1 852 81 EFFECT OF YOGA ON THE MENSTRUAL PAIN, PHYSICAL FITNESS, AND QUALITY OF LIFE OF YOUNG WOMEN WITH PRIMARY DYSMENORRHEA. THE AIM OF THE PRESENT STUDY WAS TO INVESTIGATE EFFECT OF SPECIALLY DESIGNED YOGA PROGRAM ON THE MENSTRUAL PAIN, PHYSICAL FITNESS, AND QUALITY OF LIFE (QOL) OF NON-ATHLETE WOMEN WITH PRIMARY DYSMENORRHEA (PD) AGED 18-22 YEARS. THIRTY-FOUR VOLUNTEERS WERE RANDOMLY ASSIGNED INTO CONTROL AND YOGA GROUPS. MENSTRUAL PAIN, PHYSICAL FITNESS, AND QOL WERE EVALUATED AT BASELINE AND AT THE END OF THE 12-WEEK STUDY PERIOD. THE YOGA GROUP WAS ASKED TO PRACTICE YOGA FOR 30 MIN PER DAY, TWICE A WEEK, FOR 12 WEEKS AT HOME, WHILE THE CONTROL GROUP DID NOT RECEIVE ANY FORM OF EXERCISE OVER THE STUDY PERIOD. THERE WERE SIGNIFICANT IMPROVE IN MENSTRUAL PAIN, PHYSICAL FITNESS, AND QOL IN THE YOGA GROUP MORE THAN THE CONTROL GROUP. THEREFORE, THIS SPECIALLY DESIGNED YOGA PROGRAM MAY BE A POSSIBLE COMPLEMENTARY TREATMENT FOR PD. 2017 2 766 32 EFFECT OF THREE YOGA POSES (COBRA, CAT AND FISH POSES) IN WOMEN WITH PRIMARY DYSMENORRHEA: A RANDOMIZED CLINICAL TRIAL. OBJECTIVE: WE HAVE EVALUATED THE CLINICAL EFFICACY OF YOGA FOR PRIMARY DYSMENORRHEA. PRIMARY DYSMENORRHEA OCCURS IN 50% OF FEMALE ADOLESCENTS AND IS A COMMON PROBLEM IN WOMEN OF REPRODUCTIVE AGE. WE HAVE ASSESSED WHETHER THREE YOGA POSES (COBRA, CAT, AND FISH POSES) ARE ABLE TO REDUCE SEVERITY AND DURATION OF PRIMARY DYSMENORRHEA. METHODS: TO DETERMINE THE EFFECTIVENESS OF YOGA IN ADOLESCENTS WITH PRIMARY DYSMENORRHEA, 92 GIRL STUDENTS,18-22 YEARS OLD, WERE RANDOMLY ASSIGNED TO AN EXPERIMENTAL GROUP (N = 50) AND A CONTROL GROUP (N = 42). THE VISUAL ANALOG SCALE FOR PAIN WAS USED TO ASSESS INTENSITY OF PAIN AND THE PAIN DURATION WAS CALCULATED IN TERMS OF HOURS. EACH GROUP WAS EVALUATED FOR THREE MENSTRUAL CYCLES. AT FIRST CYCLE NO METHOD WAS PRESENTED; THE PARTICIPANTS ONLY WERE ASKED TO COMPLETE THE QUESTIONNAIRE OF MENSTRUAL CHARACTERISTICS DURING THEIR MENSTRUAL. THEN THE PARTICIPANTS WERE ASKED BY THE EXPERIMENTAL GROUP TO DO YOGA POSES AT LUTEAL PHASE, AND ALSO TO COMPLETE THE MENSTRUAL CHARACTERISTICS QUESTIONNAIRE IN DURING OF MENSTRUATION. THE CONTROL GROUP DID NOT RECEIVE ANY INTERVENTION EXCEPT TO COMPLETE MENSTRUAL CHARACTERISTICS QUESTIONNAIRE IN DURING OF MENSTRUATION. RESULTS: THERE WAS A SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCE IN THE PAIN INTENSITY AND PAIN DURATION IN THE POST-TESTS COMPARED WITH THE PRETEST IN YOGA GROUP (P < 0.05). THE RESULTS SHOWED THAT COMPARED WITH THE CONTROL GROUP, THERE WAS A SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCE IN THE PAIN INTENSITY AND PAIN DURATION IN THE EXPERIMENTAL GROUP (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: YOGA REDUCED THE SEVERITY AND DURATION OF PRIMARY DYSMENORRHEA. THE FINDINGS SUGGEST THAT YOGA POSES ARE SAFE AND SIMPLE TREATMENT FOR PRIMARY DYSMENORRHEA. 2011 3 2107 36 THE EFFECT OF YOGA ON PAIN LEVEL IN PRIMARY DYSMENORRHEA. THIS STUDY WAS CONDUCTED TO EVALUATE THE EFFECT OF YOGA ON PAIN LEVELS IN FEMALE STUDENTS WITH PRIMARY DYSMENORRHEA. THIS STUDY IS A RANDOMIZED EXPERIMENTAL STUDY WITH CONTROL GROUP AND PRETEST POST-TEST PRACTICE. THIS STUDY INCLUDED 60 VOLUNTEER FEMALE STUDENTS (30 EXPERIMENTAL AND 30 CONTROL GROUPS). THE PATIENTS IN THE EXPERIMENTAL GROUP TOOK PART IN THE YOGA PROGRAM A TOTAL OF 12 SESSIONS, ONCE PER WEEK FOR 12 WEEKS. "PERSONAL INFORMATION FORM", "VISUAL ANALOG SKALA (VAS)" AND "DYSMENORRHEA MONITORING FORM (DMF)" WERE USED IN DATA COLLECTION PROCESS. TO MEASURE DYSMENORRHEA PAIN, THE STUDENTS WERE REQUESTED TO MARK A NUMBER BETWEEN 1 AND 10 ON THE VAS SCALE ACCORDING TO THE SEVERITY OF THEIR PAIN ON THE MENSTRUATION STARTING DATE. THE YOGA APPLICATIONS WERE USED FOR THREE MENSTRUAL CYCLES. THE MEAN AGE OF THE STUDENTS IN THE EXPERIMENTAL GROUP WAS 20.30 +/- 0.46, WHILE THE MEAN AGE OF THE STUDENTS IN THE CONTROL GROUP WAS 20.46 +/- 0.50. THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE PAIN LEVELS OF THE STUDENTS IN THE EXPERIMENTAL GROUP IN THE FIRST, SECOND, THIRD AND FOURTH MEASUREMENTS WAS FOUND TO BE STATISTICALLY SIGNIFICANT (P < 0.001). IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE PAIN LEVELS OF THE STUDENTS IN THE CONTROL GROUP IN THE FIRST, SECOND, THIRD AND FOURTH MEASUREMENTS WAS NOT STATISTICALLY SIGNIFICANT (P > 0.05). YOGA CAN BE USED AS AN EFFECTIVE INTERVENTION IN REDUCING MENSTRUAL PAIN IN WOMEN WITH PRIMARY DYSMENORRHEA. 2021 4 60 37 A COMPARISON OF THE EFFECTS OF HATHA YOGA AND RESISTANCE EXERCISE ON MENTAL HEALTH AND WELL-BEING IN SEDENTARY ADULTS: A PILOT STUDY. OBJECTIVES: PHYSICAL ACTIVITY HAS A POSITIVE EFFECT ON PEOPLE'S MENTAL HEALTH AND WELL-BEING. THE AIM OF THIS STUDY WAS TO COMPARE THE EFFECTS OF HATHA YOGA AND RESISTANCE EXERCISES ON MENTAL HEALTH AND WELL-BEING IN SEDENTARY ADULTS. DESIGN: RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED STUDY. METHODS: FIFTY-ONE PARTICIPANTS AGED MEAN (SD) 25.6 (5.7) YEARS WERE RANDOMLY DIVIDED INTO THREE GROUPS: HATHA YOGA GROUP, RESISTANCE EXERCISE GROUP AND CONTROL GROUP. THE HATHA YOGA GROUP AND RESISTANCE EXERCISE GROUP PARTICIPATED IN SESSIONS THREE DAYS PER WEEK FOR 7 WEEKS AND THE CONTROL GROUP DID NOT PARTICIPATE IN ANY SESSIONS. ALL THE SUBJECTS WERE EVALUATED THROUGH THE ROSENBERG SELF-ESTEEM SCALE, BECK DEPRESSION INVENTORY, BODY CATHEXIS SCALE, NOTTINGHAM HEALTH PROFILE AND VISUAL ANALOG SCALE FOR FATIGUE PRE-AND POST-SESSION. RESULTS: SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENTS WERE FOUND IN TERMS OF ALL OUTCOME MEASURES IN THE HATHA YOGA GROUP AND THE RESISTANCE EXERCISE GROUP. NO IMPROVEMENTS WERE FOUND IN THE CONTROL GROUP. HATHA YOGA MORE IMPROVED THE DIMENSIONS FATIGUE, SELF-ESTEEM, AND QUALITY OF LIFE, WHILST RESISTANCE EXERCISE TRAINING MORE IMPROVED BODY IMAGE. HATHA YOGA AND RESISTANCE EXERCISE DECREASED DEPRESSION SYMPTOMS AT A SIMILAR LEVEL. CONCLUSION: THE RESULTS INDICATED THAT HATHA YOGA AND RESISTANCE EXERCISE HAD POSITIVE EFFECTS ON MENTAL HEALTH AND WELL-BEING IN SEDENTARY ADULTS. HATHA YOGA AND RESISTANCE EXERCISE MAY AFFECT DIFFERENT ASPECTS OF MENTAL HEALTH AND WELL-BEING. 2014 5 2109 30 THE EFFECT OF YOGA ON RESPIRATORY FUNCTIONS, SYMPTOM CONTROL AND LIFE QUALITY OF ASTHMA PATIENTS: A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED STUDY. AIM: THIS STUDY WAS CONDUCTED TO FIND OUT THE EFFECT OF YOGA APPLIED TO ASTHMA PATIENTS ON THE PATIENTS' RESPIRATORY FUNCTIONS, SYMPTOM CONTROL AND QUALITY OF LIFE. METHODS: THE SAMPLE OF THE STUDY CONSISTED OF A TOTAL OF RANDOMLY CHOSEN 112 ASTHMA PATIENTS, 56 IN THE EXPERIMENTAL GROUP AND 56 IN THE CONTROL GROUP, WHO MET THE RESEARCH CRITERIA AND WHO AGREED TO PARTICIPATE IN THE STUDY. A TOTAL OF 12 YOGA SESSIONS, 2 SESSIONS A WEEK FOR 6 WEEKS, WAS APPLIED TO THE PATIENTS IN THE EXPERIMENTAL GROUP. THE PATIENTS IN THE CONTROL GROUP DID NOT RECEIVE ANY INTERVENTION. RESULTS: IN THE INTRAGROUP COMPARISON OF AVERAGE PRE-TEST AND POST-TEST SCORES OF RESPIRATORY FUNCTION AND ASTHMA CONTROL TEST (ACT) AND ASTHMA QUALITY OF LIFE SCALE (AQLQ) TOTAL AND SUB-DIMENSION SCORES OF THE PATIENTS IN THE EXPERIMENTAL AND CONTROL GROUP, THE DIFFERENCE WAS FOUND TO BE STATISTICALLY SIGNIFICANT (P<0.05). IN ADDITION, POST-TEST SCORE AVERAGES WERE FOUND TO INCREASE IN THE EXPERIMENTAL GROUP, WHILE THEY WERE FOUND TO DECREASE IN THE CONTROL GROUP. CONCLUSION: IT WAS FOUND THAT YOGA INFLUENCED RESPIRATORY FUNCTIONS, SYMPTOM CONTROL AND QUALITY OF LIFE POSITIVELY IN ASTHMA PATIENTS. THE CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER IS NCT04107415/HTTPS://CLINICALTRIALS.GOV/CT2/SHOW/NCT04107415. 2020 6 1076 32 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 7 748 27 EFFECT OF SAHAJA YOGA MEDITATION ON QUALITY OF LIFE, ANXIETY, AND BLOOD PRESSURE CONTROL. OBJECTIVE: THE PRESENT STUDY INVESTIGATES THE EFFECT OF SAHAJA YOGA MEDITATION ON QUALITY OF LIFE, ANXIETY, AND BLOOD PRESSURE CONTROL. DESIGN: THE PROSPECTIVE OBSERVATIONAL COHORT STUDY ENROLLED TWO STUDY GROUPS: THOSE RECEIVING TREATMENT FROM THE INTERNATIONAL SAHAJA YOGA RESEARCH AND HEALTH CENTER (MEDITATION GROUP) AND THOSE RECEIVING TREATMENT FROM THE MAHATMA GANDHI MISSION HOSPITAL (CONTROL GROUP). RESEARCHERS MEASURED QUALITY OF LIFE, ANXIETY, AND BLOOD PRESSURE BEFORE AND AFTER TREATMENT. RESULTS: SIXTY-SEVEN (67) PARTICIPANTS IN THE MEDITATION GROUP AND 62 PARTICIPANTS IN THE CONTROL GROUP COMPLETED THE STUDY. THE TWO GROUPS WERE COMPARABLE IN DEMOGRAPHIC AND CLINICAL CHARACTERISTICS. AT BASELINE, THE MEDITATION GROUP HAD HIGHER QUALITY OF LIFE (P<0.001) THAN CONTROLS BUT SIMILAR ANXIETY LEVEL (P=0.74) TO CONTROLS. WITHIN-GROUP PRE- VERSUS POST-TREATMENT COMPARISONS SHOWED SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENT IN QUALITY OF LIFE, ANXIETY, AND BLOOD PRESSURE IN THE MEDITATION GROUP (P<0.001), WHILE IN CONTROLS, QUALITY OF LIFE DETERIORATED AND THERE WAS NO IMPROVEMENT IN BLOOD PRESSURE. THE IMPROVEMENT IN QUALITY OF LIFE, ANXIETY REDUCTION, AND BLOOD PRESSURE CONTROL WAS GREATER IN THE MEDITATION GROUP. THE BENEFICIAL EFFECT OF MEDITATION REMAINED SIGNIFICANT AFTER ADJUSTING FOR CONFOUNDERS. CONCLUSIONS: MEDITATION TREATMENT WAS ASSOCIATED WITH SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENTS IN QUALITY OF LIFE, ANXIETY REDUCTION, AND BLOOD PRESSURE CONTROL. 2012 8 428 33 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 9 1823 29 PSYCHO-BIOLOGICAL CHANGES WITH ADD ON YOGA NIDRA IN PATIENTS WITH MENSTRUAL DISORDERS: A RANDOMIZED CLINICAL TRIAL. INTRODUCTION: MENSTRUAL DISORDERS ARE COMMON PROBLEMS AMONG WOMEN IN THE REPRODUCTIVE AGE GROUP. YUGA INTERVENTIONS MAY DECREASE THE PHYSICAL AND PSYCHOLOGICAL PROBLEMS RELATED TO MENSTRUAL DISORDERS. THE PRESENT STUDY WAS AIMED TO ASSESS THE EFFECT OF YOGA NIDRA ON PSYCHOLOGICAL PROBLEMS IN PATIENTS WITH MENSTRUAL DISORDERS. METHODS: A TOTAL NUMBER OF 100 WOMEN RECRUITED FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF OBSTETRICS AND GYNECOLOGY AND WERE THEN RANDOMLY ALLOCATED INTO TWO GROUPS: A) INTERVENTION RECEIVED YOGIC INTERVENTION AND MEDICATION FOR 6 MONTH, AND B) CONTROL GROUP RECEIVED NO YOGIC INTERVENTION AND THEY ONLY RECEIVED PRESCRIBED MEDICATION). PSYCHOLOGICAL GENERAL WELL-BEING INDEX (PGWBI) AND HORMONAL PROFILE WERE ASSESSED AT THE TIME OF BEFORE AND AFTER SIX MONTHS ON BOTH GROUPS. RESULTS: THE MEAN SCORE OF ANXIETY, DEPRESSION, POSITIVE WELL-BEING, GENERAL HEALTH, AND VITALITY SCORES, AS WELL AS HORMONAL LEVELS, IN POSTTEST WERE SIGNIFICANTLY DIFFERENT IN INTERVENTION GROUP AS COMPARED WITH PRETEST. BUT THERE WAS NO SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCE IN CONTROL GROUP. CONCLUSION: YOGA NIDRA CAN BE A SUCCESSFUL THERAPY TO OVERCOME THE PSYCHIATRIC MORBIDITY ASSOCIATED WITH MENSTRUAL IRREGULARITIES. THEREFORE, YOGIC RELAXATION TRAINING (YOGA NIDRA) COULD BE PRESCRIBED AS AN ADJUNCT TO CONVENTIONAL DRUG THERAPY FOR MENSTRUAL DYSFUNCTION. 2016 10 731 31 EFFECT OF MINDFULNESS YOGA ON DEPRESSION SEVERITY, SELF-ESTEEM, AND QUALITY OF LIFE IN MIDDLE-AGED MEN. BACKGROUND: WE AIMED TO CONDUCT A MINDFULNESS YOGA PROGRAM TO TREAT THE PSYCHOLOGICAL PROBLEMS OF MIDDLE-AGED MEN BY EXAMINING THE EFFECTS OF A MINDFULNESS YOGA PROGRAM ON DEPRESSION, SELF-ESTEEM, AND QUALITY OF LIFE IN THIS POPULATION. METHODS: THE PARTICIPANTS INCLUDED 50 MIDDLE-AGED MEN (AGED 40-60 YR) LIVING IN SEONGNAM-SI, KOREA. TWENTY-FIVE MEN WERE RANDOMLY ASSIGNED TO THE EXPERIMENTAL GROUP AND 25 WERE ASSIGNED TO THE CONTROL GROUP. THE MINDFULNESS YOGA PROGRAM WAS CONDUCTED TWICE A WEEK FOR 12 WEEKS, AND EACH SESSION LASTED APPROXIMATELY 75 MIN. BEFORE THE FIRST SESSION, A PRE-TEST WAS CONDUCTED, AFTER WHICH THE PROGRAM BEGAN. QUESTIONNAIRES WERE COMPLETED AFTER THE 4TH, 8TH, AND 12TH WEEKS OF THE PROGRAM, AND THE CONTROL GROUP UNDERWENT PSYCHOLOGICAL TESTS AT THE SAME TIME POINTS. A TWO-WAY (2 X 4) REPEATED MEASURES ANALYSIS OF VARIANCE WAS CONDUCTED, AND WHEN THE INTERACTION EFFECT WAS SIGNIFICANT, A POST-HOC TEST (BONFERRONI) WAS PERFORMED. RESULTS: IN THE INTERVENTION GROUP, DEPRESSION SEVERITY SIGNIFICANTLY DECREASED (P<0.001) AND SELF-ESTEEM SIGNIFICANTLY INCREASED (P<0.01). FURTHERMORE, THE INTERVENTION GROUP ALSO SHOWED A SIGNIFICANT INCREASE IN PSYCHOLOGICAL (P<0.001), SOCIAL (P<0.001), AND OVERALL QUALITY OF LIFE (P<0.001) AMONG THE SUB-DIMENSIONS OF QUALITY OF LIFE. CONCLUSION: MIDDLE-AGED MEN SHOULD BE MADE AWARE OF THE USEFULNESS OF MINDFULNESS YOGA AND ENCOURAGED TO PARTICIPATE IN SUCH PROGRAMS. MINDFULNESS YOGA MAY BE CONSIDERED AS AN ALTERNATIVE TREATMENT STRATEGY THAT PROMOTES THE NATURAL HEALING AND MANAGEMENT OF PSYCHOLOGICAL ISSUES FACED BY MIDDLE-AGED MEN. 2021 11 998 28 EFFECTS OF INTEGRATED YOGA ON QUALITY OF LIFE AND INTERPERSONAL RELATIONSHIP OF PREGNANT WOMEN. PURPOSE: THE OBJECTIVE OF THIS STUDY WAS TO INVESTIGATE THE EFFECTS OF INTEGRATED YOGA ON THE QUALITY OF LIFE AND INTERPERSONAL RELATIONSHIPS IN NORMAL PREGNANT WOMEN. METHODS: ONE HUNDRED AND TWO PREGNANT WOMEN BETWEEN 18 AND 20 WEEKS OF GESTATION WHO MET THE INCLUSION CRITERIA WERE RECRUITED FROM THE OBSTETRIC UNITS IN BANGALORE AND WERE RANDOMLY ASSIGNED TO TWO GROUPS OF YOGA (N = 51) AND CONTROL (N = 51). WOMEN WITH MEDICAL CONDITIONS THAT COULD POTENTIALLY LEAD TO PREGNANCY COMPLICATIONS AND THOSE WITH ABNORMAL FETAL PARAMETERS WERE EXCLUDED. THE YOGA GROUP RECEIVED INTEGRATED YOGA WHILE CONTROL GROUP RECEIVED STANDARD ANTENATAL EXERCISES, BOTH FOR 1-H THREE TIMES A WEEK FROM 20TH TO 36TH WEEK OF GESTATION. PRE AND POST ASSESSMENTS WERE DONE USING WHOQOL-100 AND FIRO-B QUESTIONNAIRES. RESULTS: OF THE SIX DOMAINS OF WHOQOL-100, BETWEEN GROUPS ANALYSIS SHOWED SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENTS IN THE YOGA GROUP COMPARED TO THE CONTROL IN THE PHYSICAL (P = 0.001), PSYCHOLOGICAL (P < 0.001), SOCIAL (P = 0.003), AND ENVIRONMENTAL DOMAINS (P = 0.001). IN FIRO-B, THE YOGA GROUP SHOWED SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENTS IN 'EXPRESSED INCLUSION' (P = 0.02) AND 'WANTED CONTROL' (P = 0.009) DOMAINS COMPARED TO THE CONTROL GROUP. CONCLUSION: THE INTEGRATED YOGA IS AN EFFICACIOUS MEANS OF IMPROVING THE QUALITY OF LIFE OF PREGNANT WOMEN AND ENHANCING CERTAIN ASPECTS OF THEIR INTERPERSONAL RELATIONSHIPS. 2010 12 159 29 A RANDOMISED COMPARATIVE TRIAL OF YOGA AND RELAXATION TO REDUCE STRESS AND ANXIETY. OBJECTIVE: TO COMPARE YOGA AND RELAXATION AS TREATMENT MODALITIES AT 10 AND 16 WEEKS FROM STUDY BASELINE TO DETERMINE IF EITHER OF MODALITY REDUCES SUBJECT STRESS, ANXIETY, BLOOD PRESSURE AND IMPROVE QUALITY OF LIFE. DESIGN: A RANDOMISED COMPARATIVE TRIAL WAS UNDERTAKEN COMPARING YOGA WITH RELAXATION. PARTICIPANTS: ONE HUNDRED AND THIRTY-ONE SUBJECTS WITH MILD TO MODERATE LEVELS OF STRESS WERE RECRUITED FROM THE COMMUNITY IN SOUTH AUSTRALIA. INTERVENTIONS: TEN WEEKLY 1- H SESSIONS OF RELAXATION OR HATHA YOGA. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: CHANGES IN THE STATE TRAIT PERSONALITY INVENTORY SUB-SCALE ANXIETY, GENERAL HEALTH QUESTIONNAIRE AND THE SHORT FORM-36. RESULTS: FOLLOWING THE 10 WEEK INTERVENTION STRESS, ANXIETY AND QUALITY OF LIFE SCORES IMPROVED OVER TIME. YOGA WAS FOUND TO BE AS EFFECTIVE AS RELAXATION IN REDUCING STRESS, ANXIETY AND IMPROVING HEALTH STATUS ON SEVEN DOMAINS OF THE SF-36. YOGA WAS MORE EFFECTIVE THAN RELAXATION IN IMPROVING MENTAL HEALTH. AT THE END OF THE 6 WEEK FOLLOW-UP PERIOD THERE WERE NO DIFFERENCES BETWEEN GROUPS IN LEVELS OF STRESS, ANXIETY AND ON FIVE DOMAINS OF THE SF-36. VITALITY, SOCIAL FUNCTION AND MENTAL HEALTH SCORES ON THE SF-36 WERE HIGHER IN THE RELAXATION GROUP DURING THE FOLLOW-UP PERIOD. CONCLUSION: YOGA APPEARS TO PROVIDE A COMPARABLE IMPROVEMENT IN STRESS, ANXIETY AND HEALTH STATUS COMPARED TO RELAXATION. 2007 13 1380 31 IMPACT OF LONG TERM YOGA PRACTICE ON SLEEP QUALITY AND QUALITY OF LIFE IN THE ELDERLY. BACKGROUND: SLEEP DISTURBANCES AND DECLINE IN THE PHYSICAL FUNCTIONALITY ARE COMMON CONDITIONS ASSOCIATED WITH AGING. PHARMACOLOGICAL TREATMENT OF SLEEP DISTURBANCES CAN BE ASSOCIATED WITH VARIOUS ADVERSE EFFECTS. SHORT TERM TRIALS OF YOGA ON SLEEP HAVE SHOWN BENEFICIAL EFFECTS. OBJECTIVES: TO EVALUATE THE EFFECT OF LONG-TERM YOGA EXERCISES ON SLEEP QUALITY AND QUALITY OF LIFE (QOL) IN THE ELDERLY. MATERIALS AND METHODS: THIS WAS A CROSS-SECTIONAL STUDY IN WHICH DATA WERE COLLECTED FROM ELDERLY PEOPLE AGED 60 YEARS OR MORE LIVING IN NAGPUR CITY. WE EMPLOYED TWO TYPES OF SURVEY QUESTIONNAIRES: PITTSBURGH SLEEP QUALITY INDEX (PSQI) AND QOL LEIDEN-PADUA (LEIPAD) QUESTIONNAIRE. A TOTAL OF 65 ELDERLY MEN AND WOMEN WHO SIGNED AN INFORMED CONSENT AND COMPLETED QUESTIONNAIRES WERE INCLUDED IN THE STUDY. SLEEP QUALITY SCORE PSQI AND QOL (LEIPAD QUESTIONNAIRE) SCORE OF THE STUDY GROUP WERE EVALUATED AND COMPARED WITH THE CONTROL GROUP USING MANN-WHITNEY U TEST. RESULTS: TOTAL PSQI SCORE IN YOGA GROUP WAS LOWER THAN THAT OF THE CONTROL GROUP. ALSO VARIOUS QOL SCORES OF THE YOGA GROUPS WERE HIGHER THAN THE CONTROL GROUP. CONCLUSION: ADDITION OF REGULAR YOGA EXERCISES IN THE DAILY ROUTINE OF ELDERLY PEOPLE CAN HELP TO ACHIEVE GOOD SLEEP QUALITY AS WELL AS IMPROVE THE QOL. 2013 14 459 36 CHANGES IN PAIN INTENSITY AND HEALTH RELATED QUALITY OF LIFE WITH IYENGAR YOGA IN NONSPECIFIC CHRONIC LOW BACK PAIN: A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED STUDY. BACKGROUND: NONSPECIFIC CHRONIC LOW BACK (NCLBP) PAIN IS PREVALENT AMONG ADULT POPULATION AND OFTEN LEADS TO FUNCTIONAL LIMITATIONS, PSYCHOLOGICAL SYMPTOMS, LOWER QUALITY OF LIFE (QOL), AND HIGHER HEALTHCARE COSTS. THE PURPOSE OF THIS STUDY WAS TO DETERMINE THE EFFICACY OF IYENGAR YOGA THERAPY ON PAIN INTENSITY AND HEALTH RELATED QUALITY OF LIFE (HRQOL) WITH NCLBP. AIM OF THE STUDY: TO COMPARE THE EFFECT OF IYENGAR YOGA THERAPY AND CONVENTIONAL EXERCISE THERAPY ON PAIN INTENSITY AND HRQOL IN NONSPECIFIC CHRONIC LOW BACK PAIN. MATERIALS AND METHODS: EXPERIMENTAL STUDY WITH RANDOM SAMPLING TECHNIQUE. SUBJECTS/INTERVENTION: SIXTY SUBJECTS WHO FULFILLED THE SELECTION CRITERIA WERE RANDOMLY ASSIGNED TO IYENGAR YOGA (YOGA GROUP, N = 30) AND CONTROL GROUP (EXERCISE GROUP, N = 30). PARTICIPANTS COMPLETED LOW BACK PAIN EVALUATION FORM AND HRQOL-4 QUESTIONNAIRE BEFORE THEIR INTERVENTION AND AGAIN 4 WEEKS AND 6 MONTH LATER. YOGA GROUP UNDERWENT 29 YOGIC POSTURES TRAINING AND EXERCISE GROUP HAD UNDERGONE GENERAL EXERCISE PROGRAM FOR 4 WEEKS. STATISTICS: REPEATED MEASURES ANALYSIS OF VARIANCE (ANOVA) WAS USED TO ANALYZE GROUP DIFFERENCES OVER TIME, WHILE CONTROLLING FOR BASELINE DIFFERENCES. RESULTS: PATIENTS IN BOTH GROUPS EXPERIENCED SIGNIFICANT REDUCTION IN PAIN AND IMPROVEMENT IN HRQOL. IN VISUAL ANALOGUE SCALE (VAS) YOGA GROUP SHOWED REDUCTION OF 72.81% (P = 0.001) AS COMPARED TO EXERCISE GROUP 42.50% (P = 0.001). IN HRQOL, YOGA GROUP SHOWED REDUCTION OF 86.99% (P = 0.001) AS COMPARED TO EXERCISE GROUP 67.66% (P = 0.001). CONCLUSION: THESE RESULTS SUGGEST THAT IYENGAR YOGA PROVIDES BETTER IMPROVEMENT IN PAIN REDUCTION AND IMPROVEMENT IN HRQOL IN NONSPECIFIC CHRONIC BACK PAIN THAN GENERAL EXERCISE. 2014 15 961 20 EFFECTS OF A YOGA NIDRA ON THE LIFE STRESS AND SELF-ESTEEM IN UNIVERSITY STUDENTS. OBJECTIVES: TO ASSESS THE EFFECTS OF A YOGA NIDRA ON LIFE STRESS AND SELF-ESTEEM IN UNIVERSITY STUDENTS. METHODS: THIS STUDY IS A NON-EQUIVALENT CONTROL GROUP PRETEST-POSTTEST DESIGN. FORTY UNIVERSITY STUDENTS WERE SELECTED BY CONVENIENCE SAMPLING, WITH 20 ASSIGNED TO A YOGA NIDRA GROUP AND 20 TO A CONTROL GROUP. THE YOGA GROUP PARTICIPATED IN BI-WEEKLY, 1-H SESSIONS OF YOGA NIDRA FOR 8 WEEKS. LIFE STRESS INTENSITY LEVEL WAS MEASURED USING A 10CM VISUAL ANALOG SCALE. SELF-ESTEEM SCORE WAS MEASURED BY ROSENBERG'S SELF-ESTEEM SCALE. RESULTS: THE YOGA NIDRA GROUP SHOWED SIGNIFICANTLY DECREASED LIFE STRESS INTENSITY LEVELS COMPARED TO THE CONTROL GROUP. THE YOGA GROUP ALSO SHOWED SIGNIFICANTLY INCREASED SELF-ESTEEM SCORES COMPARED TO THE CONTROL GROUP. CONCLUSIONS: THESE FINDINGS INDICATE THAT YOGA NIDRA COULD ALLEVIATE THE LIFE STRESS INTENSITY LEVEL AND INCREASE THE SELF-ESTEEM IN UNIVERSITY STUDENTS. 2019 16 500 26 COMBINING GROUP PSYCHOTHERAPY AND YOGA EXERCISES IMPROVES QUALITY OF LIFE IN MENTAL HEALTH PROFESSIONALS: A CONTROLLED RANDOMIZED CLINICAL TRIAL. PURPOSE: THIS STUDY AIMS TO INVESTIGATE THE EFFECTS OF COMBINING 12-WEEK GROUP PSYCHOTHERAPY WITH YOGA EXERCISES ON STRESS PERCEPTION AND QUALITY OF LIFE IN MENTAL HEALTH PROFESSIONALS. DESIGN/METHODOLOGY/APPROACH: THIS STUDY WAS A PARALLEL-ARM RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL, IN WHICH THE PARTICIPANTS WAS UNAWARE OF WHICH GROUP WAS THE EXPERIMENTAL ONE. PARTICIPANTS INVOLVED IN OUR RESEARCH WERE ASSIGNED TO TWO GROUPS OF SEPARATE TREATMENT THAT FOLLOWED FOR THREE MONTHS GROUP PSYCHOTHERAPY COMBINED WITH YOGA PROGRAM FOR STRESS MANAGEMENT OR USUAL STRESS COPING STRATEGIES. FINDINGS: THE FINDINGS DID NOT REVEAL A SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCE IN STRESS PERCEPTION ASSESSED IN THE TWO GROUPS EITHER BEFORE OR AFTER INTERVENTION BUT REVEAL A SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCE IN THE QUALITY OF LIFE IN THE TWO GROUPS BEFORE AND AFTER THE PSYCHO BEHAVIORAL INTERVENTIONS. ORIGINALITY/VALUE: THE FINDINGS DID NOT REVEAL A SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCE IN STRESS PERCEPTION ASSESSED IN THE TWO GROUPS EITHER BEFORE OR AFTER INTERVENTION BUT REVEAL A SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCE IN THE QUALITY OF LIFE IN THE TWO GROUPS BEFORE AND AFTER THE PSYCHO BEHAVIORAL INTERVENTIONS. 2019 17 1585 33 MEDICAL YOGA FOR PATIENTS WITH STRESS-RELATED SYMPTOMS AND DIAGNOSES IN PRIMARY HEALTH CARE: A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL. AN INCREASING NUMBER OF PATIENTS ARE SUFFERING FROM STRESS-RELATED SYMPTOMS AND DIAGNOSES. THE PURPOSE OF THIS STUDY WAS TO EVALUATE THE MEDICAL YOGA TREATMENT IN PATIENTS WITH STRESS-RELATED SYMPTOMS AND DIAGNOSES IN PRIMARY HEALTH CARE. A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED STUDY WAS PERFORMED AT A PRIMARY HEALTH CARE CENTRE IN SWEDEN FROM MARCH TO JUNE, 2011. PATIENTS WERE RANDOMLY ALLOCATED TO A CONTROL GROUP RECEIVING STANDARD CARE OR A YOGA GROUP TREATED WITH MEDICAL YOGA FOR 1 HOUR, ONCE A WEEK, OVER A 12-WEEK PERIOD IN ADDITION TO THE STANDARD CARE. A TOTAL OF 37 MEN AND WOMEN, MEAN AGE OF 53 +/- 12 YEARS WERE INCLUDED. GENERAL STRESS LEVEL (MEASURED USING PERCEIVED STRESS SCALE (PSS)), BURNOUT (SHIROM-MELAMED BURNOUT QUESTIONNAIRE (SMBQ)), ANXIETY AND DEPRESSION (HOSPITAL ANXIETY AND DEPRESSION SCALE (HADS)), INSOMNIA SEVERITY (INSOMNIA SEVERITY INDEX (ISI)), PAIN (VISUAL ANALOGUE SCALE (VAS)), AND OVERALL HEALTH STATUS (EURO QUALITY OF LIFE VAS (EQ-VAS)) WERE MEASURED BEFORE AND AFTER 12 WEEKS. PATIENTS ASSIGNED TO THE YOGA GROUP SHOWED SIGNIFICANTLY GREATER IMPROVEMENTS ON MEASURES OF GENERAL STRESS LEVEL (P < 0.000), ANXIETY (P < 0.019), AND OVERALL HEALTH STATUS (P < 0.018) COMPARED TO CONTROLS. TREATMENT WITH MEDICAL YOGA IS EFFECTIVE IN REDUCING LEVELS OF STRESS AND ANXIETY IN PATIENTS WITH STRESS-RELATED SYMPTOMS IN PRIMARY HEALTH CARE. 2013 18 2521 36 YOGA DECREASES INSOMNIA IN POSTMENOPAUSAL WOMEN: A RANDOMIZED CLINICAL TRIAL. OBJECTIVE: THE PRACTICE OF YOGA HAS BEEN PROVEN TO HAVE POSITIVE EFFECTS ON REDUCING INSOMNIA. STUDIES HAVE ALSO SHOWN ITS EFFECTS ON REDUCING CLIMACTERIC SYMPTOMS. TO DATE, HOWEVER, NO STUDIES THAT EVALUATE THE EFFECTS OF YOGA ON POSTMENOPAUSAL WOMEN WITH A DIAGNOSIS OF INSOMNIA IN A RANDOMIZED CLINICAL TRIAL HAVE BEEN CONDUCTED. THE AIM OF THIS STUDY WAS TO EVALUATE THE EFFECT OF YOGA PRACTICE ON THE PHYSICAL AND MENTAL HEALTH AND CLIMACTERIC SYMPTOMS OF POSTMENOPAUSAL WOMEN WITH A DIAGNOSIS OF INSOMNIA. METHODS: POSTMENOPAUSAL WOMEN NOT UNDERGOING HORMONE THERAPY, WHO WERE 50 TO 65 YEARS OLD, WHO HAD AN APNEA-HYPOPNEA INDEX LESS THAN 15, AND WHO HAD A DIAGNOSIS OF INSOMNIA WERE RANDOMLY ASSIGNED TO ONE OF THREE GROUPS, AS FOLLOWS: CONTROL, PASSIVE STRETCHING, AND YOGA. QUESTIONNAIRES WERE ADMINISTERED BEFORE AND 4 MONTHS AFTER THE INTERVENTION TO EVALUATE QUALITY OF LIFE, ANXIETY AND DEPRESSION SYMPTOMS, CLIMACTERIC SYMPTOMS, INSOMNIA SEVERITY, DAYTIME SLEEPINESS, AND STRESS. THE VOLUNTEERS ALSO UNDERWENT POLYSOMNOGRAPHY. THE STUDY LASTED 4 MONTHS. RESULTS: THERE WERE 44 VOLUNTEERS AT THE END OF THE STUDY. WHEN COMPARED WITH THE CONTROL GROUP, THE YOGA GROUP HAD SIGNIFICANTLY LOWER POSTTREATMENT SCORES FOR CLIMACTERIC SYMPTOMS AND INSOMNIA SEVERITY AND HIGHER SCORES FOR QUALITY OF LIFE AND RESISTANCE PHASE OF STRESS. THE REDUCTION IN INSOMNIA SEVERITY IN THE YOGA GROUP WAS SIGNIFICANTLY HIGHER THAN THAT IN THE CONTROL AND PASSIVE-STRETCHING GROUPS. CONCLUSIONS: THIS STUDY SHOWED THAT A SPECIFIC SEQUENCE OF YOGA MIGHT BE EFFECTIVE IN REDUCING INSOMNIA AND MENOPAUSAL SYMPTOMS AS WELL AS IMPROVING QUALITY OF LIFE IN POSTMENOPAUSAL WOMEN WITH INSOMNIA. 2012 19 2119 30 THE EFFECT OF YOGA THERAPY ON SELECTED PSYCHOLOGICAL VARIABLES AMONG MALE PATIENTS WITH INSOMNIA. BACKGROUND: AN ESTIMATED 30-50% OF THE GENERAL POPULATION IS AFFECTED BY INSOMNIA AND 10% HAVE CHRONIC INSOMNIA. YOGA THERAPY IS BENEFICIAL IN SUCH DISORDERS AND IT HAS FEWER SIDE EFFECTS. AIM: THE AIM OF THIS STUDY WAS TO FIND OUT THE EFFECT OF YOGA THERAPY ON SELECTED PSYCHOLOGICAL VARIABLES AMONG MEN WITH INSOMNIA. METHODS: FORTY MALES WITH INSOMNIA WERE DIVIDED RANDOMLY INTO 2 GROUPS (THE EXPERIMENTAL AND THE CONTROL GROUPS). THE EXPERIMENTAL GROUP RECEIVED EIGHT WEEKS OF YOGA THERAPY, WHILE THE CONTROL GROUP DID NOT RECEIVE ANY THERAPY. THE PRE AND POST TREATMENT STRESS AND THE SELF CONFIDENCE SCORES WERE TAKEN. RESULTS: THERE WAS A SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENT IN THE STRESS SCORES AND THE SELF CONFIDENCE SCORES IN THE EXPERIMENTAL GROUP. THERE WERE NEITHER ANY SIDE EFFECTS NOR ANY DROP OUTS. CONCLUSION: WE CONCLUDE THAT YOGA IS AN EFFECTIVE TREATMENT OPTION FOR THE PATIENTS WITH INSOMNIA. THERE ARE NO MAJOR SIDE EFFECTS. 2013 20 1056 31 EFFECTS OF YOGA ON DEPRESSION AND ANXIETY OF WOMEN. UNLABELLED: YOGA HAS OFTEN BEEN PERCEIVED AS A METHOD OF STRESS MANAGEMENT TOOL THAT CAN ASSIST IN ALLEVIATING DEPRESSION AND ANXIETY DISORDERS. THIS STUDY SOUGHT TO EVALUATE THE INFLUENCE OF YOGA IN RELIEVING SYMPTOMS OF DEPRESSION AND ANXIETY IN WOMEN WHO WERE REFERRED TO A YOGA CLINIC. METHODS: THE STUDY INVOLVED A CONVENIENCE SAMPLE OF WOMEN WHO WERE REFERRED TO A YOGA CLINIC FROM JULY 2006 TO JULY 2007. ALL NEW CASES WERE EVALUATED ON ADMISSION USING A PERSONAL INFORMATION QUESTIONNAIRE WELL AS BECK AND SPIELBERGER TESTS. PARTICIPANTS WERE RANDOMLY ASSIGNED INTO AN EXPERIMENTAL AND A CONTROL GROUP. THE EXPERIMENTAL GROUP (N=34) PARTICIPATED IN TWICE WEEKLY YOGA CLASSES OF 90 MIN DURATION FOR TWO MONTHS. THE CONTROL GROUP (N=31) WAS ASSIGNED TO A WAITING LIST AND DID NOT RECEIVE YOGA. BOTH GROUPS WERE EVALUATED AGAIN AFTER THE TWO-MONTH STUDY PERIOD. RESULTS: THE AVERAGE PREVALENCE OF DEPRESSION IN THE EXPERIMENTAL GROUP PRE AND POST YOGA INTERVENTION WAS 12.82+/-7.9 AND 10.79+/-6.04 RESPECTIVELY, A STATISTICALLY INSIGNIFICANT DECREASE (P=0.13). HOWEVER, WHEN THE EXPERIMENTAL GROUP WAS COMPARED TO THE CONTROL GROUP, WOMEN WHO PARTICIPATED IN YOGA CLASSES SHOWED A SIGNIFICANT DECREASE IN STATE ANXIETY (P=0.03) AND TRAIT ANXIETY (P<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: PARTICIPATION IN A TWO-MONTH YOGA CLASS CAN LEAD TO SIGNIFICANT REDUCTION IN PERCEIVED LEVELS OF ANXIETY IN WOMEN WHO SUFFER FROM ANXIETY DISORDERS. THIS STUDY SUGGESTS THAT YOGA CAN BE CONSIDERED AS A COMPLEMENTARY THERAPY OR AN ALTERNATIVE METHOD FOR MEDICAL THERAPY IN THE TREATMENT OF ANXIETY DISORDERS. 2009