Marian S. Garfinkel (April 2, 1932 – August 28, 2020) was an early researcher in the field of complementary medicine, showing that yoga could be used to treat and possibly cure a variety of hand injuries resulting from repetitive use.

[1] She studied with B. K. S. Iyengar for over 40 years, making annual trips to yoga centers in India, France, California and Michigan.

Garfinkel was especially interested in using yoga to treat diseases of the hand, including osteoarthritis as well as repetitive strain injuries.

[10] Garfinkel's 1992 Dissertation[11] showed that yoga and various relaxation techniques were a workable treatment for the pain and mobility issues associated with osteoarthritis.

[14] In 2000, she published an article co-authored with H. Ralph Schumacher, Jr. presenting the ability of Yoga to cure a variety of rheumatic diseases.