Poonam Deshmukh : OTR-Certified Rehab & Medical Yoga Expert
Poonam Deshmukh
Chief Medical Officer
Facilitating similar outcomes by leveraging her international exposure and expansive expertise Poonam Desshmukh is an inter -nationally acknowledged occupa -tional therapist specializing in musculoskeletal care.
Currently serving as Chief Medical Officer at Synergy Medical Yoga Therapy, she spearheads tech-driven and medically aligned protocols to approach the musculoskeletal disorders. OTR-certified in the United States, Poonam has gained practical knowledge in geriatric care in Detroit.
Her vision is to deliver holistic, home-based solutions for long-term health issues with overall empathetic and patient-centred healthcare and wellness.
Give a brief account of your professional journey? What early experiences shaped your growth so far?
My professional journey began with a Bachelor of Occupational Therapy from Government Medical College and Hospital (GMCH), Nagpur. Early in my career, I pursued and earned my OTR certification from the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT, USA), a credential that authorizes me to conduct clinical evaluations, design treatment plans, and oversee patient care across hospitals, schools, and rehabilitation setups.
After graduation, I worked in geriatric rehabilitation in Detroit, Michigan. That experience deeply influenced my understanding of degenerative joint conditions, and the importance of restoring dignity through mobility.
In 2011, I returned to India and founded Stay Fit – The Exercise Clinic in Pune with a clear vision: to empower patients to take charge of their lives through an integrated and holistic approach.
Over the years, I have worked with diverse populations, from young adults to the geriatric community, designing persona-lized rehabilitation and fitness programs tailored to the individuals posture, bio- mechanics, medical history, and functional goals. Collaboration with multi - disciplinary teams, including nutrition professionals has further strengthened my belief in whole-person care.
Tell us about your role as the Chief Medical Officer at
Synergy Medical Yoga.
Currently, I serve as Chief Medical Officer at Synergy Medical Yoga, a health-tech company with a powerful mission: to democratize integrated Medical Yoga across India. I am building and shaping the medical framework of the organization.
Our goal is to make structured, condition-specific therapy accessible at home for common musculoskeletal disorders such as knee osteoarthritis, slipped disc, sciatica, and cervical spondylosis.
I oversee clinical protocol development for musculoskeletal disorders, integration of rehabilitation science with therapeutic yoga practice, training frameworks to maintain standardization and clinical safety, and strategic direction for scaling Medical Yoga through technology.
What is your vision for integrating medical practices with yoga therapy in today’s healthcare landscape?
My vision is to bridge healthcare and medical yoga into a unified patient-centered approach where evidence-based rehabilitation works hand-in-hand with medical yoga to not only restore movement and function but also enhance mental resilience, stress management and overall well-being.
By integrating these practices, I envision a healthcare landscape where patients receive holistic care that addresses body, mind and lifestyle, reducing dependency on medications and invasive surgeries empowering individuals to take charge of their health.
What challenges do you face in educating patients and health care providers?
The biggest challenge is skepticism---many patients and doctors still see Yoga as “just stretching”. They often forget that medical yoga is an ancient evidence based, clinically useful tool to treat and manage common musculoskeletal diseases.
To add to this “time constraints” in consultations make it hard to explain how medical yoga works and how is it different from regular yoga.The lack of standardized training in the field also contributes to this. In today’s fast-paced world, patient often expects quick fixes and may not stick to Yoga’s gradual lifestyle -based approach.
How do you assess the impact of yoga therapies on long term health outcomes particularly for chronic conditions or post surgery recovery?
I assess the impact of medical yoga by combining objective and subjective measures. For chronic conditions, I track pain levels, range of motion, strength and functional recovery of patient.
The quality of life, stress and mental well-being is also monitored through patient
Currently, I serve as Chief Medical Officer at Synergy Medical Yoga, a health-tech company with a powerful mission: to democratize integrated Medical Yoga across India. I am building and shaping the medical framework of the organization.
Our goal is to make structured, condition-specific therapy accessible at home for common musculoskeletal disorders such as knee osteoarthritis, slipped disc, sciatica, and cervical spondylosis.
I oversee clinical protocol development for musculoskeletal disorders, integration of rehabilitation science with therapeutic yoga practice, training frameworks to maintain standardization and clinical safety, and strategic direction for scaling Medical Yoga through technology.
What is your vision for integrating medical practices with yoga therapy in today’s healthcare landscape?
My vision is to bridge healthcare and medical yoga into a unified patient-centered approach where evidence-based rehabilitation works hand-in-hand with medical yoga to not only restore movement and function but also enhance mental resilience, stress management and overall well-being.
By integrating these practices, I envision a healthcare landscape where patients receive holistic care that addresses body, mind and lifestyle, reducing dependency on medications and invasive surgeries empowering individuals to take charge of their health.
What challenges do you face in educating patients and health care providers?
The biggest challenge is skepticism---many patients and doctors still see Yoga as “just stretching”. They often forget that medical yoga is an ancient evidence based, clinically useful tool to treat and manage common musculoskeletal diseases.
To add to this “time constraints” in consultations make it hard to explain how medical yoga works and how is it different from regular yoga.The lack of standardized training in the field also contributes to this. In today’s fast-paced world, patient often expects quick fixes and may not stick to Yoga’s gradual lifestyle -based approach.
How do you assess the impact of yoga therapies on long term health outcomes particularly for chronic conditions or post surgery recovery?
I assess the impact of medical yoga by combining objective and subjective measures. For chronic conditions, I track pain levels, range of motion, strength and functional recovery of patient.
The quality of life, stress and mental well-being is also monitored through patient
reported outcomes. In post - surgery recovery, I measure wound healing, mobility restoration and how quickly patient returns to his/her activities of daily living (ADL). The follow ups at an interval of 3 to 6 months helps to see if improvements are sustained.
What is the future of medical yoga in healthcare system over next 5-10 years?
India has a bias against surgeries but still 250k Total Knee Replacement (TKR) take place every year! And that is because none of the current available choices other than medical yoga, provide a structured and integrated framework to manage and treat the degenerative joint diseases conservatively.
Hence in next 5-10 years, I see medical yoga becoming a standard part of rehab, the primary health care offering it alongside medication during the early intervention.
The growing evidence base will hugely support medical yoga. I also envision the universities to offer a standardized curriculum for practitioners. Digital platforms like Synergy Medical Yoga will deliver guided, integrated, data- tracked medical yoga sessions making it accessible at the comfort of one’s home.
What is your long-term vision?
My long-term vision is to make medical yoga a main stream evidence-based pillar of holistic healthcare system. I aim to build an awareness amongst patient to see medical yoga as the primary treatment modality to treat and manage the most common musculoskeletal diseases, taking them back to the roots and rebuilding trust over our ancient yoga, allowing them to take charge of their healing.
Poonam Deshmukh, Chief Medical Officer, Synergy Medical Yoga
Poonam Deshmukh, Chief Medical Officer, Synergy Medical Yoga; also Founder & Director of Stay Fit Exercise Clinic (2011). An internationally acknowledged occupational therapist with over 14 years of clinical expertise in integrated rehabilitation and Medical Yoga.
Personal Glimpse
Beyond my professional identity, I am deeply passionate about Indian classical dance - Kathak, which reflects rhythm, balance, and discipline, values that resonate with my therapeutic philosophy. I enjoy badminton and long driving expeditions.
My favorite book is Mrutyunjay by Shivaji Sawant, and I cherish travel experiences along beaches and the Himalayan mountains. Traditional Maharashtrian vegetarian cuisine and vibrant salads remain my comfort food.
•Educational Qualification: Bachelor of Occupational Therapy (2001), OTR(USA), NBCOT (2006)
What is the future of medical yoga in healthcare system over next 5-10 years?
India has a bias against surgeries but still 250k Total Knee Replacement (TKR) take place every year! And that is because none of the current available choices other than medical yoga, provide a structured and integrated framework to manage and treat the degenerative joint diseases conservatively.
Hence in next 5-10 years, I see medical yoga becoming a standard part of rehab, the primary health care offering it alongside medication during the early intervention.
The growing evidence base will hugely support medical yoga. I also envision the universities to offer a standardized curriculum for practitioners. Digital platforms like Synergy Medical Yoga will deliver guided, integrated, data- tracked medical yoga sessions making it accessible at the comfort of one’s home.
What is your long-term vision?
My long-term vision is to make medical yoga a main stream evidence-based pillar of holistic healthcare system. I aim to build an awareness amongst patient to see medical yoga as the primary treatment modality to treat and manage the most common musculoskeletal diseases, taking them back to the roots and rebuilding trust over our ancient yoga, allowing them to take charge of their healing.
Poonam Deshmukh, Chief Medical Officer, Synergy Medical Yoga
Poonam Deshmukh, Chief Medical Officer, Synergy Medical Yoga; also Founder & Director of Stay Fit Exercise Clinic (2011). An internationally acknowledged occupational therapist with over 14 years of clinical expertise in integrated rehabilitation and Medical Yoga.
Personal Glimpse
Beyond my professional identity, I am deeply passionate about Indian classical dance - Kathak, which reflects rhythm, balance, and discipline, values that resonate with my therapeutic philosophy. I enjoy badminton and long driving expeditions.
My favorite book is Mrutyunjay by Shivaji Sawant, and I cherish travel experiences along beaches and the Himalayan mountains. Traditional Maharashtrian vegetarian cuisine and vibrant salads remain my comfort food.
•Educational Qualification: Bachelor of Occupational Therapy (2001), OTR(USA), NBCOT (2006)