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Sign Up for Email Newsletters: April 2012 Newsletter
Can Yoga Really “Wreck Your Body?”
Recently, an article came out in New York Times Magazine entitled “How Yoga can wreck your body.” The article was written by William Broad, a science writer for the Times who wrote the book, “The science of Yoga, the risks and rewards.” To date, the article is the single most “googled” article that the magazine has ever published on-line!...lots of concerned yogi’s out there!
Soooo…for what it’s worth, you get my opinion! Patients ask me all the time if they should start doing yoga. Usually it’s when they come to the realization that they need to start stretching to treat/avoid injuries. Most of us seem less disciplined when it comes to stretching on our own, so a class seems like a good way to get it done- it’s scheduled, structured, “safe”, and effective. My typical response to this question is…for every a patient I no longer have to see because of yoga, there is another one I see because of yoga. Question is…does this mean yoga is bad for you?
I haven’t read William Broad’s book, but the article published in New York Times Magazine certainly suggests that there are elements in yoga that are far from safe. The challenge, of course, seems to be trying to figure out which elements. The author states, and I tend to agree, that headstands can be dangerous. When you get to see injured, compressed, degenerative necks all day, you tend to think that balancing the majority of your body weight on your neck is likely to do more harm than good. There appears to be some evidence that any inversion therapy (being upside down) can stimulate the cardiovascular, respiratory, endocrine and lymphatic systems. I don’t know if this is true, but I do know there are lots of other ways to invert than to stand on your head. The ends have to justify the means…the benefits have to outweigh the risks.
One such way is the downward dog pose, a relatively basic, benign pose done in most yoga classes. This pose is great for opening up the hips, back, and shoulders, loosening tight hamstrings and calves, and strengthening the shoulders, arms and wrists. However, for all the benefits of this pose, it is probably the single most common contributor to exercise induced shoulder and rotator cuff pain we see in this clinic! Does this mean that the Downward Dog is “dangerous” and shouldn’t be a part of your exercise regime? I routinely give the Downward Dog to patients who I feel may benefit from it. I have the benefit of knowing enough about the health and fitness level of my patients to be able to prescribe this exercise without being concerned about the possibility of shoulder injury. Unfortunately, when it comes to the health of their pupils and participants, many yoga instructors don’t have the same information, or perhaps the class is too big for the instructor to be able to accurately assess each participant.
Mr. Broad points out in his article that often times the problem is the participant, not the pose…I certainly agree with this statement. We sit and stare at computers all day, developing weakness, tightness and poor posture…then off we go to the gym with all our muscle imbalances, and attempt to do things our bodies have no business doing! But after all, it’s yoga, so it must be good for you! The class setting also seems to bring out the competitor in us…we push a little harder-perhaps too hard, and suddenly that downward dog is a rotator cuff tendinitis.
I can summarize the challenges of ANY exercise program from yoga to boot camp to Jazzercise, as well as solutions to the challenges these classes create…
The problem: Muscle imbalances created by repetitive movements or positions such as prolonged sitting make us more prone to injury from any exercise.
The Solution: Find out what’s too tight and too weak, and develop a regular routine to address these imbalances.
The Problem: Going to yoga 1-3 times per week isn’t frequent enough to improve flexibility to prevent injury.
The Solution: Develop a daily routine which addresses the specific areas you need improvement, or attend less intense classes more often.
The Problem: Classes can be too big for instructors to monitor participants.
The Solution: Find smaller classes, particularly if you are a beginner.
The Problem: The class setting, the participants, the instructor, they all tend to make us push ourselves more…maybe too much!
The Solution: Leave your ego at home. You’re not going to get in shape in one day, so don’t try.
The Problem: “Treating” injuries with yoga can often add fuel to the fire.
The Solution: Get your injury properly diagnosed and treated first. The improvements in strength and flexibility you obtain from these classes will help to prevent re-injury.
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