Washington Week: Student Voices (O)

Yoga enthusiasts advised to exercise caution to avoid injury
By Amanda McKenzie
Independent Florida Alligator (U. Florida)
01/16/2007

(U-WIRE) GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Practicing yoga can enhance strength, balance and flexibility as well as reduce stress, and it may even help lower high blood pressure, according to numerous studies.

But in order to reap these benefits, students must exercise properly. If they don't, they may join a growing number of injured exercisers.

According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, there were more than 5,000 yoga-related injuries in 2005 — a significant increase from the 2004 total of 3,700.

The cost of treating the injuries in 2005 was nearly $90 million, or approximately $18,000 for each person.

"Most of the injuries that occur during yoga are due to overstretch and joint strain," said Genn McDonald, a physical therapist at the University of Florida.

"Once the muscle is already elongated as far as it is going to lengthen and (people) continue to push into the position, they can cause damage to the ligaments and structures that support the joints," she said.

However, there are many reasons why people put more strain than necessary on their muscles and joints.

"Sometimes when we get into a class, we get competitive," McDonald said. "We compare ourselves to someone else in the class and tend to push ourselves beyond what we should."

Injuries can also occur when teachers adjust students' poses, said Priel Schmalbach, a yoga instructor at the UF recreation center.

"A lot of teachers are getting really quick certifications, and it's not like how it used to be," he said. "They need more training."

Schmalbach said there are some certifications that require eight hours for two days.

He said that basic poses are taught in very safe ways, but the problem for students begins when the teacher starts to get creative and teaches poses that are too advanced.

To help prevent injuries in yoga or any sport, Schmalbach and McDonald agree that exercisers must properly stretch and warm up their bodies before exercise.

"If you go into a class and are not warm, and have therefore not increased blood flow to your muscles, then yoga can become too taxing on some areas, such as the lower back," McDonald said.

Some poses where weight is put on the cervical spine, like the plow pose, or where the back is bent from an upright position, like the camel pose, could throw exercisers' backs out of alignment, Schmalbach said.

However, it is important to remember that some pain can make you stronger, he added: "When you're feeling sore the next day it's because of the lactic acid, but it's also because you've stretched the fibers to the point that they've torn to help your muscles strengthen."

McDonald said that the best thing to do with an injury is to rest and put ice on it.

"But if you have any neurological symptoms, like burning, tingling, numbness or changes in bowel habits, you always want to seek medical attention right away," she said.

There is not an average healing time for any injury. Rather, it depends on what part of the body has been injured, McDonald said.

"There are so many things you can do to the back in the muscle — a herniated disk, a nerve or a ligament — that healing time for all of those different structures varies," she said.

Starting out slow and focusing on the poses that will strengthen muscles is key, Schmalbach said.

McDonald advised budding yogis to practice patience.

"I think any activity, including yoga, is a progression," she said. "You have to go in and realize your own limitations, and do it slowly and to try not to compete with people in your class, because everyone is at a different level. Competition is what leads to people getting hurt."

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