How ‘safe’ yoga causes as many injuries as sport
YOU may have perfected the lotus, the half tortoise or even the sleeping hero. But yoga may do more harm than good, research reveals.
The risk of pain is said to be ten times higher than feared – while the practice causes as many injuries as sports, scientists have warned.
Celebrity fans of the exercise regime, said to boost physical and mental wellbeing, include Beyonce, supermodel Gisele Bundchen and David and Victoria Beckham.
But a study found it causes musculoskeletal pain – mostly in the arms – in more than one in ten who use it. It also worsened a fifth of existing injuries, found academics in Australia and the US.
Professor Evangelos Pappas, of Sydney University, said: ‘Yoga may be a bit more dangerous than previously thought.
‘Our study found the incidence of pain caused by yoga is more than 10 per cent per year – which is comparable to the rate of all sports injuries combined among the physically active population.
‘However, people consider it to be a very safe activity. This injury rate is up to ten times higher than has previously been reported.’
Yoga involves achieving a series of postures and movements designed to increase strength, flexibility and breathing.
It is an increasingly popular complementary or alternative therapy for musculoskeletal disorders. Classes are now commonplace in leisure centres, hospitals, surgeries and even schools.
But the study of more than 350 fitness fanatics at yoga classes in the US found that it may be causing the same kind of pain it is trying to ease.
Professor Pappas said: ‘While yoga can be beneficial for musculoskeletal pain, like any form of exercise, it can also result in musculoskeletal pain.’
The study also found yoga made existing injuries worse in 21 per cent of cases – particularly in the arms.
More than a third of injuries kept a yoga fan out of classes for more than three months. The research found that most ‘new’ pain was in the upper body – including the shoulder, elbow, wrist and hand – due to postures such as the so-called downward dog that puts weight on the upper limbs.
Professor Pappas said: ‘It’s not all bad news, as 74 per cent of participants reported that existing pain was improved by yoga, highlighting the complex relationship between musculoskeletal pain and yoga practice.
‘These findings can be useful for clinicians and individuals to compare the risks of yoga to other exercise, enabling them to make informed decisions about which types of activity are best.
‘Pain caused by yoga might be prevented by careful performance and
‘A bit more dangerous than was thought’’ ‘Pain caused by yoga may be prevented’
participants telling their yoga teachers of injuries they may have prior to participation, as well as informing their healthcare professionals about their yoga practice.
‘We recommend that yoga teachers also discuss with their students the risks of injury if not practised conscientiously, and the potential for yoga to exacerbate some injuries.’
The NHS says most forms of yoga are not strenuous enough to count towards your 150 minutes of moderate activity, as set out by government guidelines. However, at least two sessions a week will help you meet the guidelines on muscle-strengthening activities.
The study was carried out with Mercy College in New York and published in the Journal of Bodywork and Movement Therapies.