title: Twelve-Minute Daily Yoga Regimen Reverses Osteoporotic Bone Loss.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Assess the effectiveness of selected yoga postures in raising bone mineral density (BMD).
  
  
  METHODS
  Ten-year study of 741 Internet-recruited volunteers comparing preyoga BMD changes with postyoga BMD changes.
  
  
  METHODS
  Dual-energy x-ray absorptiometric scans. Optional radiographs of hips and spine and bone quality study (7 Tesla).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Bone mineral density improved in spine, hips, and femur of the 227 moderately and fully compliant patients. Monthly gain in BMD was significant in spine (0.0029 g/cm2,P= .005) and femur (0.00022 g/cm2,P= .053), but in 1 cohort, although mean gain in hip BMD was 50%, large individual differences raised the confidence interval and the gain was not significant for total hip (0.000357 g/cm2). No yoga-related serious injuries were imaged or reported. Bone quality appeared qualitatively improved in yoga practitioners.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Yoga appears to raise BMD in the spine and the femur safely.
authors.affiliation: The Rockefeller University, New York, New York (Dr Lu); Brigham and Women's Hospital, Cambridge, Massachusetts (Dr Rosner); New York University, New York (Dr Chang); and Columbia University, New York, New York (Dr Fishman).
authors.forename: Yi-Hsueh
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.affiliation: The Rockefeller University, New York, New York (Dr Lu); Brigham and Women's Hospital, Cambridge, Massachusetts (Dr Rosner); New York University, New York (Dr Chang); and Columbia University, New York, New York (Dr Fishman).
authors.forename: Bernard
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Rosner
authors.affiliation: The Rockefeller University, New York, New York (Dr Lu); Brigham and Women's Hospital, Cambridge, Massachusetts (Dr Rosner); New York University, New York (Dr Chang); and Columbia University, New York, New York (Dr Fishman).
authors.forename: Gregory
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.affiliation: The Rockefeller University, New York, New York (Dr Lu); Brigham and Women's Hospital, Cambridge, Massachusetts (Dr Rosner); New York University, New York (Dr Chang); and Columbia University, New York, New York (Dr Fishman).
authors.forename: Loren M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Fishman
keywords: osteoporosis; yoga