The Bottom Line
Pros
- Gives an excellent overview on bones and bone mineral density.
- Provides comprehensive coverage on osteoporosis from reliable medical sources.
- Gives the latest data on new scientific findings.
- Presents a well-thought-out yoga program suitable for all levels.
Cons
- First part of book may seem jargon-heavy for the non-medical reader.
- Index is missing.
- MRIs were not effective in clearly demonstrating how yoga affects the spine.
Description
- Yoga for Osteoporosis: The Complete Guide
- Authors: Loren Fishman, MD and Ellen Saltonstall, Yoga Instructor
- Softcover, 318 pages, with MRI images, black-and-white photos and black-and-white illustrations
- Published by W. W. Norton & Company, New York and London
- ISBN 978-0-393-33485-2
Guide Review - Yoga for Osteoporosis
If you don't mind heavy jargon in places, Yoga for Osteoporosis is a great guide on taking pro-active steps to build bone density. It provides up-to-date, research-based information to help you make informed decisions on preventing and managing osteoporosis.
Even if your activity of choice is something other than yoga, this book may give you the necessary background for approaching weight-bearing exercise with confidence. The first seven chapters provide an overview of bone and the factors that affect it. Fishman and Saltonstall describe the process of bone formation and deterioration in detail. They also review the most common bone-building medications, along with supplements (including recommended dosages) and holistic therapies. They talk about the way in which exercise increases bone density, and they give an update on how your fracture risk is determined.
The last four chapters are dedicated to actually doing yoga; the final three go over the poses. The chapters containing the poses are broken down into areas or goals deemed important for an effective bone-strengthening regime. For example, chapter 9 gives poses that build bone strength, chapter 10 explains poses for muscle strength, and chapter 11 demonstrates poses that develop balance. For nearly every pose, three safety levels are demonstrated -- osteoporosis, osteopenia and prevention. You'll be able to choose your level of challenge according to your condition. Each variation is illustrated with several photos.
Overall, the program seems well-thought-out and in line with the scientific information given in the first part of the book.
Along with jargon-heavy explanations, Yoga for Osteoporosis has a few other problems. For one, the index is missing. I had to comb through page after page of medical data for bits of information I knew were in there. Another was that throughout the final chapters, they put MRI images of how the spine looks when doing these yoga poses. This was a nice idea, but it was not very effective. Some of the images looked like ink blotches, with no resemblance to the spine at all. Others did not illustrate the effect mentioned in the picture's caption clearly enough to enable the average person to follow along.
Yoga for Osteoporosis can be used in various ways. It's a great medical reference for non-doctors, it offers a well-thought-out yoga practice that addresses osteoporosis, and it can help you understand your bones. The information in the book is beyond excellent, but much of the editing and writing need work.
