How To Avoid Yoga-Induced Back Injuries

Yoga is a great way to increase flexibility and muscle tone while causing little-to-no impact on the joints in your body. Unfortunately, while yoga is sometimes used to strengthen the back or help prior back injuries to heal, it can also potentially cause them. If you are currently practicing yoga or want to start, read this guide to learn how yoga can hurt your back and what you can do to treat injuries and prevent future ones.

How Yoga Can Hurt Your Back

Intermediate and advanced yoga poses generally require a great deal of muscular strength in order to perform them properly. Without this strength, you may slip, fall, or your spine may experience additional stress due to your muscles not being strong enough to maintain the pose.

In addition, some yoga poses are more dangerous than others to perform, and can even potentially injure yoga veterans.

Repairing The Damage

If your back, neck or hips are in pain after practicing yoga, consider seeing a chiropractor. Chiropractors specialize in correcting misaligned spines and vertebrae as well as alleviating pressure on nerves that are pinched and creating pain and numbness. They can also x-ray your back or run an MRI scan to determine if you've experienced a fracture, slipped disc or another injury that requires surgical intervention.

Ways To Avoid Future Injuries

There are four easy ways to prevent yoga injuries:

• Work With An Instructor - Learning yoga on your own is possible, but performing poses incorrectly can put pressure and stress on parts of the body that can lead to injury. Yoga instructors will help you to learn the proper way to hold a pose and will teach poses that gradually build your strength so you're ready for the advanced poses.
• Don't Be Afraid To Switch Instructors - If your instructor isn't willing to work with you, rushes you into new poses or just doesn't feel like a good fit for you, don't be afraid to leave the class. Yoga classes are extremely popular, and it's easier to find a different class that fits your needs and goals perfectly than to try and recuperate from an injury from staying in a class that's not a good fit.
• Rest - Yoga is gentle, but like any other exercise, you should allow your body time to rest between workouts. Consider allowing yourself at least a day off per week for your muscles and spine to relax: if you feel tired or sore, rest until the discomfort passes.
• Keep Seeing Your Chiropractor - Regular chiropractic adjustments are ideal to keep your spine aligned, especially when you're performing exercises like yoga that deeply stretch the spine.

Yoga is a great exercise, but like everything else, it should be practiced in moderation. Listen to your body and go at your own pace to prevent injury and trauma to your spine.

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