According to estimates, more than 30 million people now regularly practice yoga worldwide. And 14 million of those include Americans who received a prescription for yoga from a physician or other therapist. (1) People have practiced yoga for thousands of years. During that time, the practice has earned a strong reputation for promoting well-being in both body and mind.

However, something many practitioners may not realize is that a number of commonly taught yoga poses (or asanas, as they are often called in class) can also be risky. Particularly yoga injuries are a real threat. So are the healing benefits of yoga worth the risk?

Yoga injuries — including back pains, popped ribs and strained necks — are not necessarily a rare occurrence, especially among those brand new to yoga who push themselves too hard or too quickly. Yoga poses such as handstands, inversions and back-bends might quality yoga as moderate exercise, but these tougher poses also can be cause for concern if you’re not ready for them.

An article published in The New York Times investigating the prevalence of yoga-related injuries found that several factors seem to be related to the rising number of pulls, tears and sprains prevalent among yogis. (2) A major contributing factor is a shift in both those who teach and practice yoga. More than ever before, adults who are mostly otherwise sedentary and unfamiliar with the practice are turning to yoga to improve flexibility and strength. While this can be helpful in many instances when students are properly guided, a tight, inactive or aging body mixed with a vigorous practice or an experienced teacher can also sometimes serve as a recipe for disaster.

Given all of the proven benefits of yoga, but also the potential risks, what’s a yogi to do? The solution to avoiding yoga injuries seems to be a combination of taking your time to ease into the practice, listening to your body, never pushing yourself past the point of comfort when stretching, and also mixing yoga with other exercises to strengthen weak areas and reduce compensations. It’s also wise to find an instructor who is well-qualified.

How Common Are Yoga Injuries?

A 2012 study conducted in Australia and printed in the International Journal of Yoga found evidence that around 20 percent of all yoga practitioners claim to have experienced a yoga-related injury at some point during their practice. (3) On the other hand, an exclusive survey of Ashtanga Vinyasa (considered a more vigorous style), 62 percent of practitioners reported having had at least one injury lasting longer than 1 month.

A 2013 review published in the journal PLOSone investigated the prevalence of case reports and case series on adverse events associated with yoga, plus the most common types of yoga injuries reported and treated. They found that among reported yoga injuries, about 35 percent affected the musculoskeletal system; 18 percent the nervous system; and 9 percent vision/the eyes. Around 20 percent of those who were injured doing yoga reached full recovery, while 11 percent reached partial recovery. Only around 1 percent reported lasting injury, and sadly even one death was found to be associated with yoga practice. (4)

Of the 76 case studies included in the yoga-injury review, 66 injured students were found to have had no preconditions that were associated with the adverse events, while 9 case reports described an aggravation of existing preconditions. Women experienced double the yoga injury rate as men (not surprising considering women tend to practice more often), while the mean age of injury due to yoga was about 44 years old.

On the other hand, in 2013 after examining how a national sample of yoga practitioners were affected by injuries (including how many have had to stop their practice and which injuries were most common) researchers who published a study in the International Journal of Yoga found that only about 1 percent of all yogis (only 13 people out of 2,230 people included in the study) reported experiencing a side-effect from their practice that led to discontinued use of yoga. (5)

Of those who were injured, back pains and joint pains (affecting the hips, wrist, and ankles) were the most common complaints. Less than one-third of those injured reported seeking medical attention. The researchers stated that “These findings suggest that injury due to use of yoga is an infrequent barrier to continued yoga practice, and severe injury due to the use of yoga is rare.”

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