Effets secondaires - Yoga

Actualités au Québec

Sans danger le yoga? Mélissa Vaillancourt. Espace.ca. Septembre 2010.

Le yoga représente-t-il un danger ? Marie-Josée Croteau. Famille Québec. Vol.34, no.2. Hiver 2009-2010.

Effets secondaires du yoga. Mythe ou réalité? Jérémy Carmona. L'Exemplaire. Université Laval. Volume XVIII, numéro 05, 21 octobre 2009. p.8.

Le yoga représente-t-il un danger ? Des effets physiques et psychologiques néfastes ? Émission de Denis Lévesque du jeudi 8 octobre 2009 sur LCN et TVA où était invitée Madame Marie-Josée Croteau, sociologue de la santé M.Sc. et Shabad Saroop Singh Khalsa du centre Équilibrium.

Vidéos de l'émission sur youtube Partie 1 avec Marie-Josée Croteau
Partie 2 avec Shabad Saroop Singh Khalsa

Des effets secondaires nocifs. Le yoga n'est pas toujours inoffensif. La Voix-de-l'Est. Le 19 septembre 2009. Autres articles ici.

Le yoga qui fait suer. Valérie Gaudreau. Le Soleil. Le 15 septembre 2009.

Actualités hors Québec

Yoga bad for your knees, Indian doctor warns. The Telegraph. December 23, 2010.

KYW Consumer Report: Beware of Yoga's Dangers. CBS3′s Jim Donovan for KYW Newsradio. September 4, 2010.

When Yoga Hurts. Times, October 4, 2007.

"But with more than 14 million people practicing yoga or tai chi nationwide, up 136% since 2000, orthopedic surgeons, physical therapists and chiropractors across the country are dealing with the increasing fallout from yoga gone awry. Over the past three years, 13,000 Americans were treated in an emergency room or a doctor's office for yoga-related injuries, according to the Consumer Product Safety Commission."

Dangerous yoga. Sharmila Ganesan. TNN. The times of India. July 2, 2007.

"Orthopaedician Dr Nandu Lad of Mumbai has come across many cases of cervical spondylitis (pain in the shoulder blade) resulting from the improper practice of yoga. Knee pains and backaches, he says, are the most common side-effects." "Patients with high blood pressure, hypertension and heart diseases are advised against performing headstands and other asanas that could aggravate their problem. Some postures may also cause internal bleeding in those with ulcers."

Former instructor warns of yoga's spiritual implications. Jim Brown OneNewsNow.com. February 2, 2007. [Traduction : Un ancien maître yogi avertit des implications spirituelles]

"Selon lui, le but de la pratique du yoga dans son ensemble et dans chacun de ses aspects, est d’amener la personne à un état de conscience modifiée."

Indian Gurus and unsafe yoga practice. By Indian Foundation for Scientific Yoga. Free-Press-Release.com. January 28, 2006.

"Are all yoga exercises safe to teach through the TV media and can the same exercise be taught to all people with various health conditions? This is the question which requires deeper digging into the subject of yoga itself otherwise the consequences of doing yoga practice could be more dangerous than beneficial said Subodh Gupta, Yoga expert from India." "This exercise (kapalabhati breathing technique) even though having tremendous benefits, can be equally dangerous if somebody has heart disease or problem related to hernia said Subodh." "Similarly there are number of other yoga postures which require great precautions."

School Yoga Fitness Programs May Be Unhealthy Alternative, Author Warns. Jim Brown, literary critic on the book “Super Sized Kids”, AgapePress, October 2005.

"An award-winning medical journalist and Christian author is expressing concern that some American schools are introducing students to yoga, a practice that he maintains has spiritual as well as physical implications. "Yoga has spiritual roots," Larimore points out, noting its integral connection to Hindu religion and its popularity among many proponents of New Age spirituality. "Adherents of yoga claim that it leads to spiritual enlightenment and union with the divine," he explains. "In fact, the pinnacle of that is called Kundalini arousal; and I've got some real concerns about the spiritual roots – especially when yoga is being sold to people and those roots are hidden." The author also says intense involvement with Eastern spiritual practices is known to cause psychological and emotional problems in some people. And since yoga has religious roots, he adds, one could argue that promoting it in schools violates the establishment clause of the U.S. Constitution, or the so-called separation of church and state."


Trying a new sport? Sign a waiver, then hope for the best. by Ellen Rosen, The New York Times, August 13, 2005.

“A sample release, found at the Web site for the Yoga Alliance, states that the individual practicing yoga understands certain poses may in fact pose some risks."

The waiver offers this instruction: ‘If I experience any pain or discomfort, I will listen to my body, adjust the posture and ask for support from the teacher. I will continue to breathe smoothly . . .’”

Prisoners take a nasty turn after yoga trial backfires. Elizabeth Davies. Independent Newspapers UK Limited, August 5, 2005.

"On the negative side, Mr Hagen said, learning the ancient Indian routine – designed to harmonise mind, body and spirit – had provoked “strong reactions: agitation, aggression, irritability, trouble sleeping and mental confusion”. "Staff at Ringerike say the deep-breathing exercises – an integral part of yoga – made some of the prisoners more dangerous by unblocking their psychological barriers and unleashing otherwise repressed emotions, such as anger, irritation or depression."

Yoga classes 'provoke' prisoners. BBC News Wednesday, August 3, 2005.

Yoga Should Heal, Not Hurt, Says ACSM Expert. Medical News Today. August 08, 2005.

"Yoga should heal, not hurt, according to Roger Cole, Ph.D. In his presentation at the ninthannual American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) Health & Fitness Summit & Exposition, Cole reviewed the injuries most often suffered by yoga practitioners and recommended ways to avoid them." (...) ""Many injuries-such as those to the knees, back, neck, shoulders, wrists and ankles-occur when practitioners try to force themselves into difficult postures," Cole said. ‘The first rule of safety is to avoid forcing your body. Instead, practice with awareness, common sense and self-respect. Yoga is supposed to teach us not to compete or show off, but to use focused attention, conscious effort and rela xation to achieve results." (...) "Cole also emphasized the importance of learning proper technique to keep safe in yoga. ‘Specific poses carry the risk of injury if you do them incorrectly. It’s easy to avoid problems if you know what you are doing. For example, forcing the lotus position can damage cartilage in the knees, but you can prevent this by learning ways to redirect the force away from the knees to the hips, where it is needed." (...) "In addition to the knees, bodily sites most prone to yoga injuries include the lower back, hamstring and sacroiliac, according to Cole. While the latter two are more commonly injured, problems with the knees and lower back tend to be more serious." (...) ""Many common yoga injuries occur during straight-leg forward bends from a standing or seated position," said Cole. He recommends stretching moderately in such poses; bending from the hip joints and elongating the spine, and taking days off from these postures."

Celebrity power yoga: the new craze from over there causing bad karma over here. Andrew Johnson and Richards Marged. The Independent. (U. K.) Sunday, 30 January 2005.

"There have even been claims that, in encouraging beginners to try and push their bodies into advanced positions, this and other "sport" versions are actually dangerous and can cause injury." (...)"Gary Carter, who runs the Natural Bodies yoga centre in Brighton, recently named one of the 10 best centres in the country by The Independent, said: "We tend to see people coming in with a number of injuries from these newer forms of yoga, which we have to unravel. Injuries are to the neck, shoulder, toes, knees, hips and lower back. They are pulling their bodies into positions they are not ready for."(...)"John Stirk, one of Britain's leading yoga teachers, who is also an osteopath, said: "I've seen many people who have injured themselves by pushing themselves too hard and too far. A lot of bodies don't need things done to them, they need things undone. They should follow the body, not work against it."(...)"Yoga generally has an enormous amount to offer. It's a shame that people who take this on often don't take the maximum benefit. They do incur injuries. Everyone should do yoga, but at their own pace."

As temps rise, so do yoga injuries, medical experts say. by Laura Watt, Seattle Post-Intelligencer, May 6, 2004.*


When Does Flexible Become Harmful? 'Hot' Yoga Draws Fire. Lorraine Kreahling. The NewYork Times. March 30, 2004.

"Each week, Dr. Gotlin said, he sees as many as five yoga-related injuries to the knees or the lower back. Postures that require extreme bending of the knees -- squats and sitting backward on folded legs, for example -- are the most likely to cause tears in knee cartilage. In Bikram yoga, students practice the ''toe stand pose,'' a single-legged squat and the ''fixed firm pose,'' sitting backward with bent knees."

Doctor: Hot yoga may be harmul. The Washington Times, 30 mars 2004.

"U.S. doctors are beginning to question the potential for injury among those who practice Bikram yoga, the New York Times reported Tuesday. Participants typically spend 90 minutes doing 26 yoga postures - positions that some physicians worry are harmful-in a very hot room."(...) "Heat increases one's metabolic rate, and by warming you up, it allows you to stretch more.' said Dr. Robert Gotlin, director of orthopedic and sports rehabilitation at the Beth Israel Medical Center in Manhattan."(...)"But once you stretch a muscle beyond 20 or 25 percent of its resting lenght you begin to damage a muscle."(...)"Each week, he sees as many as five yoga-related injuries to the knees or the lower back. Postures that require extreme bending of the knees-squats and sitting backward on folded legs, for exeample-are the likely to cause tears in knee cartilage."(...)"In Bikram yoga, students practice the "toe stand pose" a single-legged sqaut and the 'fixed firm pose, ' sitting backward with bent knees."

Stretching has its limits: Injuries are on the rise as newcomers take up yoga. Alice Dembner. The Boston Globe, january 8, 2003.*

Treading into fitness trends with care. by Amy C. Sims. October 22, 2002. New York: Fox News.

"But the rush in popularity has led to some cases of novice instructors teaching the masses, according to Leslie Kaminoff, a yoga therapist who has treated many injured yoga enthusiasts." "And as people push themselves to keep up with advanced classes, they get hurt. ‘I’ve had clients who’ve been injured by domino effect,’ he said, which happens when students fall into each otherwhile doing inverted positions like headstands."

Yoga injuries increasing. BBC News World Edition, 9 Sep 2002.

"...doctors and physiotherapists are reporting an upsurge in the number of inexperienced studients getting injuries after straining to get into difficult positions. “The British Wheel of Yoga, the governing body in the UK, has blamed a lack of properly trained instructors."(...)"The most common yoga injuries are caused by repetitive strain or overstretching and occur at the wrists, shoulders, neck, along the spine, and at the sacroiliac joint (which links the spinal column and pelvis), hamstrings, and knees..."

Bend it like the stars and risk wrecking your health. Campbell, Denis. The Observer, 8 September 2002. Email de l’auteur : denis.campbell@observer.co.uk.

"An increasing number of yoga's army of converts are finding that contorting themselves into complicated positions can hurt their backs and knees, damage their groins, make them faint, bring on splitting headaches and tear muscles and ligaments. One even ruptured his cruciate (knee) ligament from attempting one of yoga's simpler poses." "Devotees will be horrified to learn that many of yoga's most popular positions, such as the cobra, the plough and even touching your toes, are among those likeliest to cause injury."(...)“Doctors and physiotherapists report seeing a sudden upsurge in patients suffering pain who thought yoga would make them strong and flexible like the celebrities whose endorsement of yoga has sent its popularity soaring…”

In over their heads: Americans' competitive nature and a dearth of seasoned instructors mean more injuries on the yoga mat. Jameson, Marnell. Los Angeles Times, 13 August 2001.

Power yoga can cause powerful aches, pains. Ira Dreyfuss. Los Angles Times, 13 december 1998, Bulldog Edition, Section : Part A, p. A-10.

"Aging baby boomers sometimes find that the popular workout is too strenuous. Experts say instructors should spot potential problems and novices should go slow. Newcomers to yoga may find an unexpected twist-instead of growing stronger and more flexible, they get hurt. As yoga grows in popularity, instructors and students should watch out for positions that can get the student hurt, an expert warns."

Letter to the editor on the negative aspects of breath-holding from a conventional point of view. Bill Dandy. Yoga Today, February 1981, 5(10):31.*