7 Most Common Yoga Injuries and How to Avoid Them: Ekattva’s Guide
Embarking on a journey into the yoga world is a thrilling experience. The sense of inner peace, strength, and flexibility that practitioners gain with this ancient practice is truly remarkable. However, amid the soaring admiration for this ancient practice, there’s a lesser-known side - risk of yoga injuries!
According to the National Library of Medicine, a staggering 29,590 yoga-related injuries were reported in hospital emergency departments between 2001 and 2014. Just think how much this number would have grown by 2023. We bet you might be thinking, “I want to learn yoga but what are the injuries that I should be wary of? Also, how can I prevent them?”
Fret not! In this blog, Ekattva Yogshala will discuss about 7 most common yoga injuries that yogis encounter during their practice. In fact, we will be also arming you with a list of practical solutions for these to ensure your yoga journey remains injury-free.
Ready to learn about these injuries and discover how to safeguard your well-being while performing them? Let’s go!
What are Common Yoga Injuries to Be Aware Of?
The following are some common yoga injuries one may encounter during their practice:
#1 Strains and Sprains
Since strains and sprains are the most common type of injury, we thought why not kickstart our list with it? These problems occur when practitioners push their bodies beyond their current limits or perform poses with improper alignment. For example, when you attempt advanced poses too soon, you may strain your muscles and ligaments.
In fact, yoga experts also state that failing to maintain correct alignment in poses or quick transitions between asanas without proper control can also strain muscles or cause a sudden injury. These can affect individuals with pain, discomfort, and limited mobility, potentially hampering their yoga journey.
How to Avert This Yoga Injury?
To prevent and address strains and sprains, one can:
Prioritize warm-up routines
Pay attention to their body’s signals
Maintain proper alignment in poses
Use yoga props such as blocks and straps for valuable support
Modify yoga poses when needed. Mostly when you find them difficult to perform
#2 Wrist Injuries
Wrist injuries can be a common concern for yoga practitioners. These often arise when excess weight or straight is placed on the wrists, especially while performing yoga poses such as Downward Dog and Plank. Common causes of this type of yoga injury include improper weight distribution, excessive pressure, and misalignment.
The repercussions of wrist injuries can range from persistent pain and discomfort to limited wrist mobility. These can disrupt not just your yoga practice but also your everyday activities off the mat.
How to Prevent This Yoga Injury?
In order to prevent and address wrist injuries, it is crucial to:
Incorporate wrist warm-up exercises
Maintain correct hand and wrist alignment in poses
Use props like wedges or wrist supports to alleviate pressure
Include wrist-strengthening exercises to improve overall wrist stability
#3 Lower Back Pain
One of the common yet troublesome yoga injuries that practitioners may face during the session. Lower back pain often gets triggered due to improper posture, especially in backbends which may strain the lower back. Overextension of the spine by pushing too hard or attempting advanced backbends without proper preparation can also exacerbate this yoga injury.
Weak core muscles can also contribute to lower back strain. Men and women who face this yoga injury may have a limited range of motion.
How to Prevent This Yoga Injury?
These measures can help you fix your lower back pain while ensuring a safer and more enjoyable yoga experience:
Focus on maintaining correct alignment in back-bending poses
Incorporate core-strengthening exercises into your routine
Use blocks or bolsters to modify poses and reduce strain
Approach challenging poses gradually, respecting your current level of flexibility and strength
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#4 Hamstring Injuries
For those who don’t know, the hamstrings are the group of muscles that cross the hip and knee joints. They are responsible for walking, running, jumping, and many other physical activities. Usually, hamstrings flex the knee joint and help people extend their thighs backward to propel movement.
However, hamstrings may face injury when yoga practitioners overstretch them by pushing too hard or attempting deep forward bends without adequate preparation. Poor alignment such as neglecting to hinge at the hips can also place undue strain on these muscles.
The consequences of hamstring injuries encompass pain, tenderness, and reduced flexibility, particularly in the forward bending process.
How to Prevent This Yoga Injury?
To prevent and address hamstring injuries, practitioners should:
Begin yoga practice with a thorough warm-up to prepare the hamstrings and other muscles for stretching.
Maintain correct alignment in forward bending poses
Approach hamstring stretches gradually, respecting your body's limits and avoiding forceful movements.
Use straps to get support and ease into stretches safely.
#5 Shoulder Injuries
Shoulders play a pivotal role in both yoga and everyday activities. They help men and women bear the weight of their bodies while performing asanas like Downward Dog and Chaturanga. Beyond the mat, strong and healthy shoulders are essential for various daily tasks, from carrying to reaching overhead shelves.
But do you know these versatile joints are also susceptible to injury, especially when practitioners attempt advanced yoga poses without proper preparation or alignment? Shoulder injuries can open the door for problems such as tenderness, stinging, or limited mobility.
How to Avert This Yoga Injury?
To safeguard against this common yoga injury, it is vital to:
Focus on maintaining correct shoulder alignment and engaging muscles around the shoulder blades in weight-bearing poses.
Approach challenging poses gradually and build the necessary strength and stability before attempting advanced variations.
Include shoulder-strengthening exercises in your practice to improve overall shoulder stability.
#6 Knee Injuries
When you've already weathered the storm of shoulder injuries in your yoga practice, steering clear of a knee injury becomes your paramount voyage of safeguarding. And we mean it. Knees are indispensable in yoga and everyday life. They bear the weight of our bodies and facilitate various movements.
But some yogis, especially beginners, make them susceptible to injuries by pushing too hard or ignoring proper knee alignment during certain asanas. As a result, they face soreness, inflammation, and swelling around their knees. This not only limits their practice but also impacts daily activities.
How to Prevent This Yoga Injury?
To maintain knee health and prevent injuries, it is crucial to:
Maintain correct knee alignment in poses to avoid overextension or locking of the knees.
Keep a slight bend in the knees when necessary to reduce strain on the joint.
Use cushions for support and to ease into poses more gently.
Include exercises that strengthen the muscles around knee joints for better stability.
Try these 6 yoga poses for knee arthritis pain!
#7 Neck Injuries
Yes, you read it right. Neck - a special part of our body that allows us to turn our gaze and navigate the world around can also be susceptible to yoga injuries. These often occur when we veer off the path of proper alignment and attempt to perform intricate poses without a feasibility study. Overextending of the neck can result in strains and discomfort that ripple into our daily lives.
How to Avert This Common Yoga Injury?
To safeguard your neck against injuries, one should:
Focus on maintaining correct neck alignment and avoiding excessive force in poses involving the neck.
Use yoga blankets or blocks to provide support and reduce strain during neck-involved poses.
Listen to your body, avoid aggressive movements, and never force your neck into positions that cause discomfort or pain.
Common Yoga Injuries to Avoid: Final Words
There you go!
We told you about 7 common yoga injuries to avoid during your practice. Remember, yoga is a journey of self-discovery so listen to your body. Start with warm-ups, focus on good posture, and build strength gently. Pay attention to how you feel while performing each yoga pose and never push too hard.
Your yoga journey is a personal one. So keep it simple, stay mindful, and enjoy the journey.
In case you are facing problems, consider joining our yoga retreat in Rishkesh and seeking guidance from our experienced teachers. Send us an email at info@spiritualpunditz.com in case of queries!
Also read:
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A guide to inversion yoga for beginners
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