Doing exercises for just a minute or two a day for a few months, patients reduced scoliosis curves enough to avoid painful, embarrassing bracing and to avert the need for expensive and debilitating surgery.

In a 74-person peer-reviewed study, conducted by Loren Fishman, patients averaged 25% -35% reduction in scoliosis curves over 10 months (adults) and 6 months (adolescents).The curves of younger patients were more responsive to the treatment.  Curves were measured before and after X-ray by standard Cobb angles.

“This, my second clinical study using yoga for scoliosis, has three times as many patients as the first study, and  confirms earlier significantly beneficial results,” says Dr. Fishman. “Also we now know that yoga can also work extremely well for osteogenesis imperfecta, a hereditary condition for which surgery is not suitable."

 Dr. Fishman’s studies have shown yoga can asymmetrically strengthen the convex side(s) of the lumbar and thoracic curves, which markedly reduces both types of abnormalities. The side plank pose is used for lumbar curves and the half moon pose for thoracic curves.