1 947 86 EFFECTS OF A 4-MONTH ANANDA YOGA PROGRAM ON PHYSICAL AND MENTAL HEALTH OUTCOMES FOR PERSONS WITH MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS. OBJECTIVES: YOGA HAS BEEN FOUND TO BE EFFECTIVE FOR ADDRESSING PROBLEMS WITH STRENGTH, FLEXIBILITY, BALANCE, GAIT, ANXIETY, DEPRESSION, AND CONCENTRATION. VARYING DEGREES OF THESE PROBLEMS OCCUR IN INDIVIDUALS WITH MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS (MS). THIS STUDY EXAMINED THE EFFECTS OF A COMPREHENSIVE, 4-MONTH YOGA PROGRAM ON STRENGTH, MOBILITY, BALANCE, RESPIRATORY FUNCTION, AND QUALITY OF LIFE FOR INDIVIDUALS WITH MS. METHODS: TWENTY FOUR INDIVIDUALS WITH MS PARTICIPATED IN AN INTENSIVE ANANDA YOGA TRAINING FOLLOWED BY 17 WEEKS OF HOME PRACTICE. RESULTS: SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENTS IN FUNCTIONAL STRENGTH, BALANCE, AND PEAK EXPIRATORY FLOW AND A TREND TOWARD IMPROVEMENTS IN MENTAL HEALTH AND QUALITY OF LIFE OUTCOMES WERE DETECTED FOLLOWING THE INTERVENTION. CONCLUSIONS: THE RESULTS OF THIS EXPLORATORY STUDY SUGGEST THAT YOGA CAN HAVE A POSITIVE IMPACT ON PHYSICAL FUNCTIONING AND QUALITY OF LIFE FOR PERSONS WITH MILD TO MODERATE MS. 2013 2 1236 40 FEASIBILITY OF A 6-MONTH YOGA PROGRAM TO IMPROVE THE PHYSICAL AND PSYCHOSOCIAL STATUS OF PERSONS WITH MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS AND THEIR FAMILY MEMBERS. CONTEXT: TO THE BEST OF OUR KNOWLEDGE, THERE HAS BEEN NO STUDY ON YOGA THAT INCLUDES BOTH PERSONS WITH MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS (MS) AND THEIR FAMILY MEMBERS. BECAUSE YOGA HAS THERAPEUTIC EFFECTS IN BOTH PERSONS WITH MS AND HEALTHY PERSONS, WE HYPOTHESIZED THAT IT WOULD BE AN EFFECTIVE METHOD TO IMPROVE NOT ONLY THE PHYSICAL AND PSYCHOSOCIAL STATUS BUT ALSO THE TIME PERSONS WITH MS AND THEIR FAMILY MEMBERS SPEND TOGETHER. OBJECTIVE: TO EXAMINE THE FEASIBILITY OF A 6-MONTH (LONG-TERM) YOGA PROGRAM TO IMPROVE THE PHYSICAL AND PSYCHOSOCIAL STATUS OF PERSONS WITH MS AND THEIR FAMILY MEMBERS. DESIGN: UNCONTROLLED CLINICAL TRIAL. SETTING: THE PROTOCOL WAS DEVELOPED AT THE DEPARTMENT OF NEUROLOGY, FACULTY OF MEDICINE, AND SCHOOL OF PHYSICAL THERAPY AND REHABILITATION, DOKUZ EYLUL UNIVERSITY, IZMIR, TURKEY. PARTICIPANTS: PERSONS WITH MS AND HEALTHY FAMILY MEMBERS. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: WALKING, BALANCE, FATIGUE, HEALTH-RELATED QUALITY OF LIFE, DEPRESSION, PAIN, AND KINESIOPHOBIA. INTERVENTIONS: YOGA TRAINING WAS GIVEN ONCE A WEEK (AT LEAST 1H) FOR 6 MONTHS. THE SAME ASSESSORS WHO ASSESSED AT BASELINE ALSO PERFORMED THE SAME ASSESSMENTS IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE END OF THE TRAINING (I.E., AFTER 6 MONTHS). RESULTS: IN TOTAL, 44 PARTICIPANTS (27 PERSONS WITH MS AND 17 HEALTHY FAMILY MEMBERS) PARTICIPATED IN THE STUDY. TWELVE PERSONS WITH MS AND THREE HEALTHY FAMILY MEMBERS COMPLETED THE 6-MONTH YOGA INTERVENTION. THE COMPLETION RATE FOR PERSONS WITH MS AND HEALTHY SUBJECTS WAS 44.4% AND 17.6%, RESPECTIVELY. IN PERSONS WITH MS, THE MENTAL DIMENSION OF HEALTH-RELATED QUALITY OF LIFE, WALKING SPEED, FATIGUE, AND DEPRESSION LEVELS SIGNIFICANTLY IMPROVED AFTER THE YOGA PROGRAM (P < .05). HOWEVER, THERE WAS NO SIGNIFICANT CHANGE IN THE SELF-REPORTED WALKING IMPACT, BALANCE, PAIN, PHYSICAL DIMENSION OF HEALTH-RELATED QUALITY OF LIFE, AND KINESIOPHOBIA LEVELS IN THE PERSONS WITH MS (P > .05). THIS STUDY SUGGESTS THAT A 6-MONTH YOGA PROGRAM CAN IMPROVE THE MENTAL DIMENSION OF HEALTH-RELATED QUALITY OF LIFE, WALKING SPEED, FATIGUE, AND DEPRESSION IN THE PERSONS WITH MS. HOWEVER, THE 6-MONTH YOGA PROGRAM DOES NOT APPEAR TO BE A FEASIBLE METHOD TO INCREASE THE TIME THAT PERSONS WITH MS SPEND TOGETHER WITH THEIR FAMILY MEMBERS. 2018 3 893 22 EFFECT OF YOGA-BASED PHYSICAL ACTIVITY ON PERCEIVED STRESS, ANXIETY, AND QUALITY OF LIFE IN YOUNG ADULTS. PURPOSE: THIS STUDY, CONDUCTED AT A PUBLIC UNIVERSITY IN TURKEY, SOUGHT TO DETERMINE THE EFFECTS OF YOGA-BASED PHYSICAL ACTIVITY ON PERCEIVED STRESS, ANXIETY, AND QUALITY OF LIFE IN YOUNG ADULTS. DESIGN AND METHODS: THIS STUDY WAS PLANNED AS A SEMIEXPERIMENTAL NONRANDOMIZED STUDY WITH A CONTROL GROUP. FINDINGS: YOGA-BASED PHYSICAL ACTIVITY DECREASED THE PERCEIVED STRESS AND STATE ANXIETY LEVELS, BUT HAD NO EFFECT ON TRAIT ANXIETY LEVELS AND QUALITY OF LIFE. PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS: IT IS RECOMMENDED THAT YOGA-BASED TREATMENT CAN BE INCLUDED IN NURSING INTERVENTIONS FOR REDUCING STRESS AND ANXIETY LEVELS IN YOUNG ADULTS. 2020 4 530 28 COMPARISON OF REGULAR AEROBIC AND YOGA ON THE QUALITY OF LIFE IN PATIENTS WITH MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS. BACKGROUND: THE PATHOPHYSIOLOGY OF MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS (MS) IS CHARACTERIZED BY FATIGUE, MOTOR WEAKNESS, AND SPASTICITY, TO NAME A FEW. MS SYMPTOMS MAY LEAD TO PHYSICAL INACTIVITY ASSOCIATED WITH THE DEVELOPMENT OF SECONDARY DISEASES. THIS STUDY WAS TO INVESTIGATE THE EFFECT OF REGULAR AEROBIC AND YOGA ON THE QUALITY OF LIFE OF PATIENTS WITH MS. METHODS: THE PRESENT QUASI-EXPERIMENTAL STUDY WAS CONDUCTED ON 90 PATIENTS WITH CHRONIC MS CHOSEN RANDOMLY AND DIVIDED INTO TWO TEST AND ONE CONTROL GROUPS. DATA WERE ANALYZED USING SPSS SOFTWARE (VERSION 11.5) THROUGH PAIRED T-TEST, ANOVA, AND TUKEY'S POST HOC. RESULTS: THERE WERE NO SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCES AMONG THE SCORES OF QUALITY OF LIFE IN THE THREE GROUPS PRIOR TO INVESTIGATION. ALTHOUGH THEY WERE SIGNIFICANT AFTER INTERVENTION. THE MEAN SCORE OF YOGA GROUP WAS HIGHER THAN THAT OF AEROBIC GROUP, AND AEROBIC GROUP SHOWED A HIGHER MEAN SCORE COMPARED WITH THE CONTROL. CONCLUSION: YOGA AND AEROBIC EXERCISES MAY IMPROVE QUALITY OF LIFE IN PATIENTS WITH MS. IT IS HIGHLY RECOMMENDED THAT THE GOVERNOR ALONG WITH MS SOCIETIES AND OTHER ORGANIZATIONS SERVICING AND SUPPORTING PATIENTS START TO DEVELOP SPORT-REGULATED PROGRAMS TO HELP IMPROVE QUALITY OF LIFE FOR THESE PATIENTS. 2014 5 2815 34 YOGA TRAINING HAS POSITIVE EFFECTS ON POSTURAL BALANCE AND ITS INFLUENCE ON ACTIVITIES OF DAILY LIVING IN PEOPLE WITH MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS: A PILOT STUDY. CONTEXT: THERE IS A LITTLE EVIDENCE ABOUT THE INFLUENCE OF YOGA AS A COMPLEMENTARY THERAPY FOR POSTURAL BALANCE AND ITS INFLUENCE ON ACTIVITIES OF DAILY LIVING IN MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS (MS) PATIENTS. OBJECTIVE: TO EVALUATE THE INFLUENCE OF A SIX-MONTH YOGA PROGRAM ON POSTURAL BALANCE AND SUBJECTIVE IMPACT OF POSTURAL BALANCE IMPAIRMENT ON ACTIVITIES OF DAILY LIVING IN PEOPLE WITH MS. DESIGN: RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED PILOT STUDY. SETTING: PROTOCOL DEVELOPED AT THE ADAPTIVE PHYSICAL ACTIVITY STUDY DEPARTMENT, COLLEGE OF PHYSICAL EDUCATION, STATE UNIVERSITY OF CAMPINAS, BRAZIL. SUBJECTS: A TOTAL OF 12 (11 WOMEN) YOGA NAIVE PEOPLE WITH MS RANDOMLY DIVIDED INTO TWO GROUPS AS FOLLOWS: CONTROL (C-WAITING LIST, N = 6) AND YOGA (Y-YOGA TRAINING, N = 6). INTERVENTIONS: YOGA GROUP PRACTICED POSTURES, BREATHING EXERCISES, MEDITATION, AND RELAXATION ON WEEKLY 60-MIN CLASSES FOR A SIX-MONTH PERIOD. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: THE FOLLOWING EVALUATIONS WERE PERFORMED AT STUDY ENTRY (BASELINE), AND AFTER SIX MONTHS (SIX MONTHS): BERG BALANCE SCALE (BBS), EXPANDED DISABILITY STATUS SCALE (EDSS), AND SELF-REPORTED POSTURAL BALANCE QUALITY AND INFLUENCE OF POSTURAL BALANCE ON ACTIVITIES OF DAILY LIVING. RESULTS: THERE WAS A SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENT IN BBS SCORE FROM BASELINE TO SIX MONTHS ONLY IN THE YOGA GROUP, ESPECIALLY IN SUBJECTS WITH HIGHER EDSS SCORE, WITH INCREASED QUALITY OF SELF-REPORTED POSTURAL BALANCE, AND DECREASED INFLUENCE OF POSTURAL BALANCE IMPAIRMENT ON ACTIVITIES OF DAILY LIVING. IN CONCLUSION, A SIX-MONTH YOGA TRAINING IS BENEFICIAL FOR PEOPLE WITH MS, SINCE IT IMPROVES POSTURAL BALANCE AND DECREASES THE INFLUENCE OF POSTURAL BALANCE IMPAIRMENT ON ACTIVITIES OF DAILY LIVING. A GREATER SAMPLE SIZE IS NECESSARY TO INCREASE GENERALIZATION, BUT IT SEEMS THAT YOGA COULD BE INCLUDED AS A FEASIBLE COMPLEMENTARY THERAPY FOR PEOPLE WITH MS. 2016 6 1512 26 IS THERE MORE TO YOGA THAN EXERCISE? CONTEXT: YOGA IS INCREASING IN POPULARITY, WITH AN ESTIMATED 15 MILLION PRACTITIONERS IN THE UNITED STATES, YET THERE IS A DEARTH OF EMPIRICAL DATA ADDRESSING THE HOLISTIC BENEFITS OF YOGA. OBJECTIVE: TO COMPARE THE PHYSICAL AND MENTAL BENEFITS OF AN EXERCISE-BASED YOGA PRACTICE TO THAT OF A MORE COMPREHENSIVE YOGA PRACTICE (ONE WITH AN ETHICAL/SPIRITUAL COMPONENT). DESIGN: STUDENTS WITH MILD TO MODERATE DEPRESSION, ANXIETY, OR STRESS AND WHO AGREED TO PARTICIPATE WERE ASSIGNED TO ONE OF THREE GROUPS: INTEGRATED YOGA, YOGA AS EXERCISE, CONTROL. PARTICIPANTS: A TOTAL OF 81 UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS 18 YEARS AND OLDER AT A UNIVERSITY IN THE SOUTHEASTERN UNITED STATES PARTICIPATED IN THE STUDY. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: DEPRESSION, ANXIETY, STRESS, HOPE, AND SALIVARY CORTISOL. RESULTS: OVER TIME, PARTICIPANTS IN BOTH THE INTEGRATED AND EXERCISE YOGA GROUPS EXPERIENCED DECREASED DEPRESSION AND STRESS, AN INCREASED SENSE OF HOPEFULNESS, AND INCREASED FLEXIBILITY COMPARED TO THE CONTROL GROUP. HOWEVER, ONLY THE INTEGRATED YOGA GROUP EXPERIENCED DECREASED ANXIETY-RELATED SYMPTOMS AND DECREASED SALIVARY CORTISOL FROM THE BEGINNING TO THE END OF THE STUDY. CONCLUSIONS: YOGA, PRACTICED IN A MORE INTEGRATED FORM, IE, WITH AN ETHICAL AND SPIRITUAL COMPONENT, MAY PROVIDE ADDITIONAL BENEFITS OVER YOGA PRACTICED AS AN EXERCISE REGIMEN. 2011 7 2673 27 YOGA IN PRIMARY HEALTH CARE: A QUASI-EXPERIMENTAL STUDY TO ACCESS THE EFFECTS ON QUALITY OF LIFE AND PSYCHOLOGICAL DISTRESS. BACKGROUND: AND PURPOSE: YOGA IS GROWING IN POPULARITY, BUT ITS BENEFITS AND INTEGRATION INTO PRIMARY CARE REMAIN UNCERTAIN. HERE, WE DETERMINE YOGA EFFECTS ON QUALITY OF LIFE AND PSYCHOLOGICAL DISTRESS, AND EVALUATE THE FEASIBILITY OF INTRODUCING YOGA AT PRIMARY CARE LEVEL. MATERIALS AND METHODS: THIS IS A PROSPECTIVE, LONGITUDINAL, QUASI-EXPERIMENTAL STUDY, WITH AN INTERVENTION (N=49) AND A CONTROL GROUP (N=37). YOGA GROUP UNDERWENT 24-WEEKS PROGRAM OF ONE-HOUR SESSIONS. OUR PRIMARY ENDPOINT WAS QUALITY OF LIFE AND PSYCHOLOGICAL DISTRESS, AS WELL AS SATISFACTION LEVEL AND ADHERENCE RATE. RESULTS: PARTICIPANTS REPORTED A SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENT IN ALL DOMAINS OF QUALITY OF LIFE AND A REDUCTION OF PSYCHOLOGICAL DISTRESS. LINEAR REGRESSION ANALYSIS SHOWED THAT YOGA SIGNIFICANTLY IMPROVES PSYCHOLOGICAL QUALITY OF LIFE (P=0.046). CONCLUSION: YOGA IN PRIMARY CARE IS FEASIBLE, SAFE AND HAS A SATISFACTORY ADHERENCE, AS WELL AS A POSITIVE EFFECT ON PSYCHOLOGICAL QUALITY OF LIFE OF PARTICIPANTS. 2019 8 2152 30 THE EFFECTS OF SELECTED ASANAS IN IYENGAR YOGA ON FLEXIBILITY: PILOT STUDY. IN RECENT YEARS THE PRACTICE OF YOGA HAS GAINED POPULARITY AS A FORM OF PHYSICAL FITNESS AND EXERCISE, AND HAS BEEN SAID TO IMPROVE STRENGTH AND FLEXIBILITY. THE MAIN OBJECTIVE OF THIS RESEARCH PROJECT WAS TO EVALUATE THE EFFECTS OF A SIX WEEK IYENGAR YOGA INTERVENTION ON FLEXIBILITY. N = 16 LOW TO MODERATELY ACTIVE FEMALES (52.37 +/- 7.79 YEARS) ATTENDED IYENGAR YOGA PRACTICE FOR A TOTAL OF 6 WEEKS, CONSISTING OF ONE 90 MIN SESSION PER WEEK. LUMBAR AND HAMSTRING FLEXIBILITY WERE ASSESSED PRE AND POST-INTERVENTION USING A STANDARD SIT AND REACH TEST. THE RESULTS SHOW A SIGNIFICANT INCREASE IN FLEXIBILITY, INDICATING 6 WEEKS OF SINGLE SESSION YOGA TRAINING MAY BE EFFECTIVE IN INCREASING ERECTOR SPINAE AND HAMSTRING FLEXIBILITY. THIS IS IMPORTANT WHEN CONSIDERING THAT MUCH OF THE POPULATION FIND IT DIFFICULT TO ATTEND MORE THAN ONE SESSION A WEEK INTO THEIR TRAINING SCHEDULE. 2014 9 2871 27 YOGA-BASED RELAXATION TECHNIQUE FACILITATES SUSTAINED ATTENTION IN PATIENTS WITH LOW BACK PAIN: A PILOT STUDY. CONTEXT: THE EXPERIENCE OF PAIN STRONGLY INFLUENCES SUSTAINED ATTENTION, WHICH IS IMPORTANT FOR NEUROCOGNITIVE PERFORMANCE. YOGA-BASED RELAXATION TECHNIQUES MAY BE EFFECTIVE IN IMPROVING SUSTAINED ATTENTION BY ATTENUATING PAIN IN PATIENTS WITH LOW BACK PAIN. HENCE, WE AIMED TO INVESTIGATE THE EFFECT OF A YOGA-BASED RELAXATION TECHNIQUE ON SUSTAINED ATTENTION AND SELF-REPORTED PAIN DISABILITY IN PATIENTS WITH LOW BACK PAIN. METHODS: A TOTAL OF 22 MEN AGED 30 TO 50 YEARS WITH LOW BACK PAIN WERE RECRUITED FOR THE STUDY. THEY WERE RANDOMLY ASSIGNED TO EITHER THE YOGA (N = 11) OR CONTROL (N = 11) GROUPS. THE YOGA GROUP PRACTICED A YOGA-BASED RELAXATION TECHNIQUE (YBRT) 1 HOUR A DAY FOR 4 WEEKS AND THE CONTROL GROUP MAINTAINED THEIR USUAL PHYSICAL ACTIVITY REGIMEN. ASSESSMENTS INCLUDED THE SUSTAINED ATTENTION TO RESPONSE TASK (SART) AND THE OSWESTRY LOW BACK PAIN DISABILITY QUESTIONNAIRE (OLBPDQ) MEASURED BEFORE AND AFTER THE 4-WEEK INTERVENTION. RESULTS: THE STUDY SHOWED A SIGNIFICANT REDUCTION IN ALL SELF-REPORTED OLBPDQ DOMAINS AND IMPROVEMENT IN SUSTAINED ATTENTION IN A BEFORE AND AFTER COMPARISON 4 WEEKS FOLLOWING THE YOGA INTERVENTION. PEARSON'S CORRELATION ALSO SHOWED A POSITIVE CORRELATION BETWEEN SUSTAINED ATTENTION AND PAIN REDUCTION FOLLOWING THE YOGA INTERVENTION. CONCLUSION: THE FINDINGS INDICATE THAT YOGA PRACTICE REDUCES PAIN AND SIMULTANEOUSLY IMPROVES INFORMATION PROCESSING SPEED WITH IMPULSE CONTROL DURING THE PERFORMANCE OF A SUSTAINED ATTENTION TASK. 2020 10 2533 30 YOGA EFFECTS ON PHYSICAL ACTIVITY AND SEXUAL SATISFACTION AMONG THE IRANIAN WOMEN WITH MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS: A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL. BACKGROUND: MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS (MS) IS A CHRONIC AND DISABLING DISEASE RESULTING IN DISABILITIES IN YOUNG AND MIDDLE-AGED PERSONS. IN THIS STUDY, RESEARCHERS EXPLORED THE EFFECT OF YOGA TECHNIQUES ON PHYSICAL ACTIVITIES AND SEXUAL FUNCTION AMONG SOME IRANIAN WOMEN WITH MS. MATERIALS AND METHODS: IN THIS STUDY, 60 IRANIAN WOMEN WITH MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS (MS) WERE PLACED IN TWO EQUALLY DIVIDED CONTROL AND CASE GROUPS THROUGH RANDOM SELECTION TO ASSESS PRE-AND POST-EFFECTS OF YOGA EXERCISES ON THEIR PHYSICAL ACTIVITIES AND SEXUAL SATISFACTION LEVELS. WOMEN IN CASE GROUP WERE OFFERED A SERIES OF YOGA TRAINING AND EXERCISES FOR 3 MONTHS, WHICH CONSISTED OF 8 SESSIONS PER MONTH FOR 60 TO 90 MINUTES AT EACH SESSION. YOGA TRAINING PROGRAM INCLUDED THE 3 PRINCIPLES OF SLOW MOTIONS (HATAYOGA), RESPIRATORY EXERCISES (PRANAYAMA) AND CENTRALIZATION TO CONTROL MIND VIA MEDITATION, EXPANSION AND STASIS (RAJAYOGA). AFTER 3 MONTHS BOTH GROUPS WERE SURVEYED USING THE INITIAL QUESTIONNAIRE TO EVALUATE AND COMPARE FINDINGS WITH THE BASE-LINE DATA. RESULTS: RESEARCHERS FOUND SIGNIFICANT STATISTICAL DIFFERENCE IN PHYSICAL ACTIVITY AND SEXUAL SATISFACTION LEVELS AMONG THE WOMEN IN CASE GROUP (P=0.001). WOMEN IN CASE GROUP SHOWED IMPROVEMENT IN PHYSICAL ABILITY WHILE WOMEN IN CONTROL GROUP MANIFESTED EXACERBATED SYMPTOMS. CONCLUSION: YOGA TECHNIQUES MAY IMPROVE PHYSICAL ACTIVITIES AND SEXUAL SATISFACTION FUNCTION OF WOMEN WITH MS. 2014 11 2235 27 THE IMPACT OF YOGA UPON FEMALE PATIENTS SUFFERING FROM HYPOTHYROIDISM. OBJECTIVE: TO STUDY THE EFFECT OF YOGA ON THE QUALITY OF LIFE OF FEMALE HYPOTHYROID PATIENTS. DESIGN: THE WHO QUALITY OF LIFE SCALE(22) WAS USED TO ASSESS THE QUALITY OF LIFE OF 20 FEMALE HYPOTHYROID PATIENTS. SUBJECTS ATTENDED ONE HOUR YOGA SESSIONS DAILY FOR A PERIOD OF ONE MONTH. A PRETEST-POST-TEST RESEARCH DESIGN WAS USED FOR DATA ANALYSIS. RESULTS: PATIENTS' QUALITY OF LIFE SCORES FOLLOWING THE YOGA PROGRAM WERE GREATER THAN SCORES OBTAINED PRIOR TO UNDERTAKING YOGA (P < 0.01). PATIENTS ALSO REPORTED SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENT IN THEIR PERCEPTION OF THE OVERALL QUALITY OF LIFE AND OF THEIR HEALTH POST YOGA INTERVENTION. CONCLUSIONS: IT CAN BE CONCLUDED THAT YOGA IS VALUABLE IN HELPING THE HYPOTHYROID PATIENTS TO MANAGE THEIR DISEASE-RELATED SYMPTOMS. YOGA MAY BE CONSIDERED AS SUPPORTIVE OR COMPLEMENTARY THERAPY IN CONJUNCTION WITH MEDICAL THERAPY FOR THE TREATMENT OF HYPOTHYROID DISORDER. 2011 12 719 29 EFFECT OF IYENGAR YOGA ON MENTAL HEALTH OF INCARCERATED WOMEN: A FEASIBILITY STUDY. BACKGROUND: INCARCERATED WOMEN SHARE A DISPROPORTIONATE BURDEN OF MENTAL ILLNESS. ALTHOUGH PSYCHOTROPIC MEDICATIONS ARE AVAILABLE TO WOMEN IN PRISON, ADJUNCTIVE TREATMENT MODALITIES, SUCH AS IYENGAR YOGA, MAY INCREASE PSYCHOLOGICAL WELL-BEING. OBJECTIVES: THE PURPOSES OF THIS STUDY WERE (A) TO ADDRESS THE FEASIBILITY OF PROVIDING A GENDER-RESPONSIVE EXERCISE INTERVENTION WITHIN A CORRECTIONAL INSTITUTION AND (B) TO OBSERVE THE EFFECT OF A GROUP-FORMAT IYENGAR YOGA PROGRAM THAT MET TWO SESSIONS A WEEK FOR 12 WEEKS ON LEVELS OF DEPRESSION SYMPTOMS, ANXIETY SYMPTOMS, AND PERCEIVED STRESS AMONG INCARCERATED WOMEN. METHODS: A REPEATED MEASURES DESIGN, IN WHICH EACH PARTICIPANT SERVED AS HER OWN CONTROL, WAS USED. PARTICIPANTS COMPLETED THREE SELF-ADMINISTERED INSTRUMENTS: THE BECK DEPRESSION INVENTORY, THE BECK ANXIETY INVENTORY, AND THE PERCEIVED STRESS SCALE BEFORE TREATMENT (BASELINE) AND DURING TREATMENT (WEEKS 4, 8, AND 12). LINEAR MIXED EFFECTS MODELS WERE USED TO EXAMINE STATISTICALLY SIGNIFICANT CHANGES IN MENTAL HEALTH MEASURES OVER TIME, TAKING ADVANTAGE OF ALL AVAILABLE DATA. RESULTS: ALTHOUGH 21 WOMEN INITIALLY PARTICIPATED IN THE INTERVENTION, 6 WOMEN COMPLETED THE 12-WEEK INTERVENTION. A SIGNIFICANT LINEAR DECREASE WAS DEMONSTRATED IN SYMPTOMS OF DEPRESSION OVER TIME, WITH MEAN VALUES CHANGING FROM 24.90 AT BASELINE TO 5.67 AT WEEK 12. THERE WAS A MARGINALLY SIGNIFICANT DECREASE IN ANXIETY OVER TIME (12.00 AT BASELINE TO 7.33 AT WEEK 12) AND A NONLINEAR CHANGE IN STRESS OVER TIME, WITH DECREASES FROM BASELINE TO WEEK 4 AND SUBSEQUENT INCREASES TO WEEK 12. DISCUSSION: WOMEN WHO PARTICIPATED IN THIS PROGRAM EXPERIENCED FEWER SYMPTOMS OF DEPRESSION AND ANXIETY OVER TIME. FINDINGS FROM THIS STUDY MAY BE USED TO IMPROVE FUTURE INTERVENTIONS FOCUSING ON THE HEALTH OUTCOMES OF INCARCERATED WOMEN. 2010 13 2780 36 YOGA THERAPY AND AMBULATORY MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS ASSESSMENT OF GAIT ANALYSIS PARAMETERS, FATIGUE AND BALANCE. BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: GAIT IMPAIRMENT, FALLS DUE TO BALANCE PROBLEMS AND FATIGUE ARE AMONG THE MOST IMPORTANT COMPLAINTS IN PATIENTS WITH MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS (MS) AND CAUSE SIGNIFICANT FUNCTIONAL LIMITATION. USE OF COMPLEMENTARY AND ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE (CAM) TO HELP SYMPTOM MANAGEMENT AND TO IMPROVE QUALITY OF LIFE IS GROWING AMONG MS PATIENTS. YOGA IS WIDELY USED AS ONE OF THESE CAM INTERVENTIONS, HOWEVER, THE NUMBER OF STUDIES THAT SHOW THE EFFICACY OF YOGA TRAINING IN MS IS INADEQUATE. IN THIS STUDY, WE AIMED TO EVALUATE THE EFFECTS OF A SHORT TERM YOGA PROGRAM ON FATIGUE, BALANCE AND GAIT IN PATIENTS WITH MS. METHOD: EIGHT VOLUNTEER AMBULATORY MS PATIENTS WITH CLINICALLY DEFINITE RELAPSING REMITTING MS WHOSE EXPANDED DISABILITY STATUS SCORE (EDSS) IS LESS THAN OR EQUAL TO 6.0, AND EIGHT HEALTHY SUBJECTS WERE INCLUDED IN THE STUDY. PATIENTS PARTICIPATED IN 12 WEEKS OF A BI-WEEKLY YOGA PROGRAM UNDER SUPERVISION. AT THEIR BASELINE AND AFTER YOGA THERAPY, THE FATIGUE SEVERITY SCALE (FSS) AND BERG BALANCE SCALE (BBS) ARE USED TO ASSESS FATIGUE AND BALANCE. THREE DIMENSIONAL GAIT ANALYSIS IS DONE USING THE VICON 612 SYSTEM WITH SIX CAMERAS AND TWO BERTEC FORCE PLATES, BEFORE AND AFTER THERAPY. RESULTS: AFTER SHORT TERM YOGA THERAPY, STATISTICALLY SIGNIFICANT ACHIEVEMENTS WERE OBTAINED IN FATIGUE, BALANCE, STEP LENGTH AND WALKING SPEED. ALTHOUGH SAGITTAL PLANE PELVIS AND HIP ANGLES, ANKLE PLANTAR FLEXOR MOMENT, POWERS GENERATED AT THE HIP AND ANKLE JOINTS AT THE PRE-SWING WERE IMPROVED, THE IMPROVEMENTS WERE NOT STATISTICALLY SIGNIFICANT. CONCLUSION: YOGA THERAPY IS A SAFE AND BENEFICIAL INTERVENTION FOR IMPROVING FATIGUE, BALANCE AND SPATIOTEMPORAL GAIT PARAMETERS IN PATIENTS WITH MS. FURTHER STUDIES WITH A LARGER SAMPLE SIZE AND LONGER FOLLOW-UP WILL BE NEEDED TO EVALUATE THE LONG TERM EFFECTS OF YOGA THERAPY. 2015 14 248 30 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 15 936 31 EFFECTIVENESS OF YOGA VERSUS EXERCISE FOR REDUCING FALLING RISK IN OLDER ADULTS: PHYSICAL AND PSYCHOLOGICAL INDICES. OUR PURPOSE IN THIS STUDY WAS TO EXAMINE THE EFFECTIVENESS OF YOGA TO ADDRESS MULTIPLE RISK FACTORS OF FALLING IN ACTIVE AND LOW ACTIVE OLDER ADULTS. COMMUNITY-DWELLING OLDER ADULTS (N = 35) OVER THE AGE OF 65 ACTIVELY PARTICIPATED IN EITHER A YOGA PROGRAM, AN EXERCISE PROGRAM, OR A NO-PROGRAM CONTROL. PARTICIPANTS COMPLETED MEASURES ASSOCIATED WITH FALLING RISKS. PHYSICAL MEASURES INCLUDED LOWER BODY STRENGTH, STATIC BALANCE, AND LOWER BODY FLEXIBILITY. PSYCHOLOGICAL MEASURES INCLUDED PERCEIVED SELF-EFFICACY WITH RESPECT TO FALLS AND HEALTH-RELATED QUALITY OF LIFE. WE DETERMINED BETWEEN-GROUP DIFFERENCES USING PLANNED COMPARISONS, EFFECT SIZE, CONFIDENCE INTERVALS, AND PROBABILITY OF SUPERIORITY. RESULTS OF PLANNED COMPARISONS AND PRACTICAL SIGNIFICANCE TESTING INDICATED THAT YOGA PARTICIPANTS SCORED HIGHER THAN THE EXERCISE AND CONTROL PARTICIPANTS ON BOTH RIGHT AND LEFT LOWER BODY FLEXIBILITY TESTS. YOGA PARTICIPANTS ALSO SCORED HIGHER THAN THE CONTROL PARTICIPANTS ON RIGHT LEG STATIC BALANCE, AND THE RIGHT AND LEFT LOWER BODY FLEXIBILITY TESTS. THE EXERCISE PARTICIPANTS SCORED HIGHER THAN YOGA PARTICIPANTS ON THE RAND-36 QUALITY OF LIFE SUBSCALES OF ENERGY/FATIGUE, PAIN, AND GENERAL HEALTH. THE PROBABILITY OF SUPERIORITY RESULTS INDICATED THAT THE NO-PROGRAM OLDER ADULT PARTICIPANTS WOULD BENEFIT BY ENROLLING IN THE YOGA RATHER THAN THE EXERCISE PROGRAM TO REDUCE PHYSICAL RISKS OF FALLING. THESE FINDINGS WERE DISCUSSED IN RELATION TO PROMOTING PHYSICAL ACTIVITY PROGRAMS TO REDUCE RISKS OF FALLING, AND THE ROLES OF THE PROTOCOL, PRACTICAL SIGNIFICANCE, AND MEASURES EMPLOYED WHEN DETERMINING PROGRAM EFFECTIVENESS. 2022 16 2217 31 THE IMPACT OF A SHORT-TERM IYENGAR YOGA PROGRAM ON THE HEALTH AND WELL-BEING OF PHYSICALLY INACTIVE OLDER ADULTS. BACKGROUND: WITH THE CURRENT CHALLENGE OF RAPIDLY AGING POPULATIONS, PRACTICES SUCH AS YOGA MAY HELP OLDER ADULTS STAY PHYSICALLY ACTIVE, HEALTHY, AND FULFILLED. METHODS: THE IMPACT OF AN 8-WEEK IYENGAR YOGA PROGRAM ON THE HOLISTIC HEALTH AND WELL-BEING OF PHYSICALLY INACTIVE PEOPLE AGED 55 YEARS AND OVER WAS ASSESSED. THIRTY-EIGHT OLDER ADULTS (MEAN AGE 73.21+/-8.38 YEARS; 19 INTERVENTION, 19 CONTROL) ENGAGED IN EITHER TWICE-WEEKLY YOGA CLASSES OR CONTINUED THEIR USUAL DAILY ROUTINES. PHYSICAL HEALTH MEASURES WERE MUSCLE STRENGTH, ACTIVE RANGE OF MOTION, RESPIRATORY FUNCTION (FEV1), RESTING BLOOD PRESSURE, AND IMMUNE FUNCTION (SALIVARY IGA AND LYSOZYME). SELF-PERCEIVED GENERAL, PHYSICAL, MENTAL, SPIRITUAL, AND SOCIAL HEALTH AND WELL-BEING WERE ASSESSED WITH THE LIFE'S ODYSSEY QUESTIONNAIRE AND THE SF12V2 HEALTH SURVEY. RESULTS: MUSCLE STRENGTH, ACTIVE RANGE OF MOTION, PHYSICAL WELL-BEING, AND ASPECTS OF MENTAL WELL-BEING (EMOTIONAL WELL-BEING AND SELF-CARE) IMPROVED SIGNIFICANTLY IN THE YOGA GROUP (P<.05). MEDIAN CHANGES IN MOST OF THESE VARIABLES WERE ALSO SIGNIFICANTLY DIFFERENT FROM THOSE IN THE CONTROL GROUP. CONCLUSIONS: PARTICIPATION IN IYENGAR YOGA PROGRAMS BY OLDER PEOPLE IS BENEFICIAL FOR HEALTH AND WELL-BEING, AND GREATER AVAILABILITY OF SUCH PROGRAMS COULD IMPROVE QUALITY OF LIFE. 2011 17 1701 30 PARTICIPATION IN A YOGA STUDY DECREASES STRESS AND DEPRESSION SCORES FOR INCARCERATED WOMEN. INCARCERATED INDIVIDUALS EXHIBIT A HIGH INCIDENCE OF STRESS-RELATED DISORDERS, INCLUDING ADDICTION AND POSTTRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER (PTSD), AS WELL AS THE ADDED STRESS OF CAPTIVITY. ACCESS TO STRESS-REDUCTION TOOLS IS LIMITED FOR THESE INDIVIDUALS. ONE POSSIBLE APPROACH MAY BE REGULAR STRUCTURED YOGA CLASSES. USING TWO APPROACHES, WE TESTED THE EFFECTIVENESS OF A BRIEF, INTENSIVE YOGA INTERVENTION IN A POPULATION OF INCARCERATED WOMEN IN A COUNTY JAIL. THE FIRST APPROACH WAS AN EXAMINATION OF ARCHIVAL DATA COLLECTED AS PART OF A PROGRAM ANALYSIS. INDIVIDUALS SHOWED CONSIDERABLE REDUCTION IN SELF-REPORTED STRESS FOLLOWING A SINGLE YOGA SESSION. THE SECOND APPROACH WAS AN EXPERIMENTAL STUDY USING A WEEK-LONG YOGA INTERVENTION. THIRTY-FOUR PARTICIPANTS WERE ASSIGNED TO EITHER THE YOGA OR CONTROL GROUP FOR THE FIRST WEEK. IN THE SECOND WEEK, THE CONDITIONS WERE REVERSED. PARTICIPANTS WERE ASSESSED WEEKLY, BEFORE AND AFTER INTERVENTION. BASELINE SCORES REVEALED HIGH RATES OF DEPRESSION, STRESS, AND EXPOSURE TO TRAUMATIC LIFE EVENTS COMPARED TO NORMATIVE DATA. STRESS AND DEPRESSION WERE ASSESSED USING THE PERCEIVED STRESS SCALE AND BECK DEPRESSION INVENTORY, RESPECTIVELY. COMPARED TO CONTROLS, PARTICIPANTS REPORTED LESS DEPRESSION AFTER A WEEK OF DAILY YOGA SESSIONS. PERCEIVED STRESS DECLINED UNDER BOTH CONTROL AND YOGA CONDITIONS. DUE TO THE TRANSIENT NATURE OF THE JAIL INSTITUTION, IT IS IMPORTANT TO EXAMINE INTERVENTIONS THAT CAN BE PROVIDED ON A SHORT-TERM BASIS. ALTHOUGH THERE WERE LIMITATIONS IN THIS STUDY, THE RESULTS SUPPORT THE CONCLUSION THAT THE BRIEF YOGA INTERVENTION HAD A POSITIVE EFFECT ON PARTICIPANTS' WELL-BEING. 2021 18 1580 34 MEASURING THE EFFECT OF AN EIGHT-WEEK ADAPTIVE YOGA PROGRAM ON THE PHYSICAL AND PSYCHOLOGICAL STATUS OF INDIVIDUALS WITH PARKINSON'S DISEASE. A PILOT STUDY. PARKINSON'S DISEASE (PD) IS A NEURODEGENERATIVE DISEASE THAT AFFECTS MUSCLE TONE, STRENGTH, FLEXIBILITY, MOTOR CONTROL, PSYCHOLOGICAL OUTLOOK, COGNITION, AND FUNCTION. EXERCISE HAS BEEN FOUND TO IMPROVE PHYSICAL ABILITY AND PSYCHOLOGICAL OUTLOOK, BUT THE EFFECT OF YOGA ON INDIVIDUALS WITH PD HAS NOT BEEN WELL RESEARCHED. THE PURPOSES OF THIS STUDY WERE TO IDENTIFY OUTCOME MEASURES THAT WERE RESPONSIVE TO CHANGE IN INDIVIDUALS WITH PD AFTER AN 8-WEEK ADAPTIVE YOGA PROGRAM AND TO DETERMINE APPROPRIATE SAMPLE SIZES FOR FUTURE STUDIES. IN A REPEATED MEASURES DESIGN, 10 PARTICIPANTS WITH A HOEHN AND YAHR STAGE OF 2 OR 3 WERE TESTED PRIOR TO AND AFTER AN 8-WEEK CONTROL PHASE AND AGAIN AFTER THEY UNDERWENT AN 8-WEEK ADAPTIVE YOGA PROGRAM. ANALYSIS OF VARIANCE (ANOVA) TESTS REVEALED DIFFERENCES IN TIME OF MEASURE THAT APPROACHED SIGNIFICANCE FOR THE DEPRESSION SUBSCALE OF THE HOSPITAL ANXIETY AND DEPRESSION SCALE (HADS) (P = 0.008) AND THE 30-SECOND CHAIR STAND (TSCS) (P = 0.013). THE INTERACTION BETWEEN TIME OF MEASURE AND GENDER APPROACHED SIGNIFICANCE FOR THE SIT-AND-REACH TEST (SRT) (P = 0.08 AND 0.03, RIGHT AND LEFT RESPECTIVELY), WITH MALE PARTICIPANTS IMPROVING IN SIT-AND-REACH FLEXIBILITY COMPARED WITH FEMALE PARTICIPANTS AFTER INTERVENTION. THE INTERACTION BETWEEN TIME OF MEASURE AND AGE APPROACHED SIGNIFICANCE FOR THE SINGLE-LEG BALANCE TEST (SLB) (P = 0.007), WITH YOUNGER PARTICIPANTS IMPROVING IN SLB TIME AFTER INTERVENTION. POWER CALCULATIONS FOUND THAT A SAMPLE SIZE RANGING FROM 33 TO 153 WOULD BE REQUIRED TO ACHIEVE SIGNIFICANCE AT THE 0.01 LEVEL IN THE VARIOUS OUTCOME MEASURES IN A FUTURE STUDY OF THIS DESIGN. THE DEPRESSION SUBSCALE OF THE HADS, THE TSCS, THE SLB, AND THE RIGHT AND LEFT SRT WERE THE MEASURES THAT CHANGED FOLLOWING THE YOGA INTERVENTION AND ARE RECOMMENDED AS OUTCOME MEASURES IN FUTURE STUDIES INVESTIGATING THE EFFECTIVENESS OF YOGA FOR INDIVIDUALS WITH PD. THIS PRELIMINARY STUDY SUPPORTS FURTHER INVESTIGATION OF ADAPTIVE YOGA USING A RANDOMIZED DESIGN AND A LARGER SAMPLE SIZE OF INDIVIDUALS WITH PD. 2014 19 1088 26 EFFECTS OF YOGA ON SYMPTOMS, PHYSICAL FUNCTION, AND PSYCHOSOCIAL OUTCOMES IN ADULTS WITH OSTEOARTHRITIS: A FOCUSED REVIEW. OSTEOARTHRITIS (OA) IS A HIGHLY PREVALENT AND DISABLING CHRONIC CONDITION. BECAUSE PHYSICAL ACTIVITY IS A KEY COMPONENT IN OA MANAGEMENT, EFFECTIVE EXERCISE INTERVENTIONS ARE NEEDED. YOGA IS AN INCREASINGLY POPULAR MULTIMODAL MIND-BODY EXERCISE THAT AIMS TO PROMOTE FLEXIBILITY, STRENGTH, ENDURANCE, AND BALANCE. ITS GENTLE APPROACH IS POTENTIALLY A SAFE AND EFFECTIVE EXERCISE OPTION FOR MANAGING OA. THE PURPOSE OF THIS FOCUSED REVIEW IS TO EXAMINE THE EFFECTS OF YOGA ON OA SYMPTOMS AND PHYSICAL AND PSYCHOSOCIAL OUTCOMES. A COMPREHENSIVE SEARCH WAS CONDUCTED USING SEVEN ELECTRONIC DATABASES. TWELVE REPORTS MET INCLUSION CRITERIA INVOLVING A TOTAL OF 589 PARTICIPANTS WITH OA-RELATED SYMPTOMS. A VARIETY OF TYPES, FREQUENCIES, AND DURATIONS OF YOGA INTERVENTIONS WERE REPORTED; HATHA AND IYENGAR YOGA WERE THE MOST COMMONLY USED TYPES. FREQUENCY OF INTERVENTION RANGED FROM ONCE A WEEK TO 6 DAYS A WEEK. DURATION OF THE INTERVENTIONS RANGED FROM 45 TO 90 MINS PER SESSION FOR 6 TO 12 WKS. YOGA INTERVENTION RESULTED IN REDUCTIONS IN PAIN, STIFFNESS, AND SWELLING, BUT RESULTS ON PHYSICAL FUNCTION AND PSYCHOSOCIAL WELL-BEING WERE INCONCLUSIVE BECAUSE OF A VARIETY OF OUTCOME MEASURES BEING USED. 2016 20 1076 31 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