Injuries in yoga

yoginimary

What are some injuries you've had to deal with in yoga? Not necessarily caused by yoga, but things that made you have to modify or not do certain poses. If you go to a class, did the teacher tell you what to do or not? Did you find that helpful/unhelpful?

Here are mine: hurt wrist, hurt elbow, hamstring pull, inner knee pain in padmasana, neck pain, shoulder pain. For my knee pain, I put a small spacer and that helped quite a bit. Hamstring pull was helped by placing a block between my upper thighs and bringing my legs as close together as possible. Elbow was a long time ago, I don't remember. Neck pain was helped by increasing height under my shoulders in sarvangasana. I usually find the teacher's advice helpful, but only when they give me something else to do instead.

lcyama

1) rotator cuff. one teacher told me to ease off a pose (hanging from wall ropes); another teacher told me to do the pose but to engage my trapezius (i think it was; the upper back muscles). this last suggestion has helped me avoid shoulder injuries since.
2) neck pain. teacher helped me modify, and also included specific poses to help. including my favorite, headstand on chairs.
3) hamstring strain. teacher helped me modify, had me ease off uttanasana and down dog, etc.

other than that, just the standard tightness and stiffness, such that i had to ease into poses slowly so i didn't injure myself. practicing iyengar style yoga, which encourages the use of props for those stiff days, really helps me stretch in the places that need it.

mlouisecronin

I've been getting yoga butt---which I thought meant it looked cute in my pants, but actually is a real, painful thing. I used this weird pipe thing to massage out my bum and hips and looked into some videos which encouraged being more careful with my core. It's been 2 weeks now and it is much better.

yoginimary

I've been getting yoga butt---which I thought meant it looked cute in my pants, but actually is a real, painful thing. I used this weird pipe thing to massage out my bum and hips and looked into some videos which encouraged being more careful with my core. It's been 2 weeks now and it is much better.

Generally "yoga butt" refers to a hamstring pull. If you're recovering in two weeks, you must be doing something well. Some hamstring pulls take 6 months.

synthomarsh

I have had a hamstring pull and the other side a hamstring tear, 6 months to recover sounds about right..... still while stretching today I hear a pop in both legs

GiddyupTim

Just an FYI for everyone, William Broad, a science reporter for the New York Times, who has an abiding interest in yoga, claims that actually injuries in yoga are fairly common and, in a recent article, says that men are more likely than women to injure themselves. He says the rate of injury among men practitioners is almost 50 percent higher than it should be, given the proportion of yoga practitioners who are men.
He speculates that maybe men push themselves too hard and maybe they try to show off because the classes are mostly women. It may also be that men are much less flexible. I suspect this is much more likely. I think the lack of flexibility is the reason yoga is not more popular with men -- it is harder for us.
That said, I think he exaggerates the risk one faces with yoga. I do a lot of active things, and I actually think yoga is one of the more gentle things I do. Certainly it seems to be the easiest on my body.
Here is the article:
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/12/23/sunday-review/the-perils-of-yoga-for-men.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0

MyNewZen

Yoga I what keeps me from falling apart due to my other activities; weights and dragon boating.

Yoga has been a huge help with my lower back which has always been stiff and sore for no reason my whole life.

I have some other injuries but the only one that really gets in my way is a separated shoulder (torn acromioclavicular ligament). So any thing that looks like a push up is hard for me (down dog is fine, but plank and up dog are a bit of trouble).

MissHolidayGolightly

Arthritis in toe kept me from jumping back into my vinyasas for a while but I'm able to do it now - just aim more for my smaller toes/other foot. I've also got better at doing them with more control so this helps, too.

I have trouble doing some lunges and anything else that requires me to stand on my toes or put weight on them. Thankfully, can pretty much do everything just have to be careful.

I have a knee injury from running but my yoga practice hasn't been hindered much - just need to pad my knee when i'm kneeling on it sometimes. Yoga has helped with this injury though by strengthening and increasing flexibility in my legs and hips.

Mlkmaid

I have a tendency to twist too much (because it just feels so damn good!) and then end up tweaking my lower back. I run as well and I have to say I've probably hurt myself more doing yoga than running - unless you count the times I've fallen on ice or sprained an ankle stepping down wrong off of uneven pavement.

Mlkmaid

Just an FYI for everyone, William Broad, a science reporter for the New York Times, who has an abiding interest in yoga, claims that actually injuries in yoga are fairly common and, in a recent article, says that men are more likely than women to injure themselves. He says the rate of injury among men practitioners is almost 50 percent higher than it should be, given the proportion of yoga practitioners who are men.
He speculates that maybe men push themselves too hard and maybe they try to show off because the classes are mostly women. It may also be that men are much less flexible. I suspect this is much more likely. I think the lack of flexibility is the reason yoga is not more popular with men -- it is harder for us.
That said, I think he exaggerates the risk one faces with yoga. I do a lot of active things, and I actually think yoga is one of the more gentle things I do. Certainly it seems to be the easiest on my body.
Here is the article:
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/12/23/sunday-review/the-perils-of-yoga-for-men.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0

I recently bought his book, "The Science of Yoga", and it's pretty interesting stuff.

yoginimary

So, did the teacher tell you what to do or not? Did you find that helpful/unhelpful?