of the forms of yoga that stress the correct posture at a pace that allows you to fully appreciate each asana. Iyengar and Hatha in particular may be ideal for beginners as these practices typically emphasise alignment over all else. As your ability and fitness level increase, you may wish to try more advanced classes such as Power, Bikram or Vinyasa—but keep in mind that these are typically the most prone to injury as the poses become more complex and strenuous.

As I have said, we do see many yoga practitioners with injuries, including (but not limited to) pulled muscles such as groin or hamstring, inflamed joints such as hips, rotator cuffs and wrists and bulging discs and other lower back injuries. Torn or popped ACLs from trying to stuff the legs into a Lotus pose, are unfortunately common, too.

In order to prevent these injuries, it is essential to listen to the body, take your time and practice for the right reasons. Yoga is as much about the mind as it is about the body. Yoga, if memory serves, was originally created to help strengthen the body in preparation for long periods of meditation. Trying to push oneself with a no pain, no gain mentality will only serve to cause pain, and potentially significant long term injury. Once a rotator cuff or ACL has been damaged, it can take years to fully recover. If you find you are in pain during any of your poses, it’s best to pull back your efforts to a less strenuous position, or even move to child’s pose for a time until you find the correct “yogic” headspace, free of the competitive urge. And be sure to talk to your teacher about any injuries you have experienced, as they will be able to suggest alternative poses and other ways to circumvent the pitfalls of injury.

At Rice Family Chiropractic, we take a holistic approach to wellness and chiropractic care. That means we look at the interplay between all aspects of the body and mind when discussing treatment with you. A proper diet, physical fitness and mental wellness all play a factor in enjoying a healthy, happy life. If you have any questions about yoga, your chiropractic wellness or anything else, please contact us to set up an appointment today.