For many people, yoga has been a blessing in more ways than one. It has helped many people restore their minds and bodies to peak health. Similarly, many people who were suffering from otherwise incurable injuries and debilities found new hope in yoga. On the other hand, yoga became a nuisance at the least and a nightmare at the worst for some. You may wonder how that is possible. It happened due to yoga injuries. While some got away with minor injuries that healed easily, others were not so lucky. Yet, that ought not to be motivated to drive anybody away from yoga. Common yoga injuries happen only because people are not cautious and have a disregard for rules. Stick to the instructions your teacher gave you and you will be fine.
Causes For Yoga Injuries
Common reasons that people get injured during yoga are:
- If you do not stretch and warm up enough before starting your yoga practice, you increase the chances of getting hurt.
- One of the most frequent causes of yoga injuries is students ignoring the rules and precautions their instructors gave them.
- Another reason is when people try to make their own adjustments when they cannot do an asana normally. Only a yoga teacher should recommend adjustments.
- Beginners and even some intermediates get injured when they try to attempt advanced poses before completely mastering the current ones.
- If you are attempting a yoga pose without finding your center, you can injure yourself. Ensure that your center is in the right place; an off-balance center will also injure you.
- Many people are embarrassed to use props when they cannot do a pose. Exerting yourself when your body does not allow it can wound you too.
Common Body Parts Injured In Yoga
The most common areas that people can injure themselves when doing yoga are:
- Wrist, Shoulder, And Elbow – These injuries happen mostly in asanas that require hand support. Putting too much or sudden pressure on the wrist can cause wrist pain after yoga, or worse, twists, fractures, or dislocation. The same goes for shoulders and elbows. You can prevent this most easily by ensuring that you use your entire palm to even out the pressure. Also, never let the shoulders go in front, outward, or over the wrist.
- Back – Inversions, twists, and bends are the most common causes of yoga back injuries. You can even end up with slipped discs if you are not careful. Using micro-bends, even out the pressure over the feet and pelvic region, and not overstretching is the best way to avoid these injuries
- Neck – Headstands and shoulder stands put a lot of pressure on the neck and can injure it. Twisting or fracturing your neck can even be fatal. The best way to avoid this is by making sure you are confident with the pose and exercising extra caution.
- Knees – Yoga knee injury is common simply because a lot of poses require working the knee. Prevent knee injuries by never letting your knee cave inward and putting most of the pressure on the buttocks, hips, and thighs.
- Hamstrings – Pulled hamstrings are one of the most common yoga injuries of the leg. Bends, squats, and lunges can cause hamstring injuries. Avoid this by stretching more through the abdominal and quadricep muscles and not overstretching.
- Ribs – Sore ribs after yoga can happen if you pull or bruise your intercostal muscles during twists. Keep the extent of your twists within your body’s capacity to prevent this.
- Hips – Splits and hip openers, when done too much or too far, will cause hip problems. By not stretching too far and keeping your feet well-grounded and pointed in the right direction, you can avoid hip injuries.
Common Types Of Yoga Injuries
The types of injuries you see the most in people who practice yoga are:
- Strains And Cramps – Strains and cramps can happen if you put too much stress on a muscle continuously for days. You will not detect anything for several days before the muscle starts acting up.
- Bruises – Bruises are the most harmless injuries and happen due to falls and slips.
- Twists And Sprains – You twist or sprain your joints when you take a twisting pose too far or slip and fall in an awkward position.
- Fractures – Fractures happen when you fall too hard or twist a body part too far. All hairline, simple, and compound fractures are possible in yoga.
- Dislocation – This is the worst yoga injury that happens when two or more bones at a joint separate.
- Pulled Or Torn Muscles – The most common result of overstretching is pulled or torn muscles. They can even keep you from truly doing any difficult exercise until the kingdom comes.
- Tips To Avoid Yoga Injuries
Here are some ways that can help you prevent avoidable yoga injuries:
- Do not let ego or shyness prevent communication.
- Never let a teacher bully you into a position you are not confident about or comfortable with.
- Do not skip the warm-up, stretch, or cool-down steps.
- Avoid sudden jerks and abrupt transitions.
- Do not lock your joints and allow for micro-beads and adjustments.
- Advance slowly through the stages using props if necessary.
- In case of injury, go to the doctor and do not return until full recovery.
Conclusion
Yoga injuries should never be a discouragement to your practice of yoga. But you should never take them lightly either. There is no alternative to caution, especially when it comes to yoga.
