Isometric Yoga-Like Maneuvers Improve Adult Scoliosis

Abstract

Goal: Assess therapeutic value of yoga for thoracic, lumbar, and thoracolumbar adult scoliosis, taught in office or via the internet in this nonrandomized control study. Study Design: One hundred thirty-three adults were recruited from our metropolitan clinic; 100 did the recommended poses (mean age: 63.1 years; SD: 14.7), the treatment group, and 26 did not (mean age: 64.5; SD: 12.7), the control group. Seven were lost to follow-up. One hundred two patients were treated in office, 24 over the internet. Curve change was evaluated and serial Cobb angles read by blinded radiologists and analyzed using Mann-Whitney U, paired t tests and χ2 test. Results: During the trial period, mean lumbar and thoracolumbar Cobb angle decreased from 37.5° (95% confidence interval [CI], 23.0-56.7) to 30.0° (95% CI, 15.2-39.8) in the treatment group and increased from 23.5° (95% CI, 19.4-37.0) to 26.0° (95% CI, 20.2-40.0) in the control group. One treatment group and 3 control group patients worsened 1 category in their curves; 36 treatment and 0 control group patients improved 1 category; and 2 treatment group patients improved 2 categories (P = .000). Combining thoracic and thoracolumbar and lumbar curves, compliant office patients' curves went from 32.4° to 24.1° in 11.7 months improving 0.28% overall or 0.7° per month or 2.4% per month. Compliant patients seen via the internet improved from 49.4° initially to 37.3° or 24.5% over 10.75 months or 1.1° per month or 2.0% per month. Six of 88 patients seen in the office were noncompliant. About 15 of 25 patients seen via the internet were noncompliant. Conclusion: The side plank, half-moon, and elevated side plank positions show promise for reversing adult scoliosis. Compared with office visits, telemedicine had lower compliance but comparable efficacy.