Yoga practice best under supervision to prevent complications – Physician

A consulting family doctor, Dr Olujimi Sodipo, says the practice of yoga should be encouraged, but should be done in moderation and under expert supervision , to avoid complications .
Sodipo, head of the family medicine department at Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH), Ikeja, made the claim in an interview with the Nigerian News Agency (NAN) on Monday in Lagos.
Sodipo gave the advice in commemoration of International Yoga Day, celebrated every year on June 21.
The celebration, which is themed “Yoga for Wellness” seeks to highlight how the practice of yoga could promote the holistic health of each individual.
Yoga is an ancient physical, mental and spiritual practice that originated in India. It involves techniques of movement, meditation and breathing to promote mental and physical well-being.
Sodipo said people need to understand that yoga is not a treatment per se, but a complementary medical therapy that can be adopted to promote wellness.
“A person can have stress-induced hypertension, causing blood pressure to fluctuate, and a doctor may recommend yoga. This does not mean that the medicine will stop.
“But it could lead to a reduction in the number of drugs taken and promote a healthy lifestyle due to the practice of yoga,” he said.
He said, however, that most people do not see a doctor before practicing yoga, noting that there are contraindications that make yoga inappropriate for everyone.
According to him, despite the health benefits of yoga, it can put the risk of injury to the neck, back, shoulders and could also cause muscle tears, if not practiced correctly.
The doctor noted that the practice of yoga has not yet been fully adopted as a form of medical therapy in Nigeria, due to the insufficient number of certified service providers.
“So there is the challenge that people could abuse it or abuse it.
“Of course, this is an area that other health professionals can explore and be part of a health treatment that could be used to manage chronic illnesses and mental health issues.
“Right now we have fitness coaches offering it as part of their routine services.
“The best option is to structure and regulate it, because for each technique, no matter how simple, complications can arise.
“Some people don’t know much about the practice of yoga beyond what they got on the internet, and they offer the service and charge huge sums of money, resulting in health complications.” , did he declare.
He advocated short-term, intensive training programs for medical professionals on the best yoga techniques to use, how long to practice, and why some people shouldn’t practice it. (NAA)
(NAN)