Yoga Therapy, Digestion, and Scleroderma
This month I want to share a piece of work that has been a long time coming.
A poster presentation from a case series I co-authored with Alexis Harrison and Irene Gallagher was accepted at the World Scleroderma Congress and is now published in a supplement of the Journal of Scleroderma and Related Disorders (BMJ, 2026).
The work focused on three adults, ages 44–68, living with diagnoses including systemic sclerosis, IBS, gastroparesis, and connective tissue disorders. Each person received individualized yoga therapy sessions emphasizing “rest and digest” principles: supine and seated postures, gentle spinal rotations, 1:4:2 pranayama, and constructive rest. Sessions were delivered in person, via Zoom, and by phone, with home practice woven in throughout.
All three participants reported improvements in digestive regularity and symptom management. Across cases, they also described increased body awareness, greater autonomy in choosing supportive practices, and more confidence in managing their symptoms day to day.
The conclusions are appropriately cautious: this is a practice-based case series, not a controlled trial. But the feasibility is clear, and the patient-reported outcomes point toward something worth continuing to study.
Albright C, Harrison A, Gallagher I. Yoga therapy for digestive health: case series highlighting patient-centered approaches in scleroderma. Journal of Scleroderma and Related Disorders. 2026;11(Suppl 1):A309. doi:10.1136/JSRD-2026-SSWC.365
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