Yoga Medical News Daily

Newly announced Tai chi clinical trial for osteopenia offers flexibility

Can Tai Chi be considered a weight bearing mind-body exercise that effectively addresses bone-loss issues in post-menopausal osteopenic women? This study will address that unknown. A total of 86 post-menopausal women, aged 45-70, have been recruited from primary care clinics of a large healthcare system based in Boston. 

"They have been randomized to a group-based 9-month Tai Chi program plus standard care or to standard care only. A unique aspect of this trial is its pragmatic design, which allows participants randomized to Tai Chi to choose from a pre-screened list of community-based Tai Chi programs." 

" . . .  Primary outcomes are serum markers of bone resorption (C-terminal cross linking telopeptide of type I collagen, bone formation (osteocalcin), and BMD of the lumbar spine and proximal femur (dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry). Secondary outcomes include health-related quality-of-life, exercise behavior, and psychological well-being." . . .  Results of this study will provide preliminary evidence regarding the value of Tai Chi as an intervention for decreasing fracture risk in osteopenic women. They will also inform the feasibility, value and potential limitations related to the use of pragmatic designs for the study of Tai Chi and related mind-body exercise. If the results are positive, this will help focus future, more in-depth, research on the most promising potential mechanisms of action identified by this study."  Abstract: PubMed. "Tai Chi for osteopenic women: design and rationale of a pragmatic randomized controlled trial," in BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders [2010 Mar 1;11(1):40]

Effect of Yoga on Markers of Bone Turnover in Osteopenic Women

This pilot study by Judith Balk, Melissa Gluck, Lisa Bernardo, and Janet Catov, all of the University of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, is described in the International Journal of Yoga Therapy (2009: 19;1: 63-68), "Seven participants completed a 12-week series of one hour per week Yoga classes, in addition to home Yoga practice. We analyzed the correlation between time spent on Yoga and time spent on other weight-bearing exercise and change in bone turnover markers. The amount of Yoga practice was significantly correlated with BAP levels (r = 0.68, p = 0.09). A weaker, non-significant correlation was found between the amount of Yoga practice and uNTX levels (r = -.54, p = .21). Compared to Yoga, other physical activities were less correlated with BAP and uNTX levels. Yoga may have beneficial effects on bone turnover in osteopenic postmenopausal women." Abstract.

Yoga for Osteoporosis: A Pilot

The author Loren M. Fishman, MD describes in this article appearing in Topics in Geriatric Rehabilitation (July/September 2009, vol. 33, issue 3, pp. 244-50) a pilot study involving eighteen patients with osteoporosis or osteopenia, average age 68.  After 10-minute daily yoga over a 2-year period, the yoga practitioners gained 0.76 and 0.94 for spine and hips, respectively on the T-scale. Conclusion: "Yoga appears to be an effective way to build bone mineral density after menopause."