Supporting Yoga Students with Common Injuries and Conditions: A Handbook for Teachers and Trainees

by Andrew McGonigle

Overview

This handbook guides yoga teachers and trainees in how to approach teaching students with common injuries and health conditions safely, confidently, and in a manner that empowers students.

Dr Andrew McGonigle combines his medical background with extensive knowledge of yoga to address common injuries in detail with an in-depth review of anatomy. The book describes the psychology of pain and injury with reference to the latest research on pain and biomechanics. It also provides advice and tips on how to modify yoga techniques to suit the needs of students with injuries. Detailed illustrations throughout the book provide a visual guide to support understanding.

This book is part of the series 'Yoga Teaching Guides', which provides expert information on essential topics as well as ideas for creative teaching.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781787754690
Publisher:	Jessica Kingsley Publishers
Publication date:	03/18/2021
Series:	Yoga Teaching Guides
Pages:	272
Product dimensions:	5.98(w) x 8.98(h) x 0.79(d)

About the Author

Andrew McGonigle has been studying anatomy for over twenty years, originally training to become a doctor and then moving away from Western medicine to become a yoga teacher, massage therapist and anatomy teacher. He combines all of his skills and experience to teach anatomy and physiology on Yoga Teacher Training courses internationally and runs his own online Anatomy and Physiology Applied to Yoga courses. He lives in Los Angeles with his husband. For more information visit: www.doctor-yogi.com Instagram: @doctoryogi1

Table of Contents

Preface 9

Introduction 11

What's the difference between an Injury and a medical condition? 11

The prevalence of yoga-related injuries 12

Preventing injury 12

The role of alignment 14

The structure of the handbook 14

Communicating with Students 18

Why do we check in with students at the start of a class? 18

Basic guidelines for communication 21

Part 1 The Lower Limb and Pelvis

1 The Foot and Ankle 26

The anatomy of the foot 26

The anatomy of the ankle joint 30

Common foot and ankle injuries and conditions 33

Key yoga asanas and how to adapt them 41

Improving the overall health of the foot and ankle 47

2 The Knee 53

The anatomy of the knee joint 53

Common knee injuries and conditions 64

Key yoga asanas and how to adapt them 70

Improving the overall health of the knee joint 73

3 The Hip 76

The anatomy of the hip joint 76

Common hip injuries and conditions 87

Key yoga asanas and how to adapt them 93

Improving the overall health of the hip joint 95

4 The Pelvis 103

The anatomy of the pelvis 103

Common pelvic injuries and conditions 112

Key yoga asanas and how to adapt them 115

Improving the overall health of the pelvis 118

Part 2 The Spine and Trunk

5 The Vertebral Column 124

An overview of spinal anatomy 124

6 The Lumbar Spine 133

The anatomy of the lumbar spine 133

Common lumbar spine injuries and conditions 137

Key yoga asanas and how to adapt them 147

Improving the overall health of the lumbar spine 152

7 The Thoracic Spine 158

The anatomy of the thoracic spine 158

Common thoracic spine conditions 164

Key yoga asanas and how to adapt them 167

Improving the overall health of the thoracic spine 169

8 The Cervical Spine 175

The anatomy of the cervical spine 175

Common cervical spine injuries and conditions 180

Key yoga asanas and how to adapt them 185

Improving the overall health of the cervical spine 188

Part 3 The Upper Limb

9 The Shoulder 194

The anatomy of the shoulder girdle 195

The anatomy of the shoulder joint 201

Common shoulder injuries and conditions 205

Key yoga asanas and how to adapt them 209

Improving the overall health of the shoulder 212

10 The Elbow, Wrist and Hand 217

The anatomy of the elbow and forearm 217

The anatomy of the wrist 221

The anatomy of the hand 223

Common elbow, wrist and hand injuries and conditions 225

Key yoga asanas and how to adapt them 228

Improving the overall health of the elbow, wrist and hand 230

Part 4 Common Medical Conditions

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) 234

Diabetes mellitus 235

Asthma 236

Pregnancy 237

Osteoporosis 237

Hypermobility 238

Depression and anxiety 240

Glossary of Anatomical Terms 242

References 244

Further Reading and Resources 259

Subject Index 260

Author index 269

Editorial Reviews

This is the book I've been waiting for! Finally, a guide to making yoga safer and more effective. I'm so grateful to Andrew McGonigle for integrating his knowledge of yoga, anatomy, physiology, and medicine into a resource that makes this esoteric information accessible to yoga practitioners and teachers alike.

Jivana Heyman

'Supporting Yoga Students with Common Injuries and Conditions' by Dr Andrew McGonigle is a must-have for every Yoga Teacher. Having trained yoga teachers for over 25 years, I think this book is a resource we have long been waiting for. It's rare to find someone like Dr. McGonigle with this depth of knowledge, training and experience in anatomy and medicine as well as in Yoga, who can share their knowledge in a way that everyone can understand. Most yoga teachers are asked on an almost daily basis to support students with injuries or common medical conditions, but the right quality of training to help them do this has been missing - until now. 'Supporting Yoga Students with Common Injuries and Conditions' lays out the information we need as yoga teachers in an easy to read format, alongside a very useful reference system where you can look up particular conditions as needed. If you're a yoga teacher or a trainer, I highly recommend this book to you.

Rev. Padma Devi Sumananda Founder & President

Research literally drips off every page as this book beautifully pulls together the essential anatomical information to help yoga teachers lead with even more grace and confidence. Layered on top are common injuries that might be encountered, alongside practical yoga-based solutions.

Celest Pereira - Yoga

This is the book I've been waiting for! Finally, a guide to making yoga safer and more effective. I'm so grateful to Andrew McGonigle for integrating his knowledge of yoga, anatomy, physiology, and medicine into a resource that makes this esoteric information accessible to yoga practitioners and teachers alike.

author of Accessible Yoga Jivana Heyman