Have you ever had any injury becasue of yoga?

Yoga Discussion General Yoga
#1

hi everyone!
i practise ashtanga yoga 3 years. and i am so exciting by this form of activity that i decided to write my diploma thesis about injury in yoga.

Would like to ask you. HAVE U EVER HAD ANY PROBLEMS WITH BACK PAIN, KNEES, LIGAMENTS, BONES FRACTURE-that you connect with yoga pracise? if YES-which position caused this problem?

personaly i had scar on MCL becasue my knee imediately fell down and unfortunately was pretty serious and i cant do all of position now…

i belife time and patience help me

I will be very grateful if you tell me about your own problems with muscles/ligaments and as a physiotherapist i do my best to help you!

#2

Personally, yoga has only helped me through my injuries (RTC repair, Herniation L4-5 L5-S1 with sciatica and a very old knee issue) and for that I am grateful.

Does injury happen when practicing yoga? Yes, if one does not practice ahimsa and does not honor his/her body. As a teacher, I’ve only had one incident where a student tried to get into a pose without actually being ready for it. This was before actual practice Thankfully it was a minor knee injury and yoga helped her through it. But the incidence of injury in the physical practice of yoga (asana) is relatively small.

And welcome to the forums!

#3

I cannot say that yoga caused my injury. I believe that doing yoga exacerbated an already existing weak area because A) I did not understand how to truly listen to my body and stop when I felt discomfort other than tired muscles and B) because I did not have a teacher to help me and to be sure I was doing things correctly.

To be brief, when I was doing some kundalini yoga kriya’s, there was one in which one raises the arms overhead, palms together (did this with a video) and leans back, arching the low back, then folding over in a smooth movement, then back up again, and down again, over and over. I did not listen when my low back protested, and I now have a displaced sacrum, I suppose you would call it. The sacrum is tilted to the left, and wedged against the pelvis on that side when standing. It will probably take years for this to mend, and I’ve been dealing with the pain and discomfort from this for two years now. I am working on healing this with my chiropractor and with learning how to do yoga without stressing the sacrum, to give it time to pull back into place (hopefully) and heal. If that isn’t possible, my main goal is to just be free of discomfort.

So yes, doing yoga without an instructor and without knowing fully how to listen to my body, I injured myself.

#4

I have 2 “injuries” related to asanas:

  1. Right foot ligaments injury (those ligaments which are stretched in lotus pose) - caused probably by Marichyasanas B and D (not sure, I noticed pain after practice, but those poses bring the pain back).

  2. Pinched sciatic nerve on right side doing Kurmasana. It resulted in spasm of some muscles and pain and stiffness of the right side (I can’t do Upavista Konasana due to pain in right hamstring).

I practice for 2.5 years now. Recently 4-6 times per week (I practice more frequently with time). If you need more info to your thesis let me know, will gladly help.

#5

One of my mates can’t do Yoga from ruining his back doing Yoga. I don’t think there is a single physical activity that hasn’t led to some people getting injured. It’s just the nature of our flawed bodies put under stress. I put mobility exercises at the heart of my daily exercise program in an attempt to minimize injury. Also kettlebell training has toughed my body up, so I’m hoping I can run, lift weights and do cartwheels when I’m 70 :slight_smile:

#6

Hello YogiAdam! We miss you! And I’d like to see you do those cartwheels at 70! lol

#7

[QUOTE=lotusgirl;48764]Hello YogiAdam! We miss you! And I’d like to see you do those cartwheels at 70! lol[/QUOTE]

Hi!!! I’ve been doing Kettlebells, and running, mobility exercises, and weights, but not much Yoga. But I’ve started doing a little Yoga again for mobility and relaxation. So here I am. I might hang round a bit this time… hopefully lol p.s. if you see and old crazy guy cartwheeling down the road in 40 years, that probably me!!

#8

Nice to have you back. And glad to hear you are doing a bit of yoga too!

#9

there was one in which one raises the arms overhead, palms together (did this with a video) and leans back, arching the low back, then folding over in a smooth movement, then back up again, and down again, over and over.

For me it sound little bit like Surya Namaskara. its simillar little bit?

It will probably take years for this to mend

actualy in this problem sacrum-pelvis very effective is Kaltenborn method <try to find someone who knows how to lead therapy by this method>

im curious how sacrum changed location if this position that you mention about gave banalce on both side?

So yes, doing yoga without an instructor and without knowing fully how to listen to my body, I injured myself.–> totaly agree with you. if we are too ambitious every kind of sporst lead us to pain…;0

#10

ohhh i wanted to put quotes of Joanna63 but it didnt work…:slight_smile: hope next time will be better;)

#11

[QUOTE=YogiAdam;48762]One of my mates can’t do Yoga from ruining his back doing Yoga. I don’t think there is a single physical activity that hasn’t led to some people getting injured. It’s just the nature of our flawed bodies put under stress. I put mobility exercises at the heart of my daily exercise program in an attempt to minimize injury. Also kettlebell training has toughed my body up, so I’m hoping I can run, lift weights and do cartwheels when I’m 70 :)[/QUOTE]

Cartwheels at 70…I dont see why not …it might make your false teeth come shooting out tho

Hi Yogi…so you’ve been busy x…must go check what these kettlebells are…

Have we missed you?..yes we have !!..

#12

there was one in which one raises the arms overhead, palms together (did this with a video) and leans back, arching the low back, then folding over in a smooth movement, then back up again, and down again, over and over.

For me it sound little bit like Surya Namaskara. its simillar little bit?

Actually no, the movement was only back and forth, lean back with palms together, bend forward with palms together, up and back again, down and forward again, without stopping.

It will probably take years for this to mend

actualy in this problem sacrum-pelvis very effective is Kaltenborn method <try to find someone who knows how to lead therapy by this method>

im curious how sacrum changed location if this position that you mention about gave banalce on both side?

I’m sure that it will take years. It was, I’m sure, an existing condition that the action of the kriya exacerbated. Had I known how to listen to my body at the time, I would have stopped at the first discomfort and possibly would not have caused as much damage to my sacrum. But I persisted, and since then I can never be sure what is causing it to flare up. Some positions will cause great discomfort (think twists) on some days, and on others, little to no discomfort. I have been working with a chiropractor to help heal this problem, and it seems to be getting better. I have also been reading what I can on how to hold the pelvis in twists when one has sacral issues. Small steps. :slight_smile:

#13

Yogi Adam! Wasn’t it you that put something in an envelope for Kareng (and others) to “view”? What was it? we are dying to know! Or perhaps I missed the answer… ohnos

#14

[QUOTE=Joanna63;48881]Yogi Adam! Wasn’t it you that put something in an envelope for Kareng (and others) to “view”? What was it? we are dying to know! Or perhaps I missed the answer… ohnos[/QUOTE]

Yeah, that’s right. I did forget about that. Maybe we should ask Kareng what the image was.

#15

[QUOTE=YogiAdam;48886]Yeah, that’s right. I did forget about that. Maybe we should ask Kareng what the image was.[/QUOTE]

Yogi…did you get my PM?
Findings are on Ajna thread…so put us out of the wondering ??xx

#16

I’ve actually had a few stitches caused my a slip which led to a fall - but that was my own fault for not properly paying attention.

For the most part yoga has helped my back injury.

#17

Injuries are not due to Yoga (or in this case asana). They are due to human beings and their choices.

#18

I’ve hurt myself doing yoga, trying asanas that I’m not yet ready for, doing them the wrong way too probably.

Headstand is simply one of those asanas that I can get into, for most people it looks ok when they see me do it and I feel fine doing it but After doing it for a few days in a row I will have a stiff neck no matter how I try to get around that.

Seems to be the same way with the plow and my back, middle and lower. Doing it once or twice a week is fine but two or three days in a row and my back starts complaining.

However, the opposite is also true. I can get lower back pain from time to time that has nothing to do with doing asanas and through asanas I have ways now of working through that pain and getting better much faster.,

#19

[QUOTE=Terje;50428]
Headstand is simply one of those asanas that I can get into, for most people it looks ok when they see me do it and I feel fine doing it but After doing it for a few days in a row I will have a stiff neck no matter how I try to get around that.

[/QUOTE]

Do you do the Matsya asan after Shirsasan ? This asan releases the compression caused in the neck by Shirsasan, Sarvangaasan & Halasan. Try it out and your stiff neck should vanish.

#20

I tweaked a hamstring once, but I also was an idiot and tried going too far.