Yoga has become one of the most popular ways to achieve fitness goals. Not just that, many people turn to yoga to achieve mental peace, stability in life, fulfilment, inner strength and balanced physical and mental well-being. Although yoga does provide all these benefits, you must also be aware of the yoga injuries. This can be due to wrong posture, extended strain in a particular area exasperated by technically wrong yoga poses, improper form, etc. Many people resort to yoga to cure already existing physical ailments, and sustaining yoga-related injuries can only make the situation worse. This is why it is important to not only understand the benefits of yoga and how to implement it in life to reap those benefits but also be aware of the side effects doing yoga can bring.
If numbers are to be believed, a report by the National Library of Medicine, US, revealed that around 29,500 yoga injuries cases were reported in emergency wards between 2001 and 2014. We are sure that the cases must have increased thus far since there has been a rapid rise in the number of people now following yoga.
Yoga-related injuries are the last thing you want since most people introduce yoga into their lives to reap its physical and mental benefits. In this article, we will tell you everything about yoga injuries, prevention and more.
Most Common Yoga Injuries and How to Prevent Them
Since yoga works on your entire body, the injuries it may inflict are also equally broad in nature.
Sprains and Strains
Sprains and strains are often the most common kinds of injuries that yoga practitioners are likely to sustain. This typically happens when you try to push your physical limit in the initial part of your yoga journey. Trying out advanced poses or doing them incorrectly can also strain your muscles or even ligaments, causing an injury. Another reason that experts often point out is incorrect alignment, which is an important part of practising yoga. The right alignment is crucial as it helps in gaining the benefits of that particular pose. However, if the alignment is not right, it can cause discomfort in your body, straining or spraining your muscles. Moving from one pose to another very quickly is also seen as a factor for injury. Yoga is a form that requires slow movements and body control. If these things are not taken care of, it may backfire.
Tips to prevent sprains and strains:
- Do warm-up exercises before starting to do yoga poses
- Listen to your body
- Ensure you maintain the right alignment
- Use yoga props for physical support
- If you find a pose too difficult to perform, refrain
Wrist-related Yoga Injuries
Wrist-related yoga injuries are quite common and may occur if too much weight is put on the wrists. Improper weight distribution while doing a pose like downward dog or plank can cause an injury to the wrist. Putting too much pressure on the wrist or wrong alignment can also cause such injuries. Such an injury will not only impact your yoga practice but may also limit your daily activities. So, preventing such an injury is of prime importance.
Tips to prevent wrist injury:
- Do wrist warm-ups before doing yoga
- Ensure you maintain the right posture and alignment
- You can use wrist supports to ensure pressure distribution and support
- Do exercises that increase wrist strength
Lower Back
Lower back is quite a vulnerable part of our body and doing any kind of physical exercise, including yoga, puts lower back in possible danger of sustaining injury. While doing yoga, lower back pain can start due to improper pose or wrong posture. This is especially possible in poses like backbends. Trying to over stretch your back during the pose or trying advanced backbends without having slowly graduating to doing that poses can put the lower back at risk. Those who have weak core muscles are also likely to get this pain.
Tips to prevent lower back injury/pain:
- Maintain proper pose/posture/alignment during backbends
- Strengthen your core muscles by doing proper exercise
- Use yoga props to reduce strain on the lower back
- Take it slow and do advanced poses only after you master the basic ones
Hamstring Yoga Injuries
Hamstrings are muscles that cross the hip and knee joint and are often vulnerable to injuries when you subject your body to physical strain. As hamstrings play a crucial role in walking, running, jumping and other physical activities, they can easily get impacted during physical activity. Doing yoga poses like deep forward bends without much practice or preparation, can overstretch your hamstrings and cause injury. Improper alignment can also put unwanted strain on these muscles and reduce your flexibility and mobility.
Tips to prevent hamstring injuries:
- Do warm-up exercise before doing yoga poses
- Take care of your alignment when doing forward bend
- Work within your body limits and don’t overdo things
- Use yoga props like straps for support
Shoulder Injuries
Shoulders power your hands and the upper body to perform various tasks. Thus, they can get injured if too much strain or wrong pressure is applied during a physical exercise. Shoulder-related yoga injuries are common as shoulders often bear the brunt in poses like downward dog and chaturanga. If you don’t maintain the right pose or do advanced poses without proper preparation, your shoulders can get injured, limiting your body movement and the ability to perform certain tasks.
Tips for yoga injury prevention for shoulders:
- Maintain right pose and distribute the weight properly
- Slowly move into doing advanced poses
- Build shoulder strength by doing proper exercise
Yoga-related Knee Injuries
Knees, just like shoulders, are main providers of body movement. Injured knees can limit your body movement and the ability to perform a number of tasks in your daily life, let alone doing yoga or any other form of exercise. Improper yoga pose, misalignment, bad posture or putting too much strain on the knees can result in injuring them, resulting in swelling, soreness, inflammation and even numbness. Knee injuries can also be very painful and can take long to recover. So, preventing knee injuries is paramount.
Tips to prevent yoga-related knee injuries:
- Maintain the right alignment while doing poses that strain the knees
- Keep the knee bent while doing poses that put extra pressure on them
- Use yoga props like cushions to reduce the strain
- Include knee strengthening exercises in your workout regimen
Yoga Poses Responsible for Injuries and Tips to Avoid Them
Yoga is often understood as a form of gentle and low-impact exercise. It offers several benefits, including physical and mental relaxation, peace of mind, flexibility and stability. However, there are a few tricky yoga poses that can cause injuries to different parts of your body depending on the stress level. Check this list to ensure you stay away from unwanted injuries.
Headstand
A tricky and risky yoga pose, the headstand puts the entire body weight on your neck, making it extremely vulnerable to injury and strain. It can be even trickier for those who have existing neck or spine-related issues, as the headstand can further aggravate the problem. You may also fall while performing this pose. It is best to do the headstand near a wall to ensure that you don’t fall and have some support.
Four-limbed Staff Pose
It’s a simple pose, but simple things can be tricky at times, especially when done wrong repeatedly. This pose can cause problems for your rotator cuff if the alignment is not proper and your body is not balanced. To ensure that you don’t get injured, align your shoulders properly and gaze straight to the horizon. This way, you will be able to maintain body balance and right alignment.
Shoulder Stand
The shoulder stand is a great way to work on your neck and back. However, it is equally tricky to reap the benefits of this pose as it can strain these two body parts if you do it carelessly or without much attention to how your body is reacting to it. This pose is surely not for the ones who are just starting out their yoga journey. To avoid injury, keep your arms vertical, gaze straight and shoulders tucked properly into the back. Don’t turn your head while doing this pose, and do it only if you don’t have any neck injury.
Standing Forward Bend
This pose involves stretching the hamstring to bend down and complete the pose. Overstretching the hamstring is the most common cause of injury that you may incur. If the torso is not bent properly, it may cause discomfort, etc. The best way to avoid injury is to take it slow and not overstretch your limits. Hamstring injuries are tricky and take a long time to heal. If you happen to injure your hamstring, it will disrupt your exercise regimen as well as your daily routine.
Camel Pose
The camel pose, which involves bending your back backwards, offers many benefits, like stretching and strengthening the back and the shoulders. However, if this pose is done incorrectly or without proper guidance, it can hurt your lower back or neck. To avoid injury, don’t abruptly collapse the lower back on the floor. Let the descent be slow. Avoid jerking the neck backwards. Also, ensure that your hips are in proper alignment with the knees.
Importance of Recovery and Rest
Avoiding injury is one part of maintaining good physical health, and giving proper recovery time and rest to your body once you sustain an injury is another. While most people tend to ignore the latter, it is equally important to give your body the required rest to ensure that it completely recovers from a sustained injury. Rest is crucial for tissue recovery and repair. It is during the rest and recovery period that the body self-heals, allowing the tissues and muscles to rebuild and gain strength while preparing to prevent future injuries. Not giving your body enough time to recover may not just worsen the existing injury but also make your body susceptible to injuries in the future.
Yoga is one of the best ways to keep up your physical and mental health. However, it is also important to understand that not doing the yoga poses properly and maintaining the right alignment can cause injuries. The best way to avoid such injuries is to take it slow, listen to your body and maintain the right alignment. If you do get injured, ensure you give yourself time to recover.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS (FAQs)
Are yoga props helpful in preventing injuries?
Yes, props like blocks, straps, and bolsters support proper alignment, provide stability, and allow modifications to poses, especially for beginners.
How can beginners prevent yoga injuries?
Start with beginner-friendly classes, focus on proper form, listen to your body, and avoid comparing yourself to others. Gradually build strength and flexibility.
Can yoga instructors help prevent injuries?
A knowledgeable instructor can correct your alignment, offer modifications, and guide you to practice safely, reducing the risk of injury.
What role does warm-up play in yoga injury prevention?
Warm-ups prepare your body by increasing blood flow to muscles, enhancing flexibility, and reducing the risk of strains or pulls.
Join our upcoming yoga teacher training in bali to deepen your practice and teaching skills. We bring Personal growth through Eastern Wisdom + Western Science.
Get in Touch
Address: Jl. Raya Sanggingan No.36, Kedewatan, Kecamatan Ubud, Kabupaten Gianyar, Bali 80517, Indonesia
Contact: +6282145498596
Email: info@yoganewvision.com
Website: https://yoganewvision.com/
