Objectives
The safety of yoga has been questioned in the lay press. This review aimed to systematically assess the prevalence of yoga-associated injuries and other adverse events in epidemiological studies.
Design
Systematic review of observational studies.
Methods
Medline/PubMed, Scopus, the Cochrane Library, and IndMed were searched through October 2016 for epidemiological studies assessing the prevalence of adverse events of yoga practice under naturalistic conditions or comparing the risk of any adverse events between yoga practitioners and non-yoga practitioners.
Results
Nine observational studies with a total 9,129 yoga practitioners and 9,903 non-yoga practitioners were included. Risk of bias was mixed; only two studies used a nationally representative sample. Incidence proportion of adverse events during a yoga class was 22,700 (95% confidence interval [CI] = 21,100-24,300) per 100,000 yoga practitioners; 12-months prevalence was 4,600 (95%CI = 3,800-5,400) per 100,000 yoga practitioners, and lifetime prevalence ranged from 21,300 (95%CI = 19,700-22,900) to 61,800 (95%CI = 52,800-70,800) per 100,000 yoga practitioners. Serious adverse events occurred in 1,900 (95%CI = 1,400-2,400) per 100,000 yoga practitioners. The most common adverse events related to the musculoskeletal system; the most common injuries were sprains and strains. Compared to non-yoga practitioners, yoga practitioners had a comparable risk of falls (odds ratio [OR] = 0.90; 95%CI = 0.76-1.08), and falls-related injuries (OR = 1.04; 95%CI = 0.83-1.29), and higher risk of meniscus injuries (OR = 1.72; 95%CI = 1.23-2.41).
Conclusions
A considerable proportion of yoga practitioners has been injured or suffered another adverse event due to their yoga practice; however most were mild and transient and risks were comparable to those of non-yoga practitioners. There is no need to discourage yoga practice for healthy people. People with serious acute or chronic illnesses should seek medical advice before practicing yoga.
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