Yoga Injuries and Prolotherapy
Yoga Injuries and Prolotherapy
Check any gym’s group fitness schedule and you’ll see a selection of yoga classes to choose from – Hatha yoga, power yoga, Bikram (hot) yoga, restorative yoga, Vinyasa yoga, and core yoga – the list goes on. Yoga has become more than popular as people associate yoga with balance, flexibility and health. After all, shouldn’t we all be doing yoga? Well, not really. Yes, yoga has positive results such as curing pain, energizing, strengthening, calming, lowering blood pressure, and decreasing depression. But a lesser-known fact is that yoga injuries are real and sometimes inevitable.
 The last thing you may think of in yoga is a sports injury, but the poses performed were not necessarily meant for the average American who spends most of the day sitting. Yoga evolved from a culture and people group that spent most of the day sitting cross-legged or squatting, so the poses were natural and free flowing. The physical flexibility and strength is hard to achieve in the Western culture. In fact some yoga experts point out that most people in yoga classes have underlying physical weaknesses or problems that make serious injury inevitable and some even go as far to say that yoga should not be used in general classes.
Known Yoga Injuries
 What types of injuries could possibly be associated with yoga? A recent New York Times article explored the known injuries related to yoga. Take, for example, the amount of flexion the neck goes through in each yoga pose – forcing the neck past its natural point of flexion in all directions causes the vertebrae to move too much. At worst it can damage vertebrae arteries, block blood flow to the brain and produce clots and swelling. On a (slightly) less serious level it can cause headaches, imbalance, dizziness and difficulty in making fine movements. Take the headstand, one participant believes the pressure on the spine can cause thoracic outlet syndrome, causing compression of the nerves passing from the neck to the arms resulting in tingling and numbness. Ever taken a “hot yoga” class? Some argue the heat can cause participants to overstretch causing muscle damage and torn cartilage with risks of sprains and dislocations.
Columbia University’s College of Physicians and Surgeons in New York City conducted a survey among yoga practitioners inquiring about the most common yoga injuries. Low back injury was by far the most common injury related to yoga. The next in line were shoulder injury, knee injury, neck injury and stroke. There were four reported cases of brain damage.
Prolotherapy for Yoga Injuries
So what does all of this information have to do with Prolotherapy? Prolotherapy is all about healing injured tendons and ligaments, which are the basis for many yoga injuries. While some believe that once a tendon or ligament is “stretched out” it can never return to its original size and strength Prolotherapy proves that strengthening and healing joints is possible. As for our patients, we often discourage yoga as it has the tendency to overstretch ligaments and tendons, leading to further injury. For our patients with hypermobility we discourage yoga altogether as their joints are already “loose” and do not need to be pushed past their current state. Strength training is a much better option for anyone with hypermobility.
If yoga is a part of your life, take caution in the way you practice and the poses you perform. Pay attention to your body and consider the risk for injury. If a yoga injury is something you are currently suffering from then Prolotherapy could be the help you need. Contact us at 708-848-7789 or drhauser@caringmedical.com for more information on Prolotherapy and your specific situation.
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