Yoga more dangerous than previously thought

oga is more dangerous than previously thought and causes as many injuries as other sports, a study has found. 

The 5,000 year-old Indian discipline is said to boost physical and mental wellbeing, and celebrity fans include Beyonce, Lady Gaga and Brazilian supermodel Gisele Bundchen - as well as David and Victoria Beckham.

However, in a recent study yoga caused musculoskeletal pain - mostly in the arms - in more than one in ten participants.The scientists behind the research, which was published in the Journal of Bodywork and Movement Therapies, also found that the practice worsened over a

fifth of existing injuries.

Professor Evangelos Pappas, of Sydney University, the study's lead researcher said: "Yoga may be a bit more dangerous than previously thought.

"Our study found the incidence of pain caused by yoga is more than 10 percent per year - which is comparable to the rate of all sports injuries combined among the physically active population.

"However people consider it to be a very safe activity. This injury rate is up to 10 times higher than has previously been reported."His team assessed more than 350 people who attended yoga classes at two studios in New York.

Yoga is an increasingly popular complementary or alternative therapy for musculoskeletal disorders, with millions of people practising worldwide.

Prof Pappas said: "While yoga can be beneficial for musculoskeletal pain, like any form of exercise, it can also result in musculoskeletal pain."

He added: "We also found yoga can exacerbate existing pain, with 21 per cent of existing injuries made worse by doing yoga, particularly pre-existing musculoskeletal pain in the upper limbs.