Yoga Decreases Hyperkyphosis ["Dowager's hump"]: Results of a Randomized Controlled Trial

This study headed by Gale A. Greendale with others at the Geffen School of Medicine, UCLA, and published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society (vol. 57, issue 9: 1569-1579; 21 July 2009), assesses "whether a specifically designed yoga intervention can reduce hyperkyphosis." The intervention involved the active treatment group receiving hour-long yoga classes 3 days per week for 24 weeks. The study concludes: "The decrease in flexicurve kyphosis angle in the yoga treatment group shows that hyperkyphosis is remediable, a critical first step in the pathway to treating or preventing this condition. Larger, more-definitive studies of yoga or other interventions for hyperkyphosis should be considered."  Abstract with link to full-text of article (for purchase): PubMed.