health

by Shari This is the second part of my response to William Broad�s assertion that women�because of their inherent flexibility�are more apt to injure their hips in a �dangerous� yoga class or perhaps during a home practice. I think it is important to understand that whether or not women are more inherently flexible than men, there are significant physiological and anatomical differences in the male and the female pelvis. Have a look at these two pictures! Female Pelvis Male Pelvis As you can see here, the female pelvis is typically larger and broader than the male pelvis, which is taller narrower, more compact and stable. The female pelvis is thinner and it is more mobile partly due to hormonal changes that a woman cycles through and partly due to inherent structural attributes. There is also a difference in the size of the pelvic outlet specifically due to the reproduction capacity of the female The weight-bearing surfaces of the pelvis are larger and more irregular in the male, wherea...

Q: So, Baxter, what do you think of William Broad�s latest claim that women�s flexibility is a liability in yoga? A: Firstly, I want to thank Shari for her level-headed look at New York Times science writer and author of The Science of Yoga William Broad�s most recent assertion that women who do yoga are at great risk of injury due to their flexibility (see Women's Flexibility is a Liability in Yoga ).  Thanks, as always, Shari, for your practical experience as a physical therapist and a long-time yoga practitioner and yoga teacher. I think your insights will go a long way in helping clarify articles like these that may have an unstated agenda that colors and lessens their credibility. I�d also direct some of you to this balanced response by yoga teacher Paul Grilley to the article as well. As always, William Broad�s articles do get us thinking and talking about yoga.  But if I read Broad�s most recent article and his latest assault on yoga accurately, am I to understand co...

by Shari The latest New York Times article from William Broad Women�s Flexibility is a Liability (in Yoga) sparked a conversation between Nina and me, both whom are long-term yoga practitioners who have grappled with orthopedic injuries. Broad states that he has recently learned that women are at higher risk of hip injuries in a yoga class because of their inherent flexibility compared to men. He quotes a single yoga teacher, Michaelle Edwards, saying that �women�s elasticity became a liability when extreme bends resulted in serious wear and tear on their hips. Over time the chronic stress could develop into agonizing pain and, in some cases, the need for urgent hip repairs.� He also says of arthritis researchers: The investigators found that extreme leg motions could cause the hip bones to repeatedly strike each other, leading over time to damaged cartilage, inflammation, pain and crippling arthritis. They called it Femoroacetabular Impingement � or F.A.I., in medical shorthand. The ...