1 2083 97 THE EFFECT OF IYENGAR YOGA AND STRENGTHENING EXERCISES FOR PEOPLE LIVING WITH OSTEOARTHRITIS OF THE KNEE: A CASE SERIES. THIS CASE SERIES DESCRIBES THE IMPACT OF VARIOUS FORMS OF EXERCISE ON SYMPTOMS ASSOCIATED WITH OSTEOARTHRITIS OF THE KNEE. A GROUP OF 15 WOMEN AND MEN PERFORMED ONE OF THE FOLLOWING: TRADITIONAL STRETCHING AND STRENGTHENING EXERCISES, IYENGAR YOGA, OR NO STRUCTURED GROUP EXERCISE. LOW BACK AND HAMSTRING FLEXIBILITY AND QUADRICEPS STRENGTH AND FUNCTION WERE MONITORED BEFORE AND AFTER THE PROGRAM. THE WESTERN ONTARIO AND MCMASTER UNIVERSITIES OSTEOARTHRITIS INDEX (WOMAC) WAS USED TO ASSESS SUBJECTIVE CHANGE AFTER THE SIX-WEEK INTERVENTION PERIOD. A GLOBAL ASSESSMENT QUESTIONNAIRE WAS ALSO COMPLETED BY EACH PARTICIPANT AND EACH INSTRUCTOR AT THE EXIT SESSIONS TO MEASURE PERCEIVED CHANGES IN IMPROVEMENTS SINCE THE INITIATION OF THE INTERVENTION. THIS STUDY FOUND FUNCTIONAL CHANGES AND IMPROVEMENT IN QUALITY OF LIFE IN TRADITIONAL EXERCISE AND A YOGA BASED APPROACH THAT SHOULD ENCOURAGE FURTHER COMPREHENSIVE AND CAREFULLY DESIGNED STUDIES OF YOGA IN OSTEOARTHRITIS. 2006 2 1528 48 IYENGAR YOGA FOR TREATING SYMPTOMS OF OSTEOARTHRITIS OF THE KNEES: A PILOT STUDY. OBJECTIVES: THE AMERICAN COLLEGE OF RHEUMATOLOGY (ACR) GUIDELINES FOR THE MEDICAL MANAGEMENT OF OSTEOARTHRITIS (OA) EMPHASIZE THE USE OF NONPHARMACOLOGIC INTERVENTIONS INCLUDING EXERCISE. IMPLEMENTATION OF AN EXERCISE PROGRAM CAN BE DIFFICULT FOR PATIENTS, AND LITTLE IS KNOWN ABOUT THE BENEFITS OF ALTERNATIVE THERAPIES SUCH AS YOGA. THE AIM OF THIS PILOT STUDY WAS TO ASSESS THE FEASIBILITY OF USING YOGA IN THE TRADITION OF B.K.S. IYENGAR TO TREAT THE SYMPTOMS OF OSTEOARTHRITIS OF THE KNEE. DESIGN: PARTICIPANTS WERE INSTRUCTED IN MODIFIED IYENGAR YOGA POSTURES DURING 90-MINUTE CLASSES ONCE WEEKLY FOR 8 WEEKS. SUBJECTS: PARTICIPANTS MET ACR CRITERIA FOR OSTEOARTHRITIS OF THE KNEE AND COMPLETED A MEDICAL HISTORY AND PHYSICAL EXAMINATION, WESTERN ONTARIO AND MCMASTER UNIVERSITIES OSTEOARTHRITIS INDEX (WOMAC), ARTHRITIS IMPACT MEASUREMENT SCALE 2 (AIMS2), PATIENT GLOBAL ASSESSMENT (GA) BY VISUAL ANALOG SCALE (VAS), PHYSICIAN GA BY VAS, AND 50-FOOT WALK TIME BEFORE AND FOLLOWING AN 8-WEEK COURSE OF YOGA INSTRUCTION. ELEVEN (11) SUBJECTS ENROLLED, NINE COMPLETED AT LEAST ONE SESSION AND SEVEN (SIX OF WHOM WERE OBESE) HAD DATA FROM PRE- AND POST-COURSE TIME POINTS AVAILABLE FOR ANALYSIS. RESULTS: STATISTICALLY SIGNIFICANT REDUCTIONS IN WOMAC PAIN, WOMAC PHYSICAL FUNCTION, AND AIMS2 AFFECT WERE OBSERVED WHEN PARTICIPANTS' STATUS WERE COMPARED TO THEIR PRE-COURSE STATUS. WOMAC STIFFNESS, AIMS2 SYMPTOMS, SOCIAL AND ROLE, PHYSICIAN GA, AND PATIENT GA MEASURED TRENDS IN IMPROVEMENT OF SYMPTOMS. NO ADVERSE EVENTS FROM TREATMENT WERE REPORTED. CONCLUSIONS: THIS PILOT STUDY SUGGESTS THAT YOGA MAY PROVIDE A FEASIBLE TREATMENT OPTION FOR PREVIOUSLY YOGA-NAIVE, OBESE PATIENTS >50 YEARS OF AGE AND OFFERS POTENTIAL REDUCTIONS IN PAIN AND DISABILITY CAUSED BY KNEE OA. FUTURE STUDIES SHOULD COMPARE YOGA TO OTHER NONPHARMACOLOGIC INTERVENTIONS FOR KNEE OA, SUCH AS PATIENT EDUCATION OR QUADRICEPS-STRENGTHENING EXERCISES. 2005 3 1707 27 PATTERNS OF YOGA PRACTICE AND PHYSICAL ACTIVITY FOLLOWING A YOGA INTERVENTION FOR ADULTS WITH OR AT RISK FOR TYPE 2 DIABETES. BACKGROUND: THE CURRENT STUDY DESCRIBED PATTERNS OF YOGA PRACTICE AND EXAMINED DIFFERENCES IN PHYSICAL ACTIVITY OVER TIME BETWEEN INDIVIDUALS WITH OR AT RISK FOR TYPE 2 DIABETES WHO COMPLETED AN 8-WEEK YOGA INTERVENTION COMPARED WITH CONTROLS. METHODS: A LONGITUDINAL COMPARATIVE DESIGN MEASURED THE EFFECT OF A YOGA INTERVENTION ON YOGA PRACTICE AND PHYSICAL ACTIVITY, USING DATA AT BASELINE AND POSTINTERVENTION MONTHS 3, 6, AND 15. RESULTS: DISPARATE PATTERNS OF YOGA PRACTICE OCCURRED BETWEEN INTERVENTION AND CONTROL PARTICIPANTS OVER TIME, BUT THE SUBJECTIVE DEFINITION OF YOGA PRACTICE LIMITS INTERPRETATION. MULTILEVEL MODEL ESTIMATES INDICATED THAT TREATMENT GROUP DID NOT HAVE A SIGNIFICANT INFLUENCE IN THE RATE OF CHANGE IN PHYSICAL ACTIVITY OVER THE STUDY PERIOD. WHILE AGE AND EDUCATION WERE NOT SIGNIFICANT INDIVIDUAL PREDICTORS, THE INCLUSION OF THESE VARIABLES IN THE MODEL DID IMPROVE FIT. CONCLUSIONS: FINDINGS INDICATE THAT AN 8-WEEK YOGA INTERVENTION HAD LITTLE EFFECT ON PHYSICAL ACTIVITY OVER TIME. FURTHER RESEARCH IS NECESSARY TO EXPLORE THE INFLUENCE OF YOGA ON BEHAVIORAL HEALTH OUTCOMES AMONG INDIVIDUALS WITH OR AT RISK FOR TYPE 2 DIABETES. 2012 4 2235 31 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 5 444 23 CHAIR YOGA: BENEFITS FOR COMMUNITY-DWELLING OLDER ADULTS WITH OSTEOARTHRITIS. THE AIM OF THIS PILOT STUDY WAS TO EXAMINE WHETHER CHAIR YOGA WAS EFFECTIVE IN REDUCING PAIN LEVEL AND IMPROVING PHYSICAL FUNCTION AND EMOTIONAL WELL-BEING IN A SAMPLE OF COMMUNITY-DWELLING OLDER ADULTS WITH OSTEOARTHRITIS. ONE-WAY REPEATED MEASURES ANALYSIS OF VARIANCE WAS PERFORMED TO EXAMINE THE EFFECTIVENESS OF CHAIR YOGA AT BASELINE, MIDPOINT (4 WEEKS), AND END OF THE INTERVENTION (8 WEEKS). ALTHOUGH CHAIR YOGA WAS EFFECTIVE IN IMPROVING PHYSICAL FUNCTION AND REDUCING STIFFNESS IN OLDER ADULTS WITH OSTEOARTHRITIS, IT WAS NOT EFFECTIVE IN REDUCING PAIN LEVEL OR IMPROVING DEPRESSIVE SYMPTOMS. FUTURE RESEARCH PLANNED BY THIS TEAM WILL USE RIGOROUS STUDY METHODS, INCLUDING LARGER SAMPLES, RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIALS, AND FOLLOW UP FOR MONITORING HOME PRACTICE AFTER THE INTERVENTIONS. 2012 6 976 30 EFFECTS OF AN INTERVENTION PROGRAM WITH HEALTH EDUCATION AND HATHA YOGA ON THE HEALTH OF PROFESSIONALS WITH MUSCULOSKELETAL SYMPTOMS. INTRODUCTION: MUSCULOSKELETAL AND MENTAL DISORDERS ARE RELEVANT IN THE WORKERS' DISEASE PROCESS, AND ERGONOMIC INTERVENTIONS THAT INCLUDE GUIDANCE AND PHYSICAL EXERCISE CONSIST OF STRATEGIES OF HEALTH PROMOTION. INTEGRATIVE AND COMPLEMENTARY PRACTICES ARE PRESENTED AS A POSSIBILITY OF PROMOTING COMPREHENSIVE CARE AND YOGA CONSISTS OF A THERAPEUTIC ALTERNATIVE. OBJECTIVE: TO EVALUATE THE EFFECTS OF AN INTERVENTION INCLUDING EDUCATIONAL MEASURES AND HATHA YOGA IN MUSCULOSKELETAL PAIN, DISABILITY, AND STRESS IN PROFESSIONALS OF A UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL. METHODS: WE SELECTED 125 PROFESSIONALS WITH MUSCULOSKELETAL SYMPTOMS OF INTENSITY >/= 1 WHO DID NOT PRACTICE YOGA AND RANDOMLY ASSIGNED THEM TO INTERVENTION (N = 63) AND CONTROL (N = 62) GROUPS, REQUESTING ANSWERS TO THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONNAIRES: INITIAL CHARACTERIZATION, THE NORDIC MUSCULOSKELETAL QUESTIONNAIRE AND A NUMERIC SCALE, THE PAIN DISABILITY QUESTIONNAIRE, AND THE PERCEIVED STRESS SCALE. THE INTERVENTION GROUP WENT THROUGH A 12-WEEK PROGRAM WITH EDUCATIONAL MEASURES AND HATHA YOGA. AT THE END OF THE STUDY PERIOD, BOTH GROUPS ANSWERED TO THE QUESTIONNAIRES ONCE AGAIN. WE COMPARED DATA BEFORE AND AFTER THE INTERVENTION AND BETWEEN GROUPS. RESULTS: BOTH GROUPS PRESENTED IMPROVEMENTS AFTER 12 WEEKS, BUT THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN MEAN RESULTS OBTAINED IN THE FIRST AND SECOND DATA COLLECTIONS REVEALED THAT THE LEVELS OF PAIN, DISABILITY, AND STRESS DECREASED MORE STRONGLY IN THE INTERVENTION GROUP THAN IN THE CONTROL GROUP. CONSIDERING THAT THE INTERVENTION GROUP BEGAN THE PROGRAM IN WORSE CLINICAL CONDITIONS, THE PROGRAM LED TO A REDUCTION IN THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN GROUPS, BUT THIS WAS NOT ENOUGH FOR THE INTERVENTION GROUP TO REACH BETTER RESULTS THAN THE CONTROL. CONCLUSIONS: THE INTERVENTION PROMOTED IMPROVEMENTS IN THE INTENSITY OF PAIN, DISABILITY, AND STRESS AMONG THE PARTICIPANTS OF THE INTERVENTION GROUP. SIMILAR PROGRAMS COULD BE EXPLORED IN THE PROMOTION OF OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH. 2020 7 2222 43 THE IMPACT OF MODIFIED HATHA YOGA ON CHRONIC LOW BACK PAIN: A PILOT STUDY. PURPOSE: THE PURPOSE OF THIS RANDOMIZED PILOT STUDY WAS TO EVALUATE A POSSIBLE DESIGN FOR A 6-WEEK MODIFIED HATHA YOGA PROTOCOL TO STUDY THE EFFECTS ON PARTICIPANTS WITH CHRONIC LOW BACK PAIN. PARTICIPANTS: TWENTY-TWO PARTICIPANTS (M = 4; F = 17), BETWEEN THE AGES OF 30 AND 65, WITH CHRONIC LOW BACK PAIN (CLBP) WERE RANDOMIZED TO EITHER AN IMMEDIATE YOGA BASED INTERVENTION, OR TO A CONTROL GROUP WITH NO TREATMENT DURING THE OBSERVATION PERIOD BUT RECEIVED LATER YOGA TRAINING. METHODS: A SPECIFIC CLBP YOGA PROTOCOL DESIGNED AND MODIFIED FOR THIS POPULATION BY A CERTIFIED YOGA INSTRUCTOR WAS ADMINISTERED FOR ONE HOUR, TWICE A WEEK FOR 6 WEEKS. PRIMARY FUNCTIONAL OUTCOME MEASURES INCLUDED THE FORWARD REACH (FR) AND SIT AND REACH (SR) TESTS. ALL PARTICIPANTS COMPLETED OSWESTRY DISABILITY INDEX (ODI) AND BECK DEPRESSION INVENTORY (BDI) QUESTIONNAIRES. GUIDING QUESTIONS WERE USED FOR QUALITATIVE DATA ANALYSIS TO ASCERTAIN HOW YOGA PARTICIPANTS PERCEIVED THE INSTRUCTOR, GROUP DYNAMICS, AND THE IMPACT OF YOGA ON THEIR LIFE. ANALYSIS: TO ACCOUNT FOR DROP OUTS, THE DATA WERE DIVIDED INTO BETTER OR NOT CATEGORIES, AND ANALYZED USING CHI-SQUARE TO EXAMINE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE GROUPS. QUALITATIVE DATA WERE ANALYZED THROUGH FREQUENCY OF POSITIVE RESPONSES. RESULTS: POTENTIALLY IMPORTANT TRENDS IN THE FUNCTIONAL MEASUREMENT SCORES SHOWED IMPROVED BALANCE AND FLEXIBILITY AND DECREASED DISABILITY AND DEPRESSION FOR THE YOGA GROUP BUT THIS PILOT WAS NOT POWERED TO REACH STATISTICAL SIGNIFICANCE. SIGNIFICANT LIMITATIONS INCLUDED A HIGH DROPOUT RATE IN THE CONTROL GROUP AND LARGE BASELINE DIFFERENCES IN THE SECONDARY MEASURES. IN ADDITION, ANALYSIS OF THE QUALITATIVE DATA REVEALED THE FOLLOWING FREQUENCY OF RESPONSES (1) GROUP INTERVENTION MOTIVATED THE PARTICIPANTS AND (2) YOGA FOSTERED RELAXATION AND NEW AWARENESS/LEARNING. CONCLUSION: A MODIFIED YOGA-BASED INTERVENTION MAY BENEFIT INDIVIDUALS WITH CLB, BUT A LARGER STUDY IS NECESSARY TO PROVIDE DEFINITIVE EVIDENCE. ALSO, THE IMPACT ON DEPRESSION AND DISABILITY COULD BE CONSIDERED AS IMPORTANT OUTCOMES FOR FURTHER STUDY. ADDITIONAL FUNCTIONAL OUTCOME MEASURES SHOULD BE EXPLORED. THIS PILOT STUDY SUPPORTS THE NEED FOR MORE RESEARCH INVESTIGATING THE EFFECT OF YOGA FOR THIS POPULATION. 2004 8 2243 32 THE INFLUENCE OF TAI CHI AND YOGA ON BALANCE AND FALLS IN A RESIDENTIAL CARE SETTING: A RANDOMISED CONTROLLED TRIAL. ABSTRACT FALLS AMONGST OLDER PEOPLE IS A GLOBAL PUBLIC HEALTH CONCERN. WHILST FALLING IS NOT A TYPICAL FEATURE OF AGEING, OLDER PEOPLE ARE MORE LIKELY TO FALL. FALL INJURIES AMONGST OLDER PEOPLE ARE A LEADING CAUSE OF DEATH AND DISABILITY. MANY OLDER PEOPLE DO NOT DO REGULAR EXERCISE SO THAT THEY LOSE MUSCLE TONE, STRENGTH, AND FLEXIBILITY WHICH AFFECT BALANCE AND PREDISPOSE THEM TO FALLS. THE MANAGEMENT OF FALLS IN RESIDENTIAL CARE SETTINGS IS A MAJOR CONCERN WITH STRATEGIES FOR PREVENTION AND MONITORING A FOCUS IN THIS SETTING. YOGA AND TAI CHI HAVE SHOWN POTENTIAL TO IMPROVE BALANCE AND PREVENT FALLS IN OLDER ADULTS. THEY ALSO HAVE POTENTIAL TO IMPROVE PAIN AND QUALITY OF LIFE. THE AIM OF THIS STUDY WAS TO DETERMINE THE FEASIBILITY OF CONDUCTING A 3-ARM RCT WITH FRAIL OLDER PEOPLE IN A RESIDENTIAL CARE SETTING TO TEST THE HYPOTHESIS THAT A 14 WEEK MODIFIED TAI CHI OR YOGA PROGRAM IS MORE EFFECTIVE THAN USUAL CARE ACTIVITY IN IMPROVING BALANCE FUNCTION, QUALITY OF LIFE, PAIN EXPERIENCE AND IN REDUCING NUMBER OF FALLS. THERE WERE NO STATISTICALLY SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE THREE GROUPS IN THE OCCURRENCE OF FALLS. YOGA DEMONSTRATED A SLIGHT DECREASE IN FALL INCIDENCE; QUALITY OF LIFE IMPROVED FOR THE TAI CHI GROUP. ONLY THE YOGA GROUP EXPERIENCED A REDUCTION IN AVERAGE PAIN SCORES THOUGH NOT STATISTICALLY SIGNIFICANT. THE FINDINGS OF THE STUDY SUGGEST IT IS POSSIBLE TO SAFELY IMPLEMENT MODIFIED YOGA AND TAI CHI IN A RESIDENTIAL CARE SETTING AND EVALUATE THIS USING RCT DESIGN. THEY SHOW POSITIVE CHANGES TO BALANCE, PAIN AND QUALITY OF LIFE AND A HIGH LEVEL OF INTEREST THROUGH ATTENDANCE AMONGST THE OLDER PARTICIPANTS. THE RESULTS SUPPORT OFFERING TAI CHI AND YOGA TO OLDER PEOPLE WHO ARE FRAIL AND DEPENDENT WITH PHYSICAL AND COGNITIVE LIMITATIONS. 2014 9 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 10 1173 35 EVALUATION OF A YOGA BASED REGIMEN FOR TREATMENT OF OSTEOARTHRITIS OF THE HANDS. OBJECTIVE: YOGA AND RELAXATION TECHNIQUES HAVE TRADITIONALLY BEEN USED BY NONMEDICAL PRACTITIONERS TO HELP ALLEVIATE MUSCULOSKELETAL SYMPTOMS. THE OBJECTIVE OF THIS STUDY WAS TO COLLECT CONTROLLED OBSERVATIONS OF THE EFFECT OF YOGA ON THE HANDS OF PATIENTS WITH OSTEOARTHRITIS (OA). METHODS: PATIENTS WITH OA OF THE HANDS WERE RANDOMLY ASSIGNED TO RECEIVE EITHER THE YOGA PROGRAM OR NO THERAPY. YOGA TECHNIQUES WERE SUPERVISED BY ONE INSTRUCTOR ONCE/WEEK FOR 8 WEEKS. VARIABLES ASSESSED WERE PAIN, STRENGTH, MOTION, JOINT CIRCUMFERENCE, TENDERNESS, AND HAND FUNCTION USING THE STANFORD HAND ASSESSMENT QUESTIONNAIRE. RESULTS: THE YOGA TREATED GROUP IMPROVED SIGNIFICANTLY MORE THAN THE CONTROL GROUP IN PAIN DURING ACTIVITY, TENDERNESS AND FINGER RANGE OF MOTION. OTHER TRENDS ALSO FAVORED THE YOGA PROGRAM. CONCLUSION: THIS YOGA DERIVED PROGRAM WAS EFFECTIVE IN PROVIDING RELIEF IN HAND OA. FURTHER STUDIES ARE NEEDED TO COMPARE THIS WITH OTHER TREATMENTS AND TO EXAMINE LONGTERM EFFECTS. 1994 11 936 30 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 12 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 13 1413 24 IMPLEMENTING YOGA INTO THE MANAGEMENT OF PATIENTS WITH REFRACTORY LOW BACK PAIN IN AN OUTPATIENT CLINIC SETTING. PURPOSE: TO EVALUATE THE EFFECTIVENESS OF IMPLEMENTING YOGA INTO THE TREATMENT OF PATIENTS WITH CHRONIC LOW BACK PAIN. DESIGN: QUANTITATIVE ANALYSIS WITH OPPORTUNITY FOR QUALITATIVE FEEDBACK. METHOD: EFFECTIVENESS OF THIS COMPLEMENTARY TREATMENT WAS ASSESSED USING A PRETEST/POSTTEST DESIGN OF PATIENTS WHO VOLUNTEERED TO PARTICIPATE IN YOGA CLASSES AS PART OF THEIR BACK PAIN MANAGEMENT. MEASUREMENTS INCLUDED LOW BACK PAIN RATING, PERCEPTION OF BACK PAIN INTERFERENCE WITH DAILY ACTIVITIES, AND SELF-EFFICACY IN DEALING WITH CHRONIC LOW BACK PAIN. FINDINGS: ALTHOUGH NO STATISTICALLY SIGNIFICANT FINDINGS WERE FOUND DUE TO THE SMALL SAMPLE SIZE, MOST PARTICIPANTS DEMONSTRATED IMPROVED INDIVIDUAL SCORES ON ALL MEASUREMENT SURVEYS INCLUDING QUALITATIVE COMMENTS. CONCLUSION: BASED ON THE FINDINGS OF THIS PILOT STUDY, FURTHER STUDIES ON IMPLEMENTING YOGA INTO THE TREATMENT OF CHRONIC LOW BACK PAIN ARE ENCOURAGED. 2019 14 115 23 A PILOT STUDY OF A YOGA INTERVENTION FOR THE TREATMENT OF ANXIETY IN YOUNG PEOPLE WITH EARLY PSYCHOSIS. BACKGROUND: ANXIETY IS COMMON IN YOUNG PEOPLE WITH EARLY PSYCHOSIS AND TREATMENT OPTIONS FOR THIS CO-MORBIDITY REMAIN LIMITED. YOGA IS A PROMISING ADJUNCT INTERVENTION THAT HAS BEEN SHOWN TO REDUCE ANXIETY FOR ADULTS WITH SCHIZOPHRENIA, THEREFORE THIS PILOT STUDY EVALUATED THE ACCEPTABILITY AND POTENTIAL EFFECTIVENESS OF YOGA FOR ANXIETY IN EARLY PSYCHOSIS. METHODS: A PROSPECTIVE SINGLE ARM PILOT STUDY OF A YOGA INTERVENTION WAS CONDUCTED WITHIN AN EARLY INTERVENTION FOR PSYCHOSIS SERVICE. RATES OF ATTENDANCE, AS WELL AS SYMPTOMS OF ANXIETY PRE AND POST YOGA SESSION WERE MEASURED. RESULTS: A TOTAL OF 14 YOUNG PEOPLE PARTICIPATED IN THE STUDY AND OVER 70% ATTENDED HALF OR MORE OF THE YOGA SESSIONS OFFERED. SIGNIFICANT TRANSIENT REDUCTION IN STATE ANXIETY AFTER A SINGLE SESSION OF YOGA WAS OBSERVED (P < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: YOGA WAS FOUND TO BE AN ACCEPTABLE AND POTENTIALLY EFFECTIVE ADJUNCTIVE TREATMENT FOR ANXIETY IN EARLY PSYCHOSIS AND THE RESULTS WARRANT FURTHER CLINICAL TRIALS. 2022 15 1958 23 SELF-MANAGEMENT AND YOGA FOR OLDER ADULTS WITH CHRONIC STROKE: A MIXED-METHODS STUDY OF PHYSICAL FITNESS AND PHYSICAL ACTIVITY. OBJECTIVE: THIS STUDY INVESTIGATED CHANGES IN PHYSICAL FITNESS AND PHYSICAL ACTIVITY AMONG OLDER PATIENTS WITH CHRONIC STROKE (STROKE >/= 6 MONTHS PREVIOUS) AFTER PARTICIPATION IN A YOGA INFUSED SELF-MANAGEMENT INTERVENTION. METHODS: A MIXED-METHODS SECONDARY DATA ANALYSIS EXAMINED QUANTITATIVE MEASURES OF ENDURANCE, STRENGTH, AND GAIT SPEED AND QUALITATIVE PERSPECTIVES OF INTERVENTION PARTICIPANTS. RESULTS: BASED ON WILCOXON ANALYSIS, PHYSICAL FITNESS OUTCOME MEASURES INCLUDING ENDURANCE AND LOWER AND UPPER BODY STRENGTH SIGNIFICANTLY (P < .02) IMPROVED. BASED ON QUALITATIVE RESULTS OF 2 FOCUS GROUPS AND 14 INDIVIDUAL INTERVIEWS, PARTICIPANTS EXPRESSED POSITIVE CHANGES IN ENDURANCE, STRENGTH, GAIT SPEED, FLEXIBILITY, AND BALANCE. THEY ALSO REPORTED IMPROVEMENTS IN WALKING ABILITY AND DURATION, AND EXPRESSED A DESIRE TO CONTINUE YOGA AND INCREASE LEVELS OF EXERCISE. CONCLUSIONS: WITH THE OBJECTIVE OF IMPROVING PHYSICAL FITNESS AND EXERCISE FOR OLDER ADULTS WITH CHRONIC STROKE, IT IS IMPORTANT FOR SELF-MANAGEMENT INTERVENTIONS TO PROVIDE SPECIFIC SAFE AND FEASIBLE PHYSICAL ACTIVITY COMPONENTS, SUCH AS YOGA. CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS: HEALTH PROFESSIONALS MAY IMPROVE OFFERED CHRONIC STROKE SELF-MANAGEMENT INTERVENTIONS BY INCORPORATING YOGA. 2018 16 198 29 A REGULAR YOGA INTERVENTION FOR STAFF NURSE SLEEP QUALITY AND WORK STRESS: A RANDOMISED CONTROLLED TRIAL. AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: ALTHOUGH MANY STUDIES HAVE ASSESSED THE EFFICACY OF YOGA IN OLDER INDIVIDUALS, MINIMAL RESEARCH HAS FOCUSED ON HOW NURSES USE YOGA TO IMPROVE SLEEP QUALITY AND TO REDUCE WORK STRESS AFTER WORK HOURS. WE USED THE PITTSBURGH SLEEP QUALITY INDEX IN CHINESE AND THE QUESTIONNAIRE ON MEDICAL WORKER'S STRESS IN CHINESE TO DETERMINE THE IMPACT OF YOGA ON THE QUALITY OF SLEEP AND WORK STRESS OF STAFF NURSES EMPLOYED BY A GENERAL HOSPITAL IN CHINA. BACKGROUND: DISTURBANCES IN THE CIRCADIAN RHYTHM INTERRUPT AN INDIVIDUAL'S PATTERN OF SLEEP. STUDY DESIGN: CONVENIENT SAMPLING METHOD. METHODS: ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY NURSES WERE RANDOMISED INTO TWO GROUPS: A YOGA GROUP AND A NON-YOGA GROUP. THE YOGA GROUP PERFORMED YOGA MORE THAN TWO TIMES EVERY WEEK FOR 50-60 MINUTES EACH TIME AFTER WORK HOURS. THE NG GROUP DID NOT PARTICIPATE IN YOGA. AFTER SIX MONTHS, SELF-REPORTED SLEEP QUALITY AND WORK STRESS WERE COMPARED BETWEEN THE TWO GROUPS, AND THEN WE USED LINEAR REGRESSION TO CONFIRM THE INDEPENDENT FACTORS RELATED TO SLEEP QUALITY. RESULTS: NURSES IN THE YOGA GROUP HAD BETTER SLEEP QUALITY AND LOWER WORK STRESS COMPARED WITH NURSES IN THE NON-YOGA GROUP. THE LINEAR REGRESSION MODEL INDICATED THAT NURSING EXPERIENCE, AGE AND YOGA INTERVENTION WERE SIGNIFICANTLY RELATED TO SLEEP QUALITY. CONCLUSION: REGULAR YOGA CAN IMPROVE SLEEP QUALITY AND REDUCE WORK STRESS IN STAFF NURSES. RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE: THIS STUDY PROVIDES EVIDENCE THAT HOSPITAL MANAGEMENT SHOULD PAY ATTENTION TO NURSE SLEEP QUALITY AND WORK STRESS, THEREBY TAKING CORRESPONDING MEASURES TO REDUCE WORK PRESSURE AND IMPROVE HEALTH OUTCOMES. 2015 17 2385 27 YOGA ADHERENCE IN OLDER WOMEN SIX MONTHS POST-OSTEOARTHRITIS INTERVENTION. BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVE: OSTEOARTHRITIS (OA) IS A HIGHLY PREVALENT CONDITION WORLDWIDE. YOGA IS POTENTIALLY A SAFE AND FEASIBLE OPTION FOR MANAGING OA; HOWEVER, THE EXTENT OF LONG-TERM YOGA ADHERENCE IS UNKNOWN. THE PURPOSE OF THIS STUDY WAS TO EXAMINE YOGA ADHERENCE 6 MONTHS AFTER PARTICIPANTS COMPLETED AN OA INTERVENTION PROGRAM. METHODS: THIS FOLLOW-UP STUDY EMPLOYED A CROSS-SECTIONAL DESCRIPTIVE DESIGN USING SURVEY, INTERVIEW, AND VIDEO RECORDINGS TO COLLECT BOTH QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE DATA. A TOTAL OF 31 PARTICIPANTS COMPLETED AND RETURNED THE SURVEY, AND 10 VIDEOTAPED THEIR YOGA PRACTICE FOR 1 WEEK AND PARTICIPATED IN A FACE-TO-FACE INTERVIEW. RESULTS: A MAJORITY OF PARTICIPANTS (N=19, 61%) REPORTED THAT THEY WERE STILL PRACTICING YOGA 6 MONTHS AFTER THE INTERVENTION PROGRAM. ON AVERAGE, PARTICIPANTS REPORTED PRACTICING 21 TO 30 MINUTES OF YOGA PER DAY (32%) 3 TO 4 DAYS PER WEEK (47%). "FEELING GOOD OR FEELING BETTER AFTER YOGA PRACTICE" (50%) AND "SET ASIDE A TIME" (31%) WERE THE MOST COMMON MOTIVATING FACTORS FOR YOGA ADHERENCE. DEALING WITH HEALTH PROBLEMS (42%), HAVING PAIN (25%), AND BEING TOO BUSY (25%) WERE THE MAJOR BARRIERS. QUALITATIVE DATA REVEALED THAT PARTICIPANTS: (1) USED MINDFUL YOGA MOVEMENT, (2) INCORPORATED OTHER FORMS OF EXERCISE AND RESOURCES DURING YOGA PRACTICE, AND (3) CREATED PERSONALIZED YOGA PROGRAMS. ADDITIONALLY, THE PARTICIPANTS REPORTED LESS OA PAIN, INCREASED PHYSICAL ENDURANCE, AND MORE RELAXATION. CONCLUSION: MANY PARTICIPANTS ADHERED TO YOGA PRACTICE 6 MONTHS POST-INTERVENTION ALTHOUGH NOT AT THE FREQUENCY AND SEQUENCE AS PRESCRIBED. FEELING BETTER AFTER PRACTICE MOTIVATED PARTICIPANTS, BUT OTHER FACTORS REMAINED KEY BARRIERS. 2015 18 2754 29 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 19 511 34 COMPARATIVE STUDY OF CONVENTIONAL THERAPY AND ADDITIONAL YOGASANAS FOR KNEE REHABILITATION AFTER TOTAL KNEE ARTHROPLASTY. BACKGROUND: AMONGST VARIOUS MODALITIES OF POST OPERATIVE REHABILITATION IN A TOTAL KNEE REPLACEMENT (TKR) SURGERY, THIS STUDY FOCUSES ON EVALUATING THE EFFECT OF ADDITIONAL YOGA THERAPY ON FUNCTIONAL OUTCOME OF TKR PATIENTS. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A COMPARATIVE STUDY WAS DONE TO COMPARE THE EFFECTS OF CONVENTIONAL PHYSIOTHERAPY AND ADDITIONAL YOGA ASANAS, ON 56 PATIENTS UNDERGOING TOTAL KNEE ARTHROPLASTY DUE TO OSTEOARTHRITIS. AFTER OBTAINING WRITTEN INFORMED CONSENT, THE PATIENTS WERE ALTERNATELY ASSIGNED TO TWO GROUPS: CONVENTIONAL AND EXPERIMENTAL. BASELINE WOMAC SCORES FOR PAIN AND STIFFNESS WERE TAKEN ON THIRD POST OPERATIVE DAY. THE SUBJECTS IN CONVENTIONAL GROUP RECEIVED PHYSIOTHERAPY REHABILITATION PROGRAM OF SANCHETI INSTITUTE WHERE THE STUDY WAS CONDUCTED, THE EXPERIMENTAL GROUP RECEIVED ADDITIONAL MODIFIED YOGA ASANAS ONCE DAILY BY THE THERAPIST. AFTER DISCHARGE FROM THE HOSPITAL, PATIENTS WERE PROVIDED WITH WRITTEN INSTRUCTIONS AND PHOTOGRAPHS OF THE ASANAS, TWO SETS OF WOMAC QUESTIONNAIRE WITH STAMPED AND ADDRESSED ENVELOPES AND WERE INSTRUCTED TO PERFORM YOGA ASANAS 3 DAYS/WEEK. SUBJECTS FILLED THE QUESTIONNAIRE AFTER 6 WEEKS AND 3 MONTHS FROM THE DAY OF SURGERY AND MAILED BACK. THE PRIMARY OUTCOME MEASURE WAS WOMAC QUESTIONNAIRE WHICH CONSISTS OF 24 QUESTIONS, EACH CORRESPONDING TO A VISUAL ANALOG SCALE, DESIGNED TO MEASURE PATIENT'S PERCEPTION OF PAIN, STIFFNESS AND FUNCTION. RESULTS: THE RESULTS SUGGEST THAT THERE WAS A SIGNIFICANT CHANGE (P<0.05) FOR ALL THE GROUPS FOR PAIN, STIFFNESS AND FUNCTION SUBSCALES OF WOMAC SCALE. THE PAIN AND STIFFNESS WAS FOUND TO BE LESS IN EXPERIMENTAL GROUP RECEIVING ADDITIONAL YOGA THERAPY THAN IN CONVENTIONAL GROUP ON 3(RD) POST OPERATIVE DAY, 6 WEEKS AND 3 MONTHS AFTER THE SURGERY. CONCLUSION: A COMBINATION OF PHYSIOTHERAPY AND YOGA ASANA PROTOCOL WORKS BETTER THAN ONLY PHYSIOTHERAPY PROTOCOL. LARGER AND BLINDED STUDY IS NEEDED. 2012 20 2815 32 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