1 2168 117 THE EFFECTS OF YOGA IN PATIENTS SUFFERING FROM SUBJECTIVE TINNITUS. INTRODUCTION TINNITUS IS A PERCEPTION OF SOUND IN THE ABSENCE OF AN EXTERNAL SOURCE AND IT IS A DISTRESSING ISSUE. YOGA IS A SYSTEM OF MIND-BODY PRACTICES WITH THE GOAL OF UNITING THE BODY, MIND AND SOUL. IT HAS BEEN SHOWN TO REDUCE ANXIETY AND STRESS, AS WELL AS IMPROVING THE QUALITY OF LIFE. OBJECTIVE THE AIM OF THIS STUDY IS TO INVESTIGATE THE EFFECTS OF YOGA IN PATIENTS SUFFERING FROM CHRONIC SUBJECTIVE TINNITUS. METHODS TWELVE SUBJECTS PREVIOUSLY DIAGNOSED WITH CHRONIC SUBJECTIVE TINNITUS WERE SELECTED FOR THE STUDY. THE PATIENTS WERE ASKED TO ATTEND TO YOGA CLASSES ONCE A WEEK AND TO PRACTICE YOGA AT HOME USING A WORKSHEET FOR 3 MONTHS. EACH YOGA CLASS CONSISTED OF BODY EXERCISES (ASANA), BREATHING (PRANAYAMA) AND MEDITATION (SHAVASANA AND YOGA NIDRA). TINNITUS SCORES BEFORE AND AFTER THE YOGA CLASSES WERE COMPARED USING THE WILCOXON TEST. RESULTS AMONG THE 12 PATIENTS, THERE WERE 4 MEN AND 8 WOMEN AND THEIR MEAN AGE WAS 52.5 YEARS. THE MEDIAN DURATION OF TINNITUS AMONG THE GROUP WAS 5.4 YEARS. THERE WERE STATISTICALLY SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCES IN THE STRESS ( P = 0.01), HANDICAP ( P = 0.004) AND SEVERITY ( P = 0.007) QUESTIONNAIRES SCORES. CONCLUSION THIS STUDY INDICATED THAT YOGA PRACTICES MAY REDUCE LIFE STRESS AND SYMPTOMS OF SUBJECTIVE TINNITUS. 2018 2 886 25 EFFECT OF YOGA TRAINING ON THE TINNITUS INDUCED DISTRESS. THE STUDY ADDRESSED THE EFFICACY OF 12 WEEKS OF YOGA TRAINING IN TREATING 25 PATIENTS WITH CHRONIC TINNITUS. TEN OF THE PATIENTS UNDERWENT MAGNETIC RESONANCE IMAGING (MRI) BEFORE AND AFTER TRAINING. A CONTROL GROUP COMPRISED 13 PEOPLE REPORTING CHRONIC TINNITUS. ALL PARTICIPANTS WERE ASSESSED WITH THE TINNITUS FUNCTIONAL INDEX. AFTER THE 12-WEEK YOGA COURSE, THE AREAS CONSIDERED TO HAVE BENEFITED MOST WERE THE SENSE OF CONTROL OF TINNITUS, SLEEP, QUALITY OF LIFE, AND INTRUSIVENESS. THE MRI STUDIES INDICATED THAT CONNECTIONS IN THE WHITE MATTER OF THE MOTOR CORTEX APPEARED TO BE STRONGER AS A RESULT OF TRAINING. YOGA TRAINING HAS GOOD POTENTIAL TO IMPROVE THE DAILY FUNCTIONING OF PATIENTS WITH CHRONIC TINNITUS AND CAN BE CONSIDERED A PROMISING SUPPORTING METHOD FOR TINNITUS TREATMENT. 2019 3 2235 34 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 4 2459 43 YOGA AS A HOLISTIC APPROACH FOR STRESS MANAGEMENT IN ORAL CANCER PATIENTS. A PROSPECTIVE STUDY. BACKGROUND AND AIMS: ORAL CANCER HAS BEEN RANKED AS THE SIXTH MOST COMMON CANCER GLOBALLY. IT HAS BEEN REPORTED TO BE INCREASING IN INCIDENCE ESPECIALLY, IN THE SOUTHERN PARTS OF ASIA WHICH CHIEFLY INCLUDES, INDIA. DIAGNOSIS OF ORAL CANCER IS FOLLOWED BY A VIGOROUS AND HIGHLY MORBID TREATMENT PROTOCOL WHICH DRASTICALLY IMPACTS THE PATIENT'S QUALITY OF LIFE. THIS IN TURN CAN CAUSE EXTREME STRESS IN A PERSON. THIS STUDY AIMED TO ASSESS THE IMPACT OF THE PRACTICE OF YOGA ON STRESS LEVELS IN CANCER PATIENTS. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A TOTAL OF 200 SUBJECTS DIAGNOSED WITH ORAL CANCER WERE SELECTED FOR THIS STUDY. THEIR STRESS LEVELS WERE SCORED BOTH BEFORE AND AFTER INITIATING THE PRACTICE OF YOGIC EXERCISES IN A ONE-MONTH INTERVAL USING A QUESTIONNAIRE. OBTAINED SCORES WERE ENTERED IN MICROSOFT EXCEL 2007 WORKSHEET AND AN UNPAIRED T-TEST WAS APPLIED. P VALUES OF LESS THAN 0.05 AND 0.001 WERE CONSIDERED STATISTICALLY SIGNIFICANT AND EXTREMELY SIGNIFICANT, RESPECTIVELY. RESULTS: STUDY RESULTS SHOWED A REDUCTION IN STRESS LEVEL SCORES (48 +/- 0.99 TO 37 +/- 5.2) AFTER ADOPTING YOGA FOR ONE MONTH. AN EXTREMELY SIGNIFICANT P VALUE OF LESS THAN 0.001 WAS OBTAINED. CONCLUSION: IT CAN BE CONCLUDED FROM THIS STUDY THAT YOGA IS AN EFFECTIVE METHOD IN REDUCING STRESS LEVELS IN INDIVIDUALS DIAGNOSED WITH ORAL CANCER. 2020 5 1091 40 EFFECTS OF YOGA ON THE QUALITY OF LIFE IN CANCER PATIENTS. OBJECTIVE: THIS STUDY SOUGHT TO INVESTIGATE THE EFFECTS OF YOGA ON THE QUALITY OF LIFE IN PATIENTS WITH BREAST CANCER. DESIGN: TWENTY PATIENTS BETWEEN 30 AND 50 YEARS OF AGE PRESENTLY UNDER TREATMENT FOR BREAST CANCER WERE INCLUDED IN THE STUDY. THE PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF THE PATIENTS WERE RECORDED AND GENERAL PHYSIOTHERAPY ASSESSMENTS PERFORMED. EIGHT SESSIONS OF A YOGA PROGRAM INCLUDING WARMING AND BREATHING EXERCISES, ASANAS, RELAXATION IN SUPINE POSITION, AND MEDITATION WERE APPLIED TO PARTICIPANTS. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: THE PRE- AND POST-YOGA QUALITY OF LIFE ASSESSMENTS FOR THE PATIENTS WERE CONDUCTED USING THE NOTTINGHAM HEALTH PROFILE (NHP). PATIENTS' STRESS LEVELS WERE ASSESSED USING THE STAI-I AND STAI-II ANXIETY INVENTORY. THEIR SATISFACTION LEVELS ABOUT THE YOGA PROGRAM WAS EVALUATED USING THE VISUAL ANALOG SCALE (VAS). RESULTS: IT WAS FOUND THAT PATIENTS' QUALITY OF LIFE SCORES AFTER THE YOGA PROGRAM WERE BETTER THAN SCORES OBTAINED BEFORE THE YOGA PROGRAM (P < 0.05). AFTER SESSIONS, THERE WAS A STATISTICALLY SIGNIFICANT DECREASE IN THEIR STAI-I (MEASURING THE REACTIONS OF ANXIETY) SCORES AND STAI-II (MEASURING THE PERMANENCE OF ANXIETY) SCORES (P < 0.05). IT WAS FOUND OUT THAT THE SATISFACTION SCORE CONCERNING THE YOGA PROGRAM WAS CONSIDERABLY INCREASED AFTER THE YOGA PROGRAM (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: IT CAN BE CONCLUDED THAT YOGA IS VALUABLE IN HELPING TO ACHIEVE RELAXATION AND DIMINISH STRESS, HELPS CANCER PATIENTS PERFORM DAILY AND ROUTINE ACTIVITIES, AND INCREASES THE QUALITY OF LIFE IN CANCER PATIENTS. THIS RESULT WAS POSITIVELY REFLECTED IN PATIENTS SATISFACTION WITH THE YOGA PROGRAM. 2010 6 2119 34 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 7 1616 34 MINDFUL AWARENESS FOR FEMALE DENTAL STUDENTS THROUGH YOGA, MOTIVATIONAL VIDEO, AND A COMBINATION OF TWO ON STRESS REDUCTION. OBJECTIVE: ASSESSMENT OF THE POTENTIAL EFFECT OF YOGA, MOTIVATIONAL VIDEOS, AND A COMBINATION OF TWO ON STRESS REDUCTION IN FEMALE DENTAL STUDENTS. METHODS: THE CURRENT STUDY DESIGN IS A NONRANDOMIZED TRIAL CARRIED OUT AMONG FEMALE DENTAL STUDENTS (N = 120). THE SELECTED SUBJECTS WERE ALLOCATED INTO THREE GROUPS, NAMELY, GROUP A: YOGA GROUP ASSIGNED UNDER A PROFESSIONAL YOGA INSTRUCTOR, GROUP B: MOTIVATIONAL VIDEO GROUP, AND GROUP C: A COMBINATION OF TWO (A AND B) INVOLVING YOGA SESSIONS AND MOTIVATIONAL VIDEOS; FOLLOWING WHICH FORMATIVE EXAMINATIONS WERE CARRIED OUT AT 6 WEEKS WHICH WERE REFERRED TO AS STRESSOR 1 AND THOSE CARRIED OUT AT 12 WEEKS WERE REFERRED TO AS STRESSOR 2. USING SPIELBERGER'S STATE-TRAIT ANXIETY INVENTORY FOR ADULTS (STAI-A) RECORDINGS WERE MEASURED AT BASELINE, STRESSOR 1, AND STRESSOR 2. RESULTS: THERE WAS A SIGNIFICANT DECREASE IN TRAIT ANXIETY SCORES AT BOTH STRESSORS IN ALL THE GROUPS WITH A SIGNIFICANT REDUCTION IN DEPRESSION SCORE FROM STRESSOR 1 TO 2 IN GROUP 1 AND GROUP 3 SUBJECTS. THE SIGNIFICANT DECREASE OCCURRED IN STAI-A SCORES IN GROUP 1 AND GROUP 3 SUBJECTS AT BOTH STRESSORS (P < 0.001) WITH NO CHANGE OBSERVED IN GROUP 2 SUBJECTS. CONCLUSION: THE PRESENT STUDY IS ONE OF A KIND AND POSITIVELY CORRELATES YOGA AND MOTIVATIONAL VIDEOS WITH STRESS REDUCTION. BOTH OF THESE INTERVENTIONS PROVED TO BE BENEFICIARY FOR PHYSICAL AS WELL AS MENTAL HEALTH OF STUDY SUBJECTS. 2020 8 2215 26 THE IMMEDIATE EFFECTS OF MODIFIED YOGA POSITIONS ON MUSCULOSKELETAL PAIN RELIEF. MANY MUSCULOSKELETAL PAINS ARE RELATED TO POOR POSTURE. THUS, THE AIM OF THE PRESENT STUDY WAS TO ASSESS THE EFFICIENCY OF A SINGLE SESSION OF TWO MODIFIED YOGA POSITIONS WITH 110 SUBJECTS AND THEIR 147 PAIN-RELATED COMPLAINTS. THE PARTICIPANTS WERE DIVIDED INTO TWO GROUPS: THE YOGA GROUP, WHICH RECEIVED TREATMENT OF TWO 20-MIN POSTURES AND THE CONTROL GROUP, WHICH RECEIVED A PLACEBO TREATMENT OF 15 MIN WITH A TURNED OFF ULTRASOUND. ALL VOLUNTEERS EXPERIENCED SOME PAIN BEFORE TREATMENT AND WERE ASSESSED BEFORE AND AFTER TREATMENT USING THE ANALOG PAIN SCALE. A SCORE OF 0 INDICATED NO PAIN WHEREAS 10 WAS THE MAXIMUM DEGREE OF PAIN ON THE SCALE. THE DIFFERENCE BEFORE AND AFTER TREATMENT WAS COMPARED BETWEEN THE GROUPS WITH A P-VALUE OF 0.0001, AS MEASURED BY THE STUDENT'S T-TEST. IT IS POSSIBLE TO CONCLUDE THAT ONE THERAPY SESSION IS EFFECTIVE IN THE TREATMENT OF VARIOUS MUSCULOSKELETAL PROBLEMS. 2013 9 159 31 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 10 1076 41 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 11 500 28 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 12 1424 29 IMPROVEMENT IN PHYSIOLOGICAL AND PSYCHOLOGICAL PARAMETERS AFTER 6 MONTHS OF YOGA PRACTICE. YOGA IS BELIEVED TO HAVE BENEFICIAL EFFECTS ON COGNITION, ATTENUATION OF EMOTIONAL INTENSITY AND STRESS REDUCTION. PREVIOUS STUDIES WERE MAINLY PERFORMED ON EASTERN EXPERIENCED PRACTITIONERS OR UNHEALTHY SUBJECTS UNDERGOING CONCOMITANT CONVENTIONAL THERAPIES. FURTHER INVESTIGATION IS NEEDED ON THE EFFECTS OF YOGA PER SE, AS WELL AS ITS POSSIBLE PREVENTIVE BENEFITS ON HEALTHY SUBJECTS. WE INVESTIGATED THE EFFECTS OF YOGA ON MEMORY AND PSYCHOPHYSIOLOGICAL PARAMETERS RELATED TO STRESS, COMPARING YOGA PRACTICE AND CONVENTIONAL PHYSICAL EXERCISES IN HEALTHY MEN (PREVIOUSLY YOGA-NAIVE). MEMORY TESTS, SALIVARY CORTISOL LEVELS AND STRESS, ANXIETY, AND DEPRESSION INVENTORIES WERE ASSESSED BEFORE AND AFTER 6 MONTHS OF PRACTICE. YOGA PRACTITIONERS SHOWED IMPROVEMENT OF THE MEMORY PERFORMANCE, AS WELL AS IMPROVEMENTS IN PSYCHOPHYSIOLOGICAL PARAMETERS. THE PRESENT RESULTS SUGGEST THAT REGULAR YOGA PRACTICE CAN IMPROVE ASPECTS OF COGNITION AND QUALITY OF LIFE FOR HEALTHY INDIVIDUALS. AN INDIRECT INFLUENCE OF EMOTIONAL STATE ON COGNITIVE IMPROVEMENT PROMOTED BY YOGA PRACTICE CAN BE PROPOSED. 2012 13 208 39 A SINGLE SESSION OF AN INTEGRATED YOGA PROGRAM AS A STRESS MANAGEMENT TOOL FOR SCHOOL EMPLOYEES: COMPARISON OF DAILY PRACTICE AND NONDAILY PRACTICE OF A YOGA THERAPY PROGRAM. OBJECTIVES: THE AIM OF THIS STUDY WAS TO ASSESS THE EFFECT OF THE DAILY PRACTICE OF A YOGA THERAPY PROGRAM LEARNT DURING A SINGLE SESSION OF AN INTEGRATED YOGA INTERVENTION THAT WAS DEVELOPED BY US AS A STRESS MANAGEMENT TOOL FOR SCHOOL EMPLOYEES. SUBJECTS: NINETY SCHOOL EMPLOYEES. DESIGN: CASE-CONTROL STUDY. THREE MONTHS AFTER THE INTERVENTION, THE SUBJECTS WERE ASSIGNED TO A DAILY PRACTICE GROUP (CASE: N=43) AND A NONCONSECUTIVE DAILY PRACTICE GROUP (CONTROL: N=47) ACCORDING TO THEIR DAILY PRACTICE LEVEL OF THE YOGA THERAPY PROGRAM. INTERVENTIONS: THE SUBJECTS PARTICIPATED IN A STRESS MANAGEMENT EDUCATION PROGRAM BASED ON AN INTEGRATED YOGA THERAPY SESSION. THE PROGRAM INCLUDED PSYCHOLOGICAL EDUCATION AND COUNSELING ABOUT STRESS MANAGEMENT AND YOGA THEORIES, AS WELL AS THE PRACTICES OF ASANAS, PRANAYAMA, RELAXATION, AND COGNITIVE STRUCTURE BASED ON INDIAN PHILOSOPHY. OUTCOME MEASURES: ASSESSMENTS WERE PERFORMED BEFORE AND AFTER THE PROGRAM USING THE SUBJECTIVE UNITS OF DISTRESS FOR MIND AND BODY AND THE TWO-DIMENSIONAL MOOD SCALE. THE GENERAL HEALTH QUESTIONNAIRE 28 (GHQ28) WAS USED TO ASSESS THE MENTAL HEALTH STATE BEFORE THE INTERVENTION AND AT 3 MONTHS AFTER THE PROGRAM. RESULTS: THE SUBJECTS SHOWED SIGNIFICANT INCREASES IN THEIR LEVELS OF CALMNESS, COMFORT, AND CHEERFULNESS (P<0.001) AND SIGNIFICANT DECREASES IN COGNITIVE MIND AND BODY STRESS (P<0.001) AFTER PARTICIPATING IN THE INTEGRATED YOGA PROGRAM. A COMPARISON OF THE TOTAL SCORES ON THE GHQ28 USING A TWO-WAY ANALYSIS OF VARIANCE SHOWED SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE TWO GROUPS IN TERMS OF BOTH INTERACTION (P=0.047) AND THE MAIN EFFECT (P=0.026). CONCLUSIONS: THE PRESENT RESULTS SUGGESTED THAT A SINGLE SESSION OF AN INTEGRATED YOGA PROGRAM WAS EFFECTIVE FOR REDUCING STRESS AND THAT THE MENTAL HEALTH OF SCHOOL EMPLOYEES WAS PROMOTED BY THE DAILY PRACTICE OF THE YOGA THERAPY PROGRAM. 2015 14 1056 38 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 15 1846 37 QUALITY OF LIFE AND MENTAL HEALTH IN PATIENTS WITH CHRONIC DISEASES WHO REGULARLY PRACTICE YOGA AND THOSE WHO DO NOT: A CASE-CONTROL STUDY. WHILE CLINICAL TRIALS HAVE SHOWN EVIDENCE OF EFFICACY OF YOGA IN DIFFERENT CHRONIC DISEASES, SUBJECTIVE HEALTH BENEFITS ASSOCIATED WITH YOGA PRACTICE UNDER NATURALISTIC CONDITIONS HAVE NOT YET BEEN INVESTIGATED. THE AIM OF THIS STUDY WAS TO INVESTIGATE ASSOCIATIONS OF REGULAR YOGA PRACTICE WITH QUALITY OF LIFE AND MENTAL HEALTH IN PATIENTS WITH CHRONIC DISEASES. USING A CASE-CONTROL DESIGN, PATIENTS WITH CHRONIC DISEASES WHO REGULARLY PRACTICED YOGA WERE SELECTED FROM A LARGE OBSERVATIONAL STUDY AND COMPARED TO CONTROLS WHO DID NOT REGULARLY PRACTICE YOGA AND WHO WERE MATCHED INDIVIDUALLY TO EACH CASE ON GENDER, MAIN DIAGNOSIS, EDUCATION, AND AGE (WITHIN 5 YEARS). PATIENTS' QUALITY OF LIFE (SF-36 QUESTIONNAIRE), MENTAL HEALTH (HOSPITAL ANXIETY AND DEPRESSION SCALE), LIFE SATISFACTION, AND HEALTH SATISFACTION (QUESTIONNAIRE FOR LIFE SATISFACTION) WERE ASSESSED. PATIENTS WHO REGULARLY PRACTICED YOGA (N = 186) HAD A BETTER GENERAL HEALTH STATUS (P = 0.012), A HIGHER PHYSICAL FUNCTIONING (P = 0.001), AND PHYSICAL COMPONENT SCORE (P = 0.029) ON THE SF-36 THAN THOSE WHO DID NOT (N = 186). NO GROUP DIFFERENCES WERE FOUND FOR THE MENTAL SCALES OF THE SF-36, ANXIETY, DEPRESSION, LIFE SATISFACTION, OR HEALTH SATISFACTION. IN CONCLUSION, PRACTICING YOGA UNDER NATURALISTIC CONDITIONS SEEMS TO BE ASSOCIATED WITH INCREASED PHYSICAL HEALTH BUT NOT MENTAL HEALTH IN CHRONICALLY DISEASED PATIENTS. 2013 16 2000 32 STRESS MANAGEMENT: A RANDOMIZED STUDY OF COGNITIVE BEHAVIOURAL THERAPY AND YOGA. IN THIS STUDY, A STRESS MANAGEMENT PROGRAM BASED ON COGNITIVE BEHAVIOURAL THERAPY PRINCIPLES WAS COMPARED WITH A KUNDALINIYOGA PROGRAM. A STUDY SAMPLE OF 26 WOMEN AND 7 MEN FROM A LARGE SWEDISH COMPANY WERE DIVIDED RANDOMLY INTO 2 GROUPS FOR EACH OF THE DIFFERENT FORMS OF INTERVENTION; A TOTAL OF 4 GROUPS. THE GROUPS WERE INSTRUCTED BY TRAINED GROUP LEADERS AND 10 SESSIONS WERE HELD WITH EACH OF GROUPS, OVER A PERIOD OF 4 MONTHS. PSYCHOLOGICAL (SELF-RATED STRESS AND STRESS BEHAVIOUR, ANGER, EXHAUSTION, QUALITY OF LIFE) AND PHYSIOLOGICAL (BLOOD PRESSURE, HEART RATE, URINARY CATECHOLAMINES, SALIVARY CORTISOL) MEASUREMENTS OBTAINED BEFORE AND AFTER TREATMENT SHOWED SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENTS ON MOST OF THE VARIABLES IN BOTH GROUPS AS WELL AS MEDIUM-TO-HIGH EFFECT SIZES. HOWEVER, NO SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCE WAS FOUND BETWEEN THE 2 PROGRAMS. THE RESULTS INDICATE THAT BOTH COGNITIVE BEHAVIOUR THERAPY AND YOGA ARE PROMISING STRESS MANAGEMENT TECHNIQUES. 2006 17 248 33 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 18 330 31 APPLICATION OF AN INTEGRATIVE YOGA THERAPY PROGRAMME IN CASES OF ESSENTIAL ARTERIAL HYPERTENSION IN PUBLIC HEALTHCARE. OBJECTIVE: TO EXAMINE THE EFFICACY OF AN INTEGRATIVE YOGA PROGRAMME AS ADJUVANT TREATMENT OF ESSENTIAL ARTERIAL HYPERTENSION. METHODS: AN INTEGRATIVE YOGA PROGRAMME WAS CONDUCTED DURING THREE MONTHS IN 26 SESSIONS WITH A GROUP OF TEN ESSENTIAL ARTERIAL HYPERTENSION PATIENTS AT A PUBLIC HEALTH CENTRE. THE SAME NUMBER OF PATIENTS ACTED AS THE CONTROL GROUP WITHOUT TREATMENT. THE PATIENTS WERE RANDOMLY SELECTED AND ASSIGNED TO THE GROUPS. ALL PATIENTS FILLED IN THE POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE AFFECT SCHEDULE (PANAS), THE HOSPITAL ANXIETY AND DEPRESSION SCALE (HADS) AND THE SMITH RELAXATION STATES INVENTORY 3 (SRSI3) BEFORE AND AFTER THE TREATMENT. RESULTS: A STATISTICALLY SIGNIFICANT REDUCTION OF SYSTOLIC AND DIASTOLIC BLOOD PRESSURE, NEGATIVE AFFECT, SYMPTOMS OF ANXIETY AND DEGREE OF STRESS COULD BE OBSERVED IN THE STUDY GROUP. CONCLUSIONS: THESE POSITIVE AND PROMISING RESULTS CONFIRM THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THESE TECHNIQUES IN THE TREATMENT OF ESSENTIAL ARTERIAL HYPERTENSION AND SUGGEST POSSIBLE FURTHER INVESTIGATIONS. 2014 19 1707 30 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 20 976 37 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