Can I Do a Shoulder Stand (Yoga Pose) if I Have Esophageal Reflux?

Mary Pickett, M.D., is a lecturer for Harvard Medical School and an assistant professor of medicine at Oregon Health & Science University in Portland, OR. At OHSU, she practices general internal medicine and teaches medical residents and students.

Question:

Can I do a shoulder stand (yoga pose) if I have esophageal reflux?

Answer:

Esophageal reflux can cause more symptoms during times that you are lying flat. This is why elevation of the head of your bed can help prevent nighttime heartburn symptoms and nighttime cough from reflux.

Reflux certainly could also cause symptoms during yoga if you are in a pose such as the "shoulder stand" that positions you upside down. Does this mean that people with esophageal reflux can't do yoga? Not necessarily. Most people who have reflux have intermittent symptoms, at times when their lower esophageal sphincter is very relaxed. The sphincter can relax and open after you eat fatty foods or peppermint, or after you ingest caffeine or alcohol.

I would not recommend doing yoga right after a meal, particularly if you have consumed these items. It is not dangerous to have occasional reflux, so trying out your favorite yoga poses to see if your symptoms stay quiet should not put you in any danger.