1 610 144 DEVELOPMENT OF A RECUMBENT ISOMETRIC YOGA PROGRAM FOR PATIENTS WITH SEVERE CHRONIC FATIGUE SYNDROME/MYALGIC ENCEPHALOMYELITIS: A PILOT STUDY TO ASSESS FEASIBILITY AND EFFICACY. BACKGROUND: OUR PREVIOUS RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL DEMONSTRATED THAT ISOMETRIC YOGA IN A SITTING POSITION REDUCES FATIGUE IN PATIENTS WITH CHRONIC FATIGUE SYNDROME/MYALGIC ENCEPHALOMYELITIS (CFS/ME). HOWEVER, SOME PATIENTS EXPERIENCE DIFFICULTIES SITTING OR PRACTICING ISOMETRIC YOGA IN A SITTING POSITION FOR LONG PERIODS. TO DATE, THERAPEUTIC INTERVENTIONS FOR PATIENTS WITH SEVERE SYMPTOMS HAVE NOT BEEN ESTABLISHED. THEREFORE, WE DEVELOPED A RECUMBENT ISOMETRIC YOGA PROGRAM, WHICH TAKES APPROXIMATELY 20 MIN TO COMPLETE, DESIGNED TO REDUCE FATIGUE IN PATIENTS WITH SEVERE CFS/ME. THE AIM OF THIS PILOT STUDY WAS TO ASSESS THE FEASIBILITY, SAFETY, AND USEFULNESS OF THIS PROGRAM. METHODS: THIS PILOT STUDY INCLUDED 12 ADULT PATIENTS WITH CFS/ME. SIX PATIENTS WERE RELUCTANT TO PRACTICE ISOMETRIC YOGA IN A SITTING POSITION BECAUSE OF THE SEVERITY OF THEIR FATIGUE (GROUP 1). THE REMAINING SIX PATIENTS HAD PREVIOUSLY PRACTICED ISOMETRIC YOGA IN A SITTING POSITION (GROUP 2). FOR 3 MONTHS, THE PATIENTS OF BOTH GROUPS PRACTICED RECUMBENT ISOMETRIC YOGA EVERY 2 TO 4 WEEKS WITH A YOGA INSTRUCTOR AND AT HOME ON OTHER DAYS IF THEY COULD. THE SHORT-TERM EFFECTS OF ISOMETRIC YOGA ON FATIGUE WERE ASSESSED USING THE PROFILE OF MOOD STATUS (POMS) QUESTIONNAIRE IMMEDIATELY BEFORE AND AFTER THEIR FINAL SESSION WITH THE YOGA INSTRUCTOR. THE LONG-TERM EFFECTS OF ISOMETRIC YOGA ON FATIGUE WERE ASSESSED USING THE CHALDER FATIGUE SCALE (FS) QUESTIONNAIRE BEFORE AND AFTER THE INTERVENTION PERIOD. ADVERSE EVENTS, SATISFACTION WITH THE PROGRAM, AND PREFERENCE OF YOGA POSITION (SITTING OR RECUMBENT) WERE ALSO RECORDED. RESULTS: ALL SUBJECTS COMPLETED THE INTERVENTION. IN BOTH GROUPS, THE POMS FATIGUE SCORE WAS SIGNIFICANTLY DECREASED AFTER PRACTICING THE 20-MIN YOGA PROGRAM AND THE CHALDER FS SCORE WAS DECREASED SIGNIFICANTLY AFTER THE 3-MONTH INTERVENTION PERIOD. THERE WERE NO SERIOUS ADVERSE EVENTS. ALL SUBJECTS IN GROUP 2 PREFERRED THE RECUMBENT ISOMETRIC YOGA PROGRAM OVER A SITTING YOGA PROGRAM. CONCLUSIONS: THIS STUDY SUGGESTS THAT RECUMBENT ISOMETRIC YOGA IS A FEASIBLE AND ACCEPTABLE TREATMENT FOR PATIENTS WITH CFS/ME, EVEN FOR PATIENTS WHO EXPERIENCE DIFFICULTY PRACTICING ISOMETRIC YOGA IN THE SITTING POSITION. 2017 2 1523 81 ISOMETRIC YOGA IMPROVES THE FATIGUE AND PAIN OF PATIENTS WITH CHRONIC FATIGUE SYNDROME WHO ARE RESISTANT TO CONVENTIONAL THERAPY: A RANDOMIZED, CONTROLLED TRIAL. BACKGROUND: PATIENTS WITH CHRONIC FATIGUE SYNDROME (CFS) OFTEN COMPLAIN OF PERSISTENT FATIGUE EVEN AFTER CONVENTIONAL THERAPIES SUCH AS PHARMACOTHERAPY, COGNITIVE BEHAVIORAL THERAPY, OR GRADED EXERCISE THERAPY. THE AIM OF THIS STUDY WAS TO INVESTIGATE IN A RANDOMIZED, CONTROLLED TRIAL THE FEASIBILITY AND EFFICACY OF ISOMETRIC YOGA IN PATIENTS WITH CFS WHO ARE RESISTANT TO CONVENTIONAL TREATMENTS. METHODS: THIS TRIAL ENROLLED 30 PATIENTS WITH CFS WHO DID NOT HAVE SATISFACTORY IMPROVEMENT AFTER RECEIVING CONVENTIONAL THERAPY FOR AT LEAST SIX MONTHS. THEY WERE RANDOMLY DIVIDED INTO TWO GROUPS AND WERE TREATED WITH EITHER CONVENTIONAL PHARMACOTHERAPY (CONTROL GROUP, N = 15) OR CONVENTIONAL THERAPY TOGETHER WITH ISOMETRIC YOGA PRACTICE THAT CONSISTED OF BIWEEKLY, 20-MINUTE SESSIONS WITH A YOGA INSTRUCTOR AND DAILY IN-HOME SESSIONS (YOGA GROUP, N = 15) FOR APPROXIMATELY TWO MONTHS. THE SHORT-TERM EFFECT OF ISOMETRIC YOGA ON FATIGUE WAS ASSESSED BY ADMINISTRATION OF THE PROFILE OF MOOD STATUS (POMS) QUESTIONNAIRE IMMEDIATELY BEFORE AND AFTER THE FINAL 20-MINUTE SESSION WITH THE INSTRUCTOR. THE LONG-TERM EFFECT OF ISOMETRIC YOGA ON FATIGUE WAS ASSESSED BY ADMINISTRATION OF THE CHALDER'S FATIGUE SCALE (FS) QUESTIONNAIRE TO BOTH GROUPS BEFORE AND AFTER THE INTERVENTION. ADVERSE EVENTS AND CHANGES IN SUBJECTIVE SYMPTOMS WERE RECORDED FOR SUBJECTS IN THE YOGA GROUP. RESULTS: ALL SUBJECTS COMPLETED THE INTERVENTION. THE MEAN POMS FATIGUE SCORE DECREASED SIGNIFICANTLY (FROM 21.9 +/- 7.7 TO 13.8 +/- 6.7, P < 0.001) AFTER A YOGA SESSION. THE CHALDER'S FS SCORE DECREASED SIGNIFICANTLY (FROM 25.9 +/- 6.1 TO 19.2 +/- 7.5, P = 0.002) IN THE YOGA GROUP, BUT NOT IN THE CONTROL GROUP. IN ADDITION TO THE IMPROVEMENT OF FATIGUE, TWO PATIENTS WITH CFS AND FIBROMYALGIA SYNDROME IN THE YOGA GROUP ALSO REPORTED PAIN RELIEF. FURTHERMORE, MANY SUBJECTS REPORTED THAT THEIR BODIES BECAME WARMER AND LIGHTER AFTER PRACTICING ISOMETRIC YOGA. ALTHOUGH THERE WERE NO SERIOUS ADVERSE EVENTS IN THE YOGA GROUP, TWO PATIENTS COMPLAINED OF TIREDNESS AND ONE OF DIZZINESS AFTER THE FIRST YOGA SESSION WITH THE INSTRUCTOR. CONCLUSIONS: ISOMETRIC YOGA AS AN ADD-ON THERAPY IS BOTH FEASIBLE AND SUCCESSFUL AT RELIEVING THE FATIGUE AND PAIN OF A SUBSET OF THERAPY-RESISTANT PATIENTS WITH CFS. TRIAL REGISTRATION: UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL MEDICAL INFORMATION NETWORK (UMIN CTR) UMIN000009646. 2014 3 1313 61 HEALTH-RELATED BENEFITS AND ADVERSE EVENTS ASSOCIATED WITH YOGA CLASSES AMONG PARTICIPANTS THAT ARE HEALTHY, IN POOR HEALTH, OR WITH CHRONIC DISEASES. BACKGROUND: OUR PREVIOUS STUDY DEMONSTRATED THAT 42% OF YOGA CLASS PARTICIPANTS IN JAPAN HAD CHRONIC DISEASES REQUIRING MEDICATION. THIS RAISES THE QUESTION AS TO WHETHER THOSE WITH CHRONIC DISEASES WOULD BENEFIT FROM PRACTICING YOGA OR IF THEY ARE AT HIGHER RISK FOR SPECIFIC ADVERSE EVENTS COMPARED TO HEALTHY INDIVIDUALS RECEIVING THE SAME INSTRUCTION. METHODS: TO ADDRESS THESE QUESTIONS, 328 ADULTS WHO STARTED PRACTICING YOGA FOR THE FIRST TIME WERE ASKED TO COMPLETE THE PROFILE OF MOOD STATES (POMS), PERCEIVED STRESS SCALE (PSS), AND MEDICAL OUTCOMES STUDY SHORT FORM 8, STANDARD VERSION (SF-8) AND TO RECORD ANY ADVERSE EVENTS ON THE FIRST DAY OF THE YOGA CLASS AND AGAIN THREE MONTHS LATER. THE PARTICIPANTS CONSISTED OF THREE GROUPS: A HEALTHY (H) GROUP (N = 70), A POOR HEALTH (PH) GROUP (N = 117), AND A CHRONIC DISEASE (CD) GROUP (N = 141). THE DEGREE OF SUBJECTIVE SYMPTOMS WAS ALSO COMPARED BETWEEN THE PRE- AND POST-INTERVENTION PERIOD IN THE PH AND CD GROUPS. RESULTS: TYPICALLY, YOGA CLASSES WERE HELD ONCE A WEEK FOR 60-90 MIN. THE PROGRAMS INCLUDED ASANAS, PRANAYAMAS, MEDITATION, ISOMETRIC YOGA, AND SUKSHMA VYAYAMA. IN THE PH AND CD GROUPS, THE POMS TENSION-ANXIETY AND FATIGUE SCORES DECREASED AND THE VIGOR SCORE INCREASED SIGNIFICANTLY AFTER THE FIRST CLASS. FURTHERMORE, PSS SCORES DECREASED AND THE SF-8 SCORES INCREASED SIGNIFICANTLY THREE MONTHS LATER. THE DEGREE OF SUBJECTIVE SYMPTOMS SUCH AS EASY FATIGABILITY, SHOULDER STIFFNESS, AND INSOMNIA ALSO DECREASED OVER THREE MONTHS. INDIVIDUALS IN THESE GROUPS EXPERIENCED MORE FREQUENT ADVERSE EVENTS THAN THOSE IN THE H GROUP. THE PH AND CD GROUPS ALSO EXPERIENCED A GREATER VARIETY OF SYMPTOMS, INCLUDING PSYCHOLOGICAL ONES, NOT REPORTED BY THE H GROUP. ADVERSE EVENTS WERE NOT SO SERIOUS THAT PARTICIPANTS STOPPED PRACTICING YOGA DURING THE CLASS. ABOUT 60% OF ALL PARTICIPANTS WERE HIGHLY SATISFIED WITH PARTICIPATING IN YOGA CLASSES. CONCLUSIONS: IF YOGA CLASSES ARE CONDUCTED WITH ATTENTION TO POSSIBLE ADVERSE EVENTS, YOGA PRACTICE IN A YOGA STUDIO MAY HAVE BENEFICIAL EFFECTS FOR PEOPLE WITH FUNCTIONAL SOMATIC SYMPTOMS AND CHRONIC DISEASES, AS WELL AS HEALTHY PARTICIPANTS. THESE BENEFITS INCLUDE REDUCTIONS IN PERCEIVED STRESS AND UNCOMFORTABLE SYMPTOMS AS WELL AS IMPROVED MOOD AND QUALITY OF LIFE. 2021 4 1076 38 EFFECTS OF YOGA ON PHYSIOLOGICAL INDICES, ANXIETY AND SOCIAL FUNCTIONING IN MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS PATIENTS: A RANDOMIZED TRIAL. INTRODUCTION: MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS (MS) AS A CHRONIC DISEASE COULD AFFECT PATIENTS' VARIOUS DOMAINS OF LIFE. AIM: THIS STUDY WAS CONDUCTED TO STUDY THE EFFECT OF YOGA ON THE PHYSIOLOGICAL INDICES, ANXIETY AND SOCIAL FUNCTIONING OF PATIENTS WITH MS IN SOUTHWEST, IRAN. MATERIALS AND METHODS: IN THIS CLINICAL TRIAL STUDY, 60 MS PATIENTS WERE ENROLLED ACCORDING TO INCLUSION CRITERIA AND RANDOMLY ASSIGNED TO TWO GROUPS OF 30 EACH. PRIOR TO AND AFTER INTERVENTION, THE PATIENTS' VITAL SIGNS WERE MEASURED. FOR CASE GROUP YOGA EXERCISES WERE PERFORMED THREE SESSIONS A WEEK FOR 12 WEEKS WHILE CONTROL GROUP PERFORMED NO EXERCISE. THE DATA WERE GATHERED BY QUESTIONNAIRE AND ANALYSED BY DESCRIPTIVE AND ANALYTICAL STATISTICS IN SPSS. RESULTS: PRIOR TO INTERVENTION, THERE WAS NO SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCE IN FATIGUE SEVERITY AND PAIN BETWEEN THE TWO GROUPS BUT THE MEAN FATIGUE SEVERITY AND PAIN IN CASE GROUP DECREASED COMPARED TO THE CONTROL GROUP AFTER THE INTERVENTION. PRIOR TO INTERVENTION, THERE WAS NO SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCE IN MEAN PHYSIOLOGICAL INDICES BETWEEN THE TWO GROUPS BUT THE MEAN PHYSIOLOGICAL INDICES IN CASE GROUP DECREASED SIGNIFICANTLY AFTER THE INTERVENTION (P<0.05). CONCLUSION: YOGA IS LIKELY TO INCREASE SELF-EFFICACY OF MS PATIENTS THROUGH ENHANCING PHYSICAL ACTIVITY, INCREASING THE STRENGTH OF LOWER LIMBS AND BALANCE, AND DECREASING FATIGUE AND PAIN, AND FINALLY TO PROMOTE SOCIAL FUNCTIONING AND TO RELIEVE STRESS AND ANXIETY IN THESE PATIENTS. 2016 5 428 40 CAN YOGA HAVE ANY EFFECT ON SHOULDER AND ARM PAIN AND QUALITY OF LIFE IN PATIENTS WITH BREAST CANCER? A RANDOMIZED, CONTROLLED, SINGLE-BLIND TRIAL. OBJECTIVE: TO EXAMINE THE EFFECTS OF YOGA ON SHOULDER AND ARM PAIN, QUALITY OF LIFE (QOL), DEPRESSION, AND PHYSICAL PERFORMANCE IN PATIENTS WITH BREAST CANCER. METHODS: THIS PROSPECTIVE, RANDOMIZED STUDY INCLUDED 42 PATIENTS. THE PATIENTS IN GROUP 1 UNDERWENT A 10-WEEK HATHA YOGA EXERCISE PROGRAM. THE PATIENTS IN GROUP 2 WERE INCLUDED IN A 10-WEEK FOLLOW-UP PROGRAM. OUR PRIMARY ENDPOINT WAS ARM AND SHOULDER PAIN INTENSITY. RESULTS: THE GROUP RECEIVING YOGA SHOWED A SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENT IN THEIR PAIN SEVERITY FROM BASELINE TO POST-TREATMENT, AND THESE BENEFITS WERE MAINTAINED AT 2.5 MONTHS POST-TREATMENT. WHEN COMPARED TO THE CONTROL GROUP, THERE WERE NO STATISTICALLY SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE 2 GROUPS WITH RESPECT TO THE PARAMETERS ASSESSED AT THE END OF WEEK 10. CONCLUSION: YOGA WAS AN EFFECTIVE AND SAFE EXERCISE FOR ALLEVIATING SHOULDER AND ARM PAIN, WHICH IS A COMPLICATION WITH A HIGH PREVALENCE IN PATIENTS WITH BREAST CANCER. 2018 6 2864 47 YOGA-BASED INTERVENTION FOR CAREGIVERS OF OUTPATIENTS WITH PSYCHOSIS: A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED PILOT STUDY. PURPOSE OF THE STUDY: THE USE OF YOGA AS AN INTERVENTION FOR CAREGIVERS OF PATIENTS WITH PSYCHOSIS HAS BEEN POORLY STUDIED. THE CURRENT STUDY AIMED TO TEST THE EFFICACY OF A BRIEF YOGA PROGRAM AS AN INTERVENTION IN CAREGIVERS OF OUTPATIENTS WITH FUNCTIONAL PSYCHOTIC DISORDERS USING A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED RESEARCH DESIGN. MATERIALS AND METHODS: CAREGIVERS WHO AGREED TO PARTICIPATE IN THE STUDY (N=29) WERE RANDOMIZED INTO YOGA (N=15) OR WAIT-LIST GROUP (N=14). THEY WERE ASSESSED AT BASELINE AND AT THE END OF 3 MONTHS. PATIENTS WHO WERE RANDOMIZED INTO THE YOGA GROUP WERE OFFERED SUPERVISED YOGA TRAINING THRICE A WEEK FOR 4 WEEKS, AFTER WHICH THEY WERE INSTRUCTED TO PRACTICE AT HOME FOR THE NEXT 2 MONTHS. DUE TO THE SMALL SAMPLE SIZE AND SOME VARIABLES NOT BEING NORMALLY DISTRIBUTED, NON-PARAMETRIC STATISTICAL ANALYSIS WAS USED. RESULTS: RESULTS SHOWED SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCED BURDEN SCORES AND IMPROVED QUALITY OF LIFE SCORES IN THE YOGA GROUP AS COMPARED TO THE WAIT-LIST GROUP AT THE END OF 3 MONTHS. THERE WERE NO SIGNIFICANT CHANGES IN ANXIETY AND DEPRESSION SCORES IN CAREGIVERS, OR PSYCHOPATHOLOGY SCORES IN PATIENTS. CONCLUSION: IN CAREGIVERS OF OUTPATIENTS WITH FUNCTIONAL PSYCHOSIS, 4 WEEKS OF TRAINING FOLLOWED BY 3 MONTHS OF HOME PRACTICE OF A YOGA MODULE OFFERED SIGNIFICANT ADVANTAGE OVER WAITLIST. YOGA CAN BE OFFERED AS AN INTERVENTION FOR CAREGIVERS OF PATIENTS WITH SEVERE MENTAL DISORDERS. METHODS OF PROVIDING YOGA INTERVENTION CLOSER TO THE COMMUNITY OR USE OF FLEXIBLE MODULES AT HOSPITALS NEEDS FURTHER STUDY. 2013 7 1542 38 KRIYA YOGA IN PATIENTS WITH DEPRESSIVE DISORDERS: A PILOT STUDY. BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES DESPITE THE EASY ACCEPTABILITY AND HOLISTIC NATURE OF KRIYA YOGA, THERE ARE NO STUDIES EVALUATING THE ROLE OF KRIYA YOGA INTERVENTION ON DEPRESSION. THE OBJECTIVE OF THE CURRENT STUDY WAS TO ASSESS THE FEASIBILITY AND EFFECT OF ADJUNCTIVE KRIYA YOGA ON DEPRESSION. METHODS PATIENTS WITH MAJOR DEPRESSIVE DISORDER WHO OPTED FOR KRIYA YOGA WERE RECRUITED INTO THE INTERVENTION GROUP (ADJUNCTIVE KRIYA YOGA) AND THOSE ON PSYCHOTROPIC MEDICATION ALONE WERE ENROLLED INTO THE CONTROL GROUP. THE HAMILTON DEPRESSION RATING SCALE (HDRS) MEASUREMENTS WERE RECORDED AT BASELINE, END OF 2, 4, AND 8 WEEKS. RESULTS HDRS SCORES OF THE INTERVENTION GROUP ( N = 29) WERE FOUND TO BE SIGNIFICANTLY LESSER THAN THAT OF THE CONTROL GROUP ( N = 52) BY THE END OF 2, 4, AND 8 WEEKS. THE REMISSION RATE WAS ALSO SIGNIFICANTLY GREATER IN THE INTERVENTION GROUP. CONCLUSION KRIYA YOGA INTERVENTION WAS FOUND TO BE FEASIBLE, AS WELL AS IMPROVED THE SEVERITY OF DEPRESSION. 2021 8 1402 54 IMPACT OF YOGA ON BLOOD PRESSURE AND QUALITY OF LIFE IN PATIENTS WITH HYPERTENSION - A CONTROLLED TRIAL IN PRIMARY CARE, MATCHED FOR SYSTOLIC BLOOD PRESSURE. BACKGROUND: MEDICAL TREATMENT OF HYPERTENSION IS NOT ALWAYS SUFFICIENT TO ACHIEVE BLOOD PRESSURE CONTROL. DESPITE THIS, PREVIOUS STUDIES ON SUPPLEMENTARY THERAPIES, SUCH AS YOGA, ARE RELATIVELY FEW. WE INVESTIGATED THE EFFECTS OF TWO YOGA INTERVENTIONS ON BLOOD PRESSURE AND QUALITY OF LIFE IN PATIENTS IN PRIMARY HEALTH CARE DIAGNOSED WITH HYPERTENSION. METHODS: ADULT PATIENTS (AGE 20-80 YEARS) WITH DIAGNOSED HYPERTENSION WERE IDENTIFIED BY AN ELECTRONIC CHART SEARCH AT A PRIMARY HEALTH CARE CENTER IN SOUTHERN SWEDEN. IN TOTAL, 83 SUBJECTS WITH BLOOD PRESSURE VALUES OF 120-179//=14 ON THE BECK DEPRESSION INVENTORY-II WERE RANDOMIZED TO EITHER THE YOGA OR THE CONTROL GROUP. THE YOGA GROUP COMPLETED A 12-WEEK YOGA PROGRAM, WHICH TOOK PLACE TWICE A WEEK FOR 60 MIN PER SESSION AND CONSISTED OF BREATHING EXERCISES, YOGA POSE PRACTICE, AND SUPINE MEDITATION/RELAXATION. THE CONTROL GROUP WAS INSTRUCTED NOT TO ENGAGE IN ANY YOGA PRACTICE AND TO MAINTAIN THEIR USUAL LEVEL OF PHYSICAL ACTIVITY DURING THE COURSE OF THE STUDY. PARTICIPANTS' HRV, DEPRESSIVE SYMPTOMS, AND PERCEIVED STRESS WERE ASSESSED AT BASELINE AND POST-TEST. RESULTS: THE YOGA GROUP HAD A SIGNIFICANT INCREASE IN HIGH-FREQUENCY HRV AND DECREASES IN LOW-FREQUENCY HRV AND LOW FREQUENCY/HIGH FREQUENCY RATIO AFTER THE INTERVENTION. THE YOGA GROUP ALSO REPORTED SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCED DEPRESSIVE SYMPTOMS AND PERCEIVED STRESS. NO CHANGE WAS FOUND IN THE CONTROL GROUP. CONCLUSIONS: A 12-WEEK YOGA PROGRAM WAS EFFECTIVE IN INCREASING PARASYMPATHETIC TONE AND REDUCING DEPRESSIVE SYMPTOMS AND PERCEIVED STRESS IN WOMEN WITH ELEVATED DEPRESSIVE SYMPTOMS. REGULAR YOGA PRACTICE MAY BE RECOMMENDED FOR WOMEN TO COPE WITH THEIR DEPRESSIVE SYMPTOMS AND STRESS AND TO IMPROVE THEIR HRV. 2017 13 239 29 A TWO-YEAR FOLLOW-UP CASE OF CHRONIC FATIGUE SYNDROME: SUBSTANTIAL IMPROVEMENT IN PERSONALITY FOLLOWING A YOGA-BASED LIFESTYLE INTERVENTION. BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: CHRONIC FATIGUE SYNDROME (CFS) IS CHARACTERIZED BY EXCESSIVE FATIGUE AFTER MINIMAL PHYSICAL OR MENTAL EXERTION, MUSCLE AND JOINT PAIN, POOR CONCENTRATION, DIZZINESS, AND SLEEP DISTURBANCES. WE REPORT HERE THE EFFECT OF A YOGA-BASED LIFESTYLE INTERVENTION IN A 30-YEAR OLD MALE PATIENT WITH A DOCUMENTED DIAGNOSIS OF CFS WITH COMPROMISED QUALITY OF LIFE (QOL) AND ALTERED PERSONALITY. METHODS: THE PATIENT INITIALLY ATTENDED A SHORT-TERM YOGA-BASED LIFESTYLE INTERVENTION PROGRAM THAT CONSISTED OF YOGA-POSTURES, BREATHING EXERCISES (PRANAYAMA), MEDITATION, GROUP DISCUSSIONS, AND INDIVIDUALIZED ADVICE ON STRESS MANAGEMENT, DIET AND PHYSICAL ACTIVITY BESIDES GROUP SUPPORT. THEREAFTER, PATIENT ATTENDED 5 MORE SUCH PROGRAMS. RESULTS: THERE WAS A NOTABLE AND CONSISTENT IMPROVEMENT IN HIS CLINICAL PROFILE, POSITIVE ASPECTS OF PERSONALITY AND SUBJECTIVE WELL-BEING, AND REDUCTION IN ANXIETY FOLLOWING THIS YOGA-BASED LIFESTYLE INTERVENTION. CONCLUSION: OVERALL, THE RESULTS SUGGEST THAT LIFESTYLE INTERVENTION MAY IMPROVE CLINICAL CONDITION AND PERSONALITY IN PATIENTS WITH CFS. 2015 14 909 38 EFFECTIVENESS OF GROUP VERSUS INDIVIDUAL YOGA EXERCISES ON FATIGUE OF PATIENTS WITH MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS. BACKGROUND: MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS DISORDERS POSES HEAVY PHYSICAL AND EMOTIONAL EFFECT ON PATIENTS WHO ARE ASSOCIATED WITH THE DISEASE. AIM: THIS STUDY AIMED TO COMPARE THE EFFECTIVENESS OF INDIVIDUAL VERSUS GROUP EXERCISES ON FATIGUE ON PATIENTS WITH MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS. MATERIALS AND METHODS: IN THIS CLINICAL TRIAL, 85 PATIENTS WITH MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS WERE DIVIDED IN TWO GROUPS OF INDIVIDUALIZED EXERCISE AND TEAM EXERCISE. THE INTERVENTION WAS CONDUCTED FOR 6 WEEKS AND COMPRISED OF MILD STRETCHING AND BASIC YOGA EXERCISES TWICE A DAY. THE DATA WERE COLLECTED THROUGH DEMOGRAPHIC QUESTIONNAIRE, STANDARD FATIGUE SCALE AND SELF-REPORTED CHECKLIST. DATA ANALYSIS WAS PERFORMED BY SPSS SOFTWARE. RESULTS: THE MEAN LEVELS OF FATIGUE PERCEPTION AFTER THE INTERVENTION IN GROUP EXERCISE WAS 27.9 +/- 15.9 AND 27.1 +/- 17.2 IN INDIVIDUAL EXERCISE. THERE WAS NO SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE TWO GROUPS (P > 0.05). STATISTICALLY SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCE WAS OBSERVED IN THE MEAN LEVEL OF PERCEIVED FATIGUE IN TRIPLICATE MEASUREMENTS (P = 0.013) AMONG PATIENTS WHO COMPLETED INDIVIDUAL EXERCISE. HOWEVER, THIS DIFFERENCE WAS NOT SIGNIFICANT IN THE GROUP EXERCISE. CONCLUSION: PERFORMING MILD STRETCHING EXERCISES AND BASIC YOGA ARE RECOMMENDED AS A COST-EFFECTIVE METHOD WHICH IS EASY TO PERFORM AMONG PATIENTS WITH MILD TO MODERATE DISABILITIES. 2015 15 2754 47 YOGA PRACTICE PREDICTS IMPROVEMENTS IN DAY-TO-DAY PAIN IN WOMEN WITH METASTATIC BREAST CANCER. CONTEXT: WOMEN WITH METASTATIC BREAST CANCER (MBC) EXPERIENCE A SIGNIFICANT SYMPTOM BURDEN, INCLUDING CANCER PAIN. YOGA IS A MIND-BODY DISCIPLINE THAT HAS SHOWN PROMISE FOR ALLEVIATING CANCER PAIN, BUT FEW STUDIES HAVE INCLUDED PATIENTS WITH METASTATIC DISEASE OR EXAMINED THE ACUTE EFFECTS OF YOGA PRACTICE. OBJECTIVES: TO DETERMINE WHETHER DAILY PAIN CHANGED SIGNIFICANTLY DURING A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL OF THE MINDFUL YOGA PROGRAM AMONG WOMEN WITH MBC AND WHETHER TIME SPENT IN YOGA PRACTICE WAS RELATED TO DAILY PAIN. METHODS: ON ALTERNATE WEEKS DURING THE INTERVENTION PERIOD, WE COLLECTED DAILY MEASURES OF PAIN FROM A SUBSET OF 48 WOMEN RANDOMIZED TO EITHER YOGA (N = 30) OR A SUPPORT GROUP CONDITION (N = 18). WE ALSO ASSESSED DAILY DURATION OF YOGA PRACTICE AMONG PATIENTS RANDOMIZED TO YOGA. RESULTS: PAIN LEVELS WERE LOW FOR WOMEN IN BOTH CONDITIONS, AND NO DIFFERENTIAL TREATMENT EFFECTS WERE FOUND ON DAILY PAIN. HOWEVER, AMONG WOMEN RANDOMIZED TO YOGA, A DOSE/RESPONSE RELATIONSHIP WAS FOUND BETWEEN YOGA PRACTICE DURATION AND DAILY PAIN. WHEN PATIENTS HAD SPENT RELATIVELY MORE TIME PRACTICING YOGA ACROSS TWO CONSECUTIVE DAYS, THEY WERE MORE LIKELY TO EXPERIENCE LOWER PAIN ON THE NEXT DAY. THIS FINDING IS CONSISTENT WITH AN EARLIER MBC STUDY. MEDITATION PRACTICE SHOWED THE STRONGEST ASSOCIATION WITH LOWER DAILY PAIN. CONCLUSION: FINDINGS SUGGEST THAT YOGA PRACTICE (MEDITATION PRACTICE IN PARTICULAR) IS ASSOCIATED WITH ACUTE IMPROVEMENTS IN CANCER PAIN, AND THAT YOGA INTERVENTIONS MAY BE MORE IMPACTFUL IF TESTED IN A SAMPLE OF PATIENTS WITH ADVANCED CANCER IN WHICH PAIN IS RELATIVELY ELEVATED. 2021 16 1450 42 INFLUENCE OF INTENSITY AND DURATION OF YOGA ON ANXIETY AND DEPRESSION SCORES ASSOCIATED WITH CHRONIC ILLNESS. BACKGROUND: CHRONIC ILLNESS IS COMMONLY ASSOCIATED WITH ANXIETY AND DEPRESSION. BOTH ANXIETY AND DEPRESSION RESPOND TO YOGA. HOWEVER, THERE IS NO REPORT ON THE ASSOCIATION BETWEEN THE INTENSITY AND DURATION OF YOGA PRACTICE WITH THE BENEFITS SEEN. AIM: THE PRESENT STUDY WAS INTENDED TO DETERMINE WHETHER THE DAILY DURATION OF YOGA PRACTICE AND THE DURATION OF EXPERIENCE IN MONTHS WOULD PREDICT ANXIETY AND DEPRESSION, ASSOCIATED WITH CHRONIC ILLNESS. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: SEVEN HUNDRED AND SIXTY-THREE VOLUNTEERS WITH AGES BETWEEN 14 AND 86 YEARS (GROUP MEAN AGE STANDARD DEVIATION, 50.2 [14.2]) WHO ATTENDED A 7 DAY RESIDENTIAL YOGA CAMP IN THE NORTH OF INDIA WERE INCLUDED IN THIS CROSS-SECTIONAL STUDY. ALL PARTICIPANTS HAD CHRONIC ILLNESSES, WHICH WERE UNDER CONTROL WITH TREATMENT, AND WHICH WERE CATEGORIZED AND ARE DETAILED. PARTICIPANTS WERE ASSESSED FOR STATE ANXIETY SCORES USING STATE-TRAIT ANXIETY INVENTORY AND FOR ANXIETY WITH HOSPITAL ANXIETY AND DEPRESSION SCALE (HADS-A), AND DEPRESSION WAS ASSESSED USING HADS-D SCORES OF THE HADS. LINEAR MULTIPLE REGRESSION ANALYSES WERE PERFORMED USING PASW SPSS VERSION 18.0 (ARMONK, NEW YORK, U.S.) TO DETERMINE HOW THE DAILY AND MONTHLY DURATION OF YOGA PRACTICE COULD INFLUENCE STATE ANXIETY, HOSPITAL ANXIETY AND DEPRESSION OF THE PARTICIPANTS. RESULTS: YOGA PRACTICE IN MONTHS AND THE TIME SPENT PRACTICING YOGA EACH DAY SIGNIFICANTLY PREDICT THE LEVEL OF STATE ANXIETY (P < 0.001, P = 0.03) AND HAD-A (P < 0.01, P < 0.01). THE DURATION OF YOGA PRACTICE IN MONTHS ALONE WAS A SIGNIFICANT PREDICTOR OF THE HAD-D (P < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: THE RESULTS SUGGEST THAT THE DURATION OF YOGA PRACTICE IN MONTHS AND DAILY PRACTICE IN MINUTES PREDICT ANXIETY ASSOCIATED WITH CHRONIC ILLNESS. IN CONTRAST THE DURATION OF YOGA PRACTICE IN MONTHS ALONE, PREDICTED DEPRESSION SCORES. 2015 17 1267 40 FOLLOW-UP OF YOGA OF AWARENESS FOR FIBROMYALGIA: RESULTS AT 3 MONTHS AND REPLICATION IN THE WAIT-LIST GROUP. OBJECTIVES: PUBLISHED PRELIMINARY FINDINGS FROM A RANDOMIZED-CONTROLLED TRIAL SUGGEST THAT AN 8-WEEK YOGA OF AWARENESS INTERVENTION MAY BE EFFECTIVE FOR IMPROVING SYMPTOMS, FUNCTIONAL DEFICITS, AND COPING ABILITIES IN FIBROMYALGIA. THE PRIMARY AIMS OF THIS STUDY WERE TO EVALUATE THE SAME INTERVENTION'S POSTTREATMENT EFFECTS IN A WAIT-LIST GROUP AND TO TEST THE INTERVENTION'S EFFECTS AT 3-MONTH FOLLOW-UP IN THE IMMEDIATE TREATMENT GROUP. METHODS: UNPAIRED T TESTS WERE USED TO COMPARE DATA FROM A PER PROTOCOL SAMPLE OF 21 WOMEN IN THE IMMEDIATE TREATMENT GROUP WHO HAD COMPLETED TREATMENT AND 18 WOMEN IN THE WAIT-LIST GROUP WHO HAD COMPLETED TREATMENT. WITHIN-GROUP PAIRED T TESTS WERE PERFORMED TO COMPARE POSTTREATMENT DATA WITH 3-MONTH FOLLOW-UP DATA IN THE IMMEDIATE TREATMENT GROUP. THE PRIMARY OUTCOME MEASURE WAS THE FIBROMYALGIA IMPACT QUESTIONNAIRE REVISED (FIQR). MULTILEVEL RANDOM-EFFECTS MODELS WERE ALSO USED TO EXAMINE ASSOCIATIONS BETWEEN YOGA PRACTICE RATES AND OUTCOMES. RESULTS: POSTTREATMENT RESULTS IN THE WAIT-LIST GROUP LARGELY MIRRORED RESULTS SEEN AT POSTTREATMENT IN THE IMMEDIATE TREATMENT GROUP, WITH THE FIQR TOTAL SCORE IMPROVING BY 31.9% ACROSS THE 2 GROUPS. FOLLOW-UP RESULTS SHOWED THAT PATIENTS SUSTAINED MOST OF THEIR POSTTREATMENT GAINS, WITH THE FIQR TOTAL SCORE REMAINING 21.9% IMPROVED AT 3 MONTHS. YOGA PRACTICE RATES WERE GOOD, AND MORE PRACTICE WAS ASSOCIATED WITH MORE BENEFIT FOR A VARIETY OF OUTCOMES. DISCUSSION: THESE FINDINGS INDICATE THAT THE BENEFITS OF YOGA OF AWARENESS IN FIBROMYALGIA ARE REPLICABLE AND CAN BE MAINTAINED. 2012 18 2508 50 YOGA BREATHING FOR CANCER CHEMOTHERAPY-ASSOCIATED SYMPTOMS AND QUALITY OF LIFE: RESULTS OF A PILOT RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL. BACKGROUND: MANY DEBILITATING SYMPTOMS ARISE FROM CANCER AND ITS TREATMENT THAT ARE OFTEN UNRELIEVED BY ESTABLISHED METHODS. PRANAYAMA, A SERIES OF YOGIC BREATHING TECHNIQUES, MAY IMPROVE CANCER-RELATED SYMPTOMS AND QUALITY OF LIFE, BUT IT HAS NOT BEEN STUDIED FOR THIS PURPOSE. OBJECTIVES: A PILOT STUDY WAS PERFORMED TO EVALUATE FEASIBILITY AND TO TEST THE EFFECTS OF PRANAYAMA ON CANCER-ASSOCIATED SYMPTOMS AND QUALITY OF LIFE. DESIGN: THIS WAS A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED CLINICAL TRIAL COMPARING PRANAYAMA TO USUAL CARE. SETTING: THE STUDY WAS CONDUCTED AT A UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CENTER. SUBJECTS: PATIENTS RECEIVING CANCER CHEMOTHERAPY WERE RANDOMIZED TO RECEIVE PRANAYAMA IMMEDIATELY OR AFTER A WAITING PERIOD (CONTROL GROUP). INTERVENTIONS: THE PRANAYAMA INTERVENTION CONSISTED OF FOUR BREATHING TECHNIQUES TAUGHT IN WEEKLY CLASSES AND PRACTICED AT HOME. THE TREATMENT GROUP RECEIVED PRANAYAMA DURING TWO CONSECUTIVE CYCLES OF CHEMOTHERAPY. THE CONTROL GROUP RECEIVED USUAL CARE DURING THEIR FIRST CYCLE, AND RECEIVED PRANAYAMA DURING THEIR SECOND CYCLE OF CHEMOTHERAPY. OUTCOME MEASURES: FEASIBILITY, CANCER-ASSOCIATED SYMPTOMS (FATIGUE, SLEEP DISTURBANCE, ANXIETY, DEPRESSION, STRESS), AND QUALITY OF LIFE WERE THE OUTCOMES. RESULTS: CLASS ATTENDANCE WAS NEARLY 100% IN BOTH GROUPS. SIXTEEN (16) PARTICIPANTS WERE INCLUDED IN THE FINAL INTENT-TO-TREAT ANALYSES. THE REPEATED-MEASURES ANALYSES DEMONSTRATED THAT ANY INCREASE IN PRANAYAMA DOSE, WITH DOSE MEASURED IN THE NUMBER OF HOURS PRACTICED IN CLASS OR AT HOME, RESULTED IN IMPROVED SYMPTOM AND QUALITY-OF-LIFE SCORES. SEVERAL OF THESE ASSOCIATIONS--SLEEP DISTURBANCE (P=0.04), ANXIETY (P=0.04), AND MENTAL QUALITY OF LIFE (P=0.05)--REACHED OR APPROACHED STATISTICAL SIGNIFICANCE. CONCLUSIONS: YOGA BREATHING WAS A FEASIBLE INTERVENTION AMONG PATIENTS WITH CANCER RECEIVING CHEMOTHERAPY. PRANAYAMA MAY IMPROVE SLEEP DISTURBANCE, ANXIETY, AND MENTAL QUALITY OF LIFE. A DOSE-RESPONSE RELATIONSHIP WAS FOUND BETWEEN PRANAYAMA USE AND IMPROVEMENTS IN CHEMOTHERAPY-ASSOCIATED SYMPTOMS AND QUALITY OF LIFE. THESE FINDINGS NEED TO BE CONFIRMED IN A LARGER STUDY. 2012 19 1456 42 INFLUENCE OF YOGA AND AEROBICS EXERCISE ON FATIGUE, PAIN AND PSYCHOSOCIAL STATUS IN PATIENTS WITH MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS: A RANDOMIZED TRIAL. BACKGROUND: MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS (MS) IS AN AUTOIMMUNE DISEASE INVOLVING BRAIN AND SPINAL CORD. WEAKNESS, COGNITIVE IMPAIRMENT, PAIN, DEPRESSION AND FATIGUE, AS COMMON SYMPTOMS OF MS, MAY SIGNIFICANTLY AFFECT ON GENERAL HEALTH OF MS PATIENTS. THIS STUDY AIMED TO INVESTIGATE THE INFLUENCE OF YOGA AND AEROBIC EXERCISE ON FATIGUE, PAIN, AND PSYCHOSOCIAL STATUS AMONG THESE PATIENTS. METHODS: IN A RANDOMIZED CLINICAL TRIAL STUDY ON 90 PATIENTS WHOM WERE RANDOMLY ASSIGNED TO THREE EQUAL GROUPS OF YOGA EXERCISES, AEROBICS EXERCISES, AND CONTROL GROUP. THE EXERCISE PROGRAM WAS PERFORMED AS THREE SESSIONS PER WEEK FOR 12 WEEKS. THE EXERCISE PROGRAM INCLUDED 40 MINUTES, INCLUDING 5-10 MINUTES FOR WARM-UP, 25-30 MINUTES OF EXERCISE (WALKING), AND 5 MINUTES FOR COOLING DOWN. YOGA EXERCISES WERE SCHEDULED THREE SESSIONS A WEEK FOR 12 WEEKS AS WELL. RESULTS: THERE WAS NO SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCE IN FATIGUE, PAIN SEVERITY AND PSYCHOLOGICAL STATUS AMONG THREE GROUPS PRIOR TO THE STUDY, BUT AFTER THE STUDY, IN YOGA AND EXERCISE GROUPS, FATIGUE PHYSICAL FUNCTION, PHYSICAL AND EMOTIONAL ROLE WHICH PATIENTS PLAY THROUGHOUT DAILY LIFE, SOCIAL FUNCTION, ENERGY, MENTAL STATUS AND OVERALL HYGIENE INCREASED, AND THE PAIN AND FATIGUE WERE RELIEVED IN THE PATIENTS. CONCLUSIONS: YOGA AND AEROBICS EXERCISE COULD DECREASE SOME OF THE MS SYMPTOMS, THERAPEUTIC COSTS, HOSPITAL STAY, AND DAYS LOST FROM WORK AS WELL AS INCREASING THE PATIENTS' EFFICIENCY. 2016 20 248 41 A YOGA INTERVENTION FOR YOUNG ADULTS WITH ELEVATED SYMPTOMS OF DEPRESSION. CONTEXT: YOGA TEACHERS AND STUDENTS OFTEN REPORT THAT YOGA HAS AN UPLIFTING EFFECT ON THEIR MOODS, BUT SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH ON YOGA AND DEPRESSION IS LIMITED. OBJECTIVE: TO EXAMINE THE EFFECTS OF A SHORT-TERM IYENGAR YOGA COURSE ON MOOD IN MILDLY DEPRESSED YOUNG ADULTS. DESIGN: YOUNG ADULTS PRE-SCREENED FOR MILD LEVELS OF DEPRESSION WERE RANDOMLY ASSIGNED TO A YOGA COURSE OR WAIT-LIST CONTROL GROUP. SETTING: COLLEGE CAMPUS RECREATION CENTER. PARTICIPANTS: TWENTY-EIGHT VOLUNTEERS AGES 18 TO 29. AT INTAKE, ALL PARTICIPANTS WERE EXPERIENCING MILD LEVELS OF DEPRESSION, BUT HAD RECEIVED NO CURRENT PSYCHIATRIC DIAGNOSES OR TREATMENTS. NONE HAD SIGNIFICANT YOGA EXPERIENCE. INTERVENTION: SUBJECTS IN THE YOGA GROUP ATTENDED TWO 1-HOUR IYENGAR YOGA CLASSES EACH WEEK FOR 5 CONSECUTIVE WEEKS. THE CLASSES EMPHASIZED YOGA POSTURES THOUGHT TO ALLEVIATE DEPRESSION, PARTICULARLY BACK BENDS, STANDING POSES, AND INVERSIONS. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: BECK DEPRESSION INVENTORY, STATE-TRAIT ANXIETY INVENTORY, PROFILE OF MOOD STATES, MORNING CORTISOL LEVELS. RESULTS: SUBJECTS WHO PARTICIPATED IN THE YOGA COURSE DEMONSTRATED SIGNIFICANT DECREASES IN SELF-REPORTED SYMPTOMS OF DEPRESSION AND TRAIT ANXIETY. THESE EFFECTS EMERGED BY THE MIDDLE OF THE YOGA COURSE AND WERE MAINTAINED BY THE END. CHANGES ALSO WERE OBSERVED IN ACUTE MOOD, WITH SUBJECTS REPORTING DECREASED LEVELS OF NEGATIVE MOOD AND FATIGUE FOLLOWING YOGA CLASSES. FINALLY, THERE WAS A TREND FOR HIGHER MORNING CORTISOL LEVELS IN THE YOGA GROUP BY THE END OF THE YOGA COURSE, COMPARED TO CONTROLS. THESE FINDINGS PROVIDE SUGGESTIVE EVIDENCE OF THE UTILITY OF YOGA ASANAS IN IMPROVING MOOD AND SUPPORT THE NEED FOR FUTURE STUDIES WITH LARGER SAMPLES AND MORE COMPLEX STUDY DESIGNS TO MORE FULLY EVALUATE THE EFFECTS OF YOGA ON MOOD DISTURBANCES. 2004