When Yoga Hurts

Yoga heals. But it can also harm.

That’s why Raza Awan, a sports medicine doctor, and Riki Richter, a Pilates and yoga instructor, created a yoga injury prevention workshop for teachers and studio owners.  The idea came after the duo, who co-own and run Synergy Sports Medicine and rehabiliation, noticed yoga-related injuries at their Toronto clinic, near Lansdowne Ave. and Bloor St. W.

They wanted to show practitioners the more common injuries — rotator cuff, cervical disc, lower back, wrist, hamstring and knee — and how to prevent them.  The benefits of yoga outweigh the risks, but awareness of its potential dangers is needed, especially since the yoga community hasn’t traditionally tracked injuries.

“We need dialogue (with the community) because (yoga) is growing in popularity,” says Awan. “And there are going to be injuries.”

Yoga poses can cause injuries or exacerbate existing conditions. Often injuries are linked to a sudden spike in activity, such as teacher trainings, weekend workshops and retreats. Since most are the result of repetitive strain, people can hurt themselves when they increase activity level.

Damage to the rotator cuff results from weight put on the arms and can be brought on during poses such as plank, chaturanga, handstand and arm balances.  Cervical disc issues occur from extending and flexing the head and compressing the neck. Poses that can result in injury include camel, upward dog, cobra, plow, headstand and shoulder stand.

Lower back pain is common because of extreme forward and backward bends. Weight-bearing poses such crane and downward dog can hurt the wrist; standing or seated forward bends can injure the hamstring; and twisting and hyper flexing during warrior, hero and pigeon can damage the knee.

American science writer William Broad, also a longtime practitioner, explores the dark side of yoga in his 2012 book The Science of Yoga: The Risks and the Rewards.
One of the biggest myths about yoga is that it’s safe, says The New York Times writer. Some poses have caused nerve damage resulting in disabilities that range from relatively mild to permanent. And although rare, some poses restrict blood flow to the brain, which can cause a stroke and result in death, he says.

“Yoga can kill and maim — or save your life and make you feel like a god,” writes the Pulitzer Prize-winning author. “That’s quite a range.”  






Reference:  TORONTO STAR March 23, 2013 http://www.thestar.com/life/health_wellness/fitness/2013/03/22/when_yoga_harms.html