List of Illustrations

1. The wedge fracture

2. Normal distribution

3. High versus low variance

4. Osteoporosis and osteopenia in a normal distribution curve

5. DEXA scores and the risk of fracture

6. Normal bone

7. The chemical structure of hydroxyapatite

8. Compact and spongy bone

9. Euler’s law and a ladder

10. Comparison of two types of bone structure

11. Bone strengthening and weakening

12. Osteoblasts, osteocytes and osteoclasts

13. How osteocytes communicate in bone

14. Close-up of an osteoclast

15. MRI of the spine of a yogi

16. Wollf’s law and the femur

17. The leverage of the supraspinatus muscle

18. MRI: muscles and their antagonists

19. Spicule production: an osteoblast’s response to exercise

20. MRI of the cervical muscles

21. Results of osteoporosis study

22. Three categories of therapy

23. Compression, tension, and the fate of stem cells

24. MRI of three different people doing Paschimottanasana

25. MRI showing how excessive extension affects the neck

26. The four corners of the foot

27. Manually widening the pelvis

28. Parallel feet

29. Safe and unsafe forward bends

30. Tadasana

31. Muscle action on lumbar vertebrae in back bends

32. MRI of Paschimottanasana

33. MRI of Ardha Matsyendrasana

34. MRI of Vasisthasana: effect on spondylolisthesis

35. MRI of Vasisthasana: effect on spinal stenosis

36. Why retrolisthesis prohibits headstand