Neck injuries and Headstands

Yoga Discussion General Yoga
#1

Last year I was in a serious car accident that incurred multiple injuries, the worst of which were neck fractures and pelvic fractures. Although it has helped me to be more mindful and attentive of my body, it has severely hurt my physical capabilities.
When I was in physical therapy, my PT told me to never do a headstand again. This is incredibly disheartening, as headstands had become an essential and deeply meaningful part of my yoga practice.

My question is this; is she right? Should i never do a headstand again? I’d like to be optimistic and think that through lots of time, patience, and practice, my body will heal itself enough that I will be able to do them again. Im just concerned that it is somehow impossible, or guaranteed to hurt me further.

I understand that there may not be many medical professionals in this forum, but I’d appreciate any feedback/insights.

Note: my neck was fractured in several places, but it was stable enough that I did not need corrective surgery, just wore a neck brace for three months.

Thanks yogis!
-Kaitlyn

#2

Sorry, but my only feed back would be do follow what your doctor tells you

#3

I have something spiritual to offer, a friend and reward for your difficult work and labor, a god friend. I am a very famous person and he is here. ??

#4

Im not sure I understand what youre trying to tell me.

#5

Hi Kaitlyn, I am a Physical Therapist Assistant and I’ve been teaching yoga for more than 10 years. I too would advise you to avoid any poses that are weight bearing on your cervical spine. The cervical spine is not made to bear the weight of the body, especially for long periods of time. It is designed to bear the weight of our head which is about 8 lbs, give or take.

For example, with head stands, the weight of the body can compress the cervical vertebrae which are smaller and not made to withstand those forces; whereas, the lumbar vertebrae are bigger and chunky and are designed specifically to bear heavier loads.

Another concern, in the case of poses such as shoulderstand or plow, is that the neck is put into extreme position of flexion. One risk here is the overstretching of ligaments on the back of the neck. Another risk is the compression of the carted artery on the front of the neck; it’s rare but there are documented cases of this causing strokes. That is rare, though.

Here is a link for an interesting article that frames the argument against these poses:

As for alternatives to these poses, I suppose it depends on what you are trying to achieve. I’d be happy to discuss modifications and alternatives if you’d like. Let me know what your goals are for your yoga practice, maybe, we can start there.

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