Yoga not as safe as people think

Yoga's appeal is growing worldwide but new research suggests it is not as safe as previously believed. A joint study conducted by the University of Sydney and the Mercy College in New York has found that 10 per cent of people who practice yoga experience musculoskeletal pain while 21 per cent of those studied experience further pain to existing injuries.

One of the authors of the study which looked at injury rates for those who practice yoga, Associate Professor Evangelos Pappas from the University of Sydney's Faculty of Health Sciences, told Xinhua that his study was the first time that the risks of participating in the fitness activity had been outlined.

"We wanted to objectively assess the benefits of yoga in terms of musculoskeletal pain as well as the risks," Pappas said. "Our study found that the incidence of pain caused by yoga is more than 10 per cent per year, which is comparable to the injury rate of all sports injuries combined among the physically active population. However people consider it to be a very safe activity."

The expert believes that more interaction was needed between those in the yoga community and medical experts. "Our study highlights the importance of very open and honest communication within the triangle of the yoga practitioner, the yoga teacher and healthcare professionals," Pappas said.

The practice of yoga requires many complicated and strenuous poses. The study found that many of the injuries involved were isolated to the "upper extremities" of the patients (hands, elbows, wrists, shoulders), and suggested this could be due to the weight being placed on the limbs. But Pappas made it clear that yoga was still a very effective tool to be used in conjunction with other therapies for the relief of injuries and pain.