The popularity of Yoga has been on the rise over the last few years. It is now mainstream. Many health conscious yoginis are getting hurt however because of improper stretching and very little warming up prior to the Yoga session. Inflexible or tight muscles put into many of the awkward positions found in Yoga can put a lot of stress on the lower back and the joints of the extremities these muscles are attached to.
Dr. John N. Thomas, a proponent and lover of Bikram Yoga, and known around town as “The Running Doctor states: “I like Bikram Yoga because the heat of the room really helps to loosen things up as you move into the poses. This helps to prevent injuries because you’re not stressing cold muscle and causing micro tears to occur. Trying to put yourself into poses in a cold state can really cause you more pain in the long run because of the stress placed on the bony attachments of those muscles being worked.”
Many of the positions strived for in Yoga sessions may be responsible for causing major misalignment issues in the lumbar and thoracic spine. In addition, it does not take much to cause injury to the shoulder or knee joints. “People just don’t know their true limits…they don’t how far they can physiologically take their joints and they often end up tearing their meniscus or one of their rotator cuff muscles, in some cases even the disc can herniate”, warns Dr. Thomas, a sports chiropractor who treats national and world-class athletes.
Thomas has seen a number of patients who have injured themselves because they didn’t know they had a spinal condition that would give them problems. People interested in Pilates, Yoga, and many of the newer offshoots of Yoga style activities should seek out the advice of a doctor knowledgeable in sports medicine or chiropractic before taking it to the mat.
For more information visit www.runningpainfree.com or call Dr. John N. Thomas, located in Fayetteville, GA, at 770-460-1911. Dr. Thomas is also available to speak to your organization on various topics ranging from full body detoxification to proper stretching techniques.
