Wednesday, May 9, 2012

WHICH YOGA EXERCISES MAY BE DANGEROUS

I have treated many yoga students as well as many yoga instructors, and I have found that about 25-30% of the postures they are doing in their yoga routines could be quite injurious to their spines.  If you have any questions about your individual yoga practice, it is good to consult a chiropractic doctor who can examine your spine and make specific recommendations to you for your ideal exercise routine.


Potentially Dangerous Yoga Postures Include:

(1) Bending while twisting -
Especially triangle poses and their modifications. Research has shown that bending as little as 30 degrees forward (or more) with any amount of twisting will rupture disc fibers!

(2) Straight leg lifts -
Such as Boat pose, leg lifts, the 'bicycle' are often advocated as "core" strengthening exercises for your abdominal muscles. They aren't, they actually use your "hip flexing" muscle (psoas muscle) which attaches to your spine and puts undue stress on your lower back. Many military personnel and athletes come to my office as a result of low back pain from doing leg lifts and full sit-ups.

(3) Full Sit Ups -
Again, while these are often advocated as "core"strengthening exercises, they also use predominantly your "hip flexing" (psoas) muscles. These exercises are one of the main reasons military personnel come to me for low back problems after basic training! A better alternative exercise would be "crunches", which strengthen only your abdominal muscles.

(4) Head or Shoulder Stands -
While there are many benefits to inversion, the dangers of head and shoulder stands greatly outweigh their benefits. The plough posture is o.k., but too much spinal stress occurs from these other weight bearing inverted yoga poses, and permanent ligament, disc damage, and cartilage damage could occur. Using a "Roman chair" or other form of inversion machine would be a much better alternative.

(5) Neck Rolls -
Rotating the neck for flexibility can and will aggravate underlying joint problems. There are many other forms of safe and effective stretches for the neck.

(6) Ballistic Movements -
Stretching should involve very conscious, slow, and precise movements, done over a 30-60 second period of time, without any bouncing, flinging, or fast (ballistic) movements. This will result in a more lasting length change for the muscles being stretched, and minimize the chances for injuries.


Please click on the following link below for a chart of some examples of
dangerous yoga poses you should avoid. This chart is not comprehensive,
and depending on your spinal condition, there may be more exercises your doctor would suggest avoiding for the long term or just temporarily.


CHART OF POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS YOGA POSES


* ALWAYS CONSULT YOUR DOCTOR BEFORE BEGINNING ANY FORM OF
STRETCHING OR STRENGTHENING EXERCISES! *

Wednesday, May 2, 2012

CAN I DO YOGA OR ANY EXERCISES INSTEAD OF SEEING A CHIROPRACTOR?

When we have stiffness or pain in the body, we cannot always tell if we have a problem involving only a muscle or if we also have a joint problem, which may involve the malfunctioning of the vertebrae within our spine.

When attempting to treat spinal problems primarily with yoga or exercise, if you are unsuccessful, or if your problem worsens, further yoga or exercise may prove dangerous. Yoga and exercise are designed to restore movement and function to the spine as a whole, but research has shown that individual inflammed, fixated, or degenerating joints of the spine may persist and even be worsened by attempted stretching or strengthening exercises. Once a skilled chiropractic doctor treats you and restores proper function to the problem areas of your spine, when inflammation subsides, stretches and other exercises can then be very beneficial and supportive to healing. Chiropractic care, proper stretching and strengthening exercises, and massage are each vital parts of a "holistic" approach to successfully treating spinal and joint conditions.

I have treated many yoga students as well as many yoga instructors, and I often have found that about 25-30% of the postures they are doing are potentially quite dangerous. If you have any questions about your individual yoga routine, it is good to consult a chiropractic doctor who can examine your spine and make specific recommendations to you for your ideal exercise routine.