1 2412 104 YOGA AND ITS IMPACT ON CHRONIC INFLAMMATORY AUTOIMMUNE ARTHRITIS. RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS (RA) IS ONE OF THE MOST COMMON CHRONIC INFLAMMATORY AUTOIMMUNE DISEASES, WHICH ADVERSELY AFFECTS THE QUALITY OF LIFE. RA IS A DISEASE OF UNKNOWN ETIOLOGY, HOWEVER, BOTH GENETIC AND ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS APPEAR TO CONTRIBUTE TO THE SUSCEPTIBILITY TO THIS DISEASE. THE SEVERITY AND PROGRESSION OF THE DISEASE ARE ATTRIBUTABLE TO THE RELEASE OF A HOST OF INFLAMMATORY CYTOKINES, CYTOTOXIC AND IMMUNE REGULATORY FACTORS. THE TREATMENTS OF RA ARE PRIMARILY LIMITED TO SYMPTOMATIC ALLEVIATION OF PAIN OR OTHER SYMPTOMS OR TO THE USE OF CYTOTOXIC DRUG TREATMENT IN SEVERE FORMS OF THE DISEASE WHICH IS COMMONLY ASSOCIATED WITH SIGNIFICANT SIDE EFFECTS. DESPITE LACK OF A CURE, THE DISEASE MAY BE CONTROLLED BY MIND-BODY INTERVENTIONS. HOLISTIC TREATMENTS SUCH AS YOGA SIGNIFICANTLY IMPROVE AND REDUCE THE PSYCHO-SOMATIC SYMPTOMS, PAIN PERCEPTION, DISABILITY QUOTIENT, JOINT FLEXIBILITY, RANGE OF MOTION, POSTURE, MUSCLE STRENGTH, COORDINATION, AND DISEASE ACTIVITY. HERE, WE DISCUSS THE FEATURES OF RA AND ADDRESS HOW YOGA CAN BE USED AS A THERAPEUTIC REGIMEN TO IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF LIFE OF PATIENTS WITH RA. 2021 2 1515 23 IS YOGA A SUITABLE TREATMENT FOR RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS: CURRENT OPINION. WE REVIEWED PUBLISHED LITERATURE REGARDING THE USE OF YOGA FOR MANAGING RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS TO DETERMINE WHETHER ADEQUATE EVIDENCE EXISTS TO SUGGEST ITS USEFULNESS AS A THERAPY. A SEARCH FOR PREVIOUS STUDIES INVOLVING YOGA AND RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS IN PUBMED YIELDED EIGHT REPORTS. THESE STUDIES REPORTED THE BENEFITS OF YOGA IN THE PHYSICAL AND MENTAL HEALTH OF PATIENTS WITH RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS (RA), SUGGESTING THAT YOGA IS A USEFUL ADD-ON THERAPY FOR RA PATIENTS. HOWEVER, ALL STUDIES SHOWED LIMITATIONS WITH RESPECT TO SAMPLE SIZE, STUDY DESIGN, DESCRIPTION AND DURATION OF YOGA INTERVENTION, AND ASSESSMENT TOOLS AND STATISTICAL METHODS USED. ADDITIONALLY, THE STUDIES DID NOT ATTEMPT TO UNDERSTAND THE MECHANISMS UNDERLYING OBSERVED BENEFITS. HENCE, EVIDENCE SUGGESTS A DEFINITE ROLE OF YOGA IN RA IMPROVEMENT, REDUCING PAIN, IMPROVING FUNCTION, AND CREATING A POSITIVE MENTAL STATE. HOWEVER, DETAILED ANALYSIS AND ADDITIONAL STUDIES ARE NECESSARY TO VERIFY THESE OBSERVATIONS. 2012 3 2923 25 [WHERE AND HOW DOES YOGA WORK? - A SCIENTIFIC OVERVIEW]. AS A TRADITIONAL HEALTH CARE SYSTEM, YOGA COMBINES PHYSICAL ACTIVITY, BREATHING TECHNIQUES AND MEDITATION. IT IS INCREASINGLY USED AS A PREVENTIVE OR THERAPEUTIC MEANS. YOGA HAS BEEN RESEARCHED IN HUNDREDS OF RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIALS. POSITIVE EFFECTS ARE ESPECIALLY FOUND FOR CHRONIC PAIN CONDITIONS, HYPERTENSION, DEPRESSION AND IN SUPPORTIVE CANCER CARE. WHILE THERE ARE CASE REPORTS OF SERIOUS ADVERSE EVENTS ASSOCIATED WITH YOGA, THE RISK SEEMS TO BE EXTREMELY LOW AND COMPARABLE TO OTHER FORMS OF PHYSICAL ACTIVITY. YOGA CAN THUS BE CONSIDERED AS A SAFE AND EFFECTIVE ADJUNCT THERAPY FOR A NUMBER OF CONDITIONS. 2017 4 1218 27 EXPLORING THE THERAPEUTIC EFFECTS OF YOGA AND ITS ABILITY TO INCREASE QUALITY OF LIFE. THE OBJECTIVE OF THIS STUDY IS TO ASSESS THE FINDINGS OF SELECTED ARTICLES REGARDING THE THERAPEUTIC EFFECTS OF YOGA AND TO PROVIDE A COMPREHENSIVE REVIEW OF THE BENEFITS OF REGULAR YOGA PRACTICE. AS PARTICIPATION RATES IN MIND-BODY FITNESS PROGRAMS SUCH AS YOGA CONTINUE TO INCREASE, IT IS IMPORTANT FOR HEALTH CARE PROFESSIONALS TO BE INFORMED ABOUT THE NATURE OF YOGA AND THE EVIDENCE OF ITS MANY THERAPEUTIC EFFECTS. THUS, THIS MANUSCRIPT PROVIDES INFORMATION REGARDING THE THERAPEUTIC EFFECTS OF YOGA AS IT HAS BEEN STUDIED IN VARIOUS POPULATIONS CONCERNING A MULTITUDE OF DIFFERENT AILMENTS AND CONDITIONS. THERAPEUTIC YOGA IS DEFINED AS THE APPLICATION OF YOGA POSTURES AND PRACTICE TO THE TREATMENT OF HEALTH CONDITIONS AND INVOLVES INSTRUCTION IN YOGIC PRACTICES AND TEACHINGS TO PREVENT REDUCE OR ALLEVIATE STRUCTURAL, PHYSIOLOGICAL, EMOTIONAL AND SPIRITUAL PAIN, SUFFERING OR LIMITATIONS. RESULTS FROM THIS STUDY SHOW THAT YOGIC PRACTICES ENHANCE MUSCULAR STRENGTH AND BODY FLEXIBILITY, PROMOTE AND IMPROVE RESPIRATORY AND CARDIOVASCULAR FUNCTION, PROMOTE RECOVERY FROM AND TREATMENT OF ADDICTION, REDUCE STRESS, ANXIETY, DEPRESSION, AND CHRONIC PAIN, IMPROVE SLEEP PATTERNS, AND ENHANCE OVERALL WELL-BEING AND QUALITY OF LIFE. 2011 5 2170 31 THE EFFECTS OF YOGA ON ANXIETY AND STRESS. STRESS AND ANXIETY HAVE BEEN IMPLICATED AS CONTRIBUTORS TO MANY CHRONIC DISEASES AND TO DECREASED QUALITY OF LIFE, EVEN WITH PHARMACOLOGIC TREATMENT. EFFORTS ARE UNDERWAY TO FIND NON-PHARMACOLOGIC THERAPIES TO RELIEVE STRESS AND ANXIETY, AND YOGA IS ONE OPTION FOR WHICH RESULTS ARE PROMISING. THE FOCUS OF THIS REVIEW IS ON THE RESULTS OF HUMAN TRIALS ASSESSING THE ROLE OF YOGA IN IMPROVING THE SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS OF STRESS AND ANXIETY. OF 35 TRIALS ADDRESSING THE EFFECTS OF YOGA ON ANXIETY AND STRESS, 25 NOTED A SIGNIFICANT DECREASE IN STRESS AND/OR ANXIETY SYMPTOMS WHEN A YOGA REGIMEN WAS IMPLEMENTED; HOWEVER, MANY OF THE STUDIES WERE ALSO HINDERED BY LIMITATIONS, SUCH AS SMALL STUDY POPULATIONS, LACK OF RANDOMIZATION, AND LACK OF A CONTROL GROUP. FOURTEEN OF THE 35 STUDIES REPORTED BIOCHEMICAL AND PHYSIOLOGICAL MARKERS OF STRESS AND ANXIETY, BUT YIELDED INCONSISTENT SUPPORT OF YOGA FOR RELIEF OF STRESS AND ANXIETY. EVALUATION OF THE CURRENT PRIMARY LITERATURE IS SUGGESTIVE OF BENEFITS OF YOGA IN RELIEVING STRESS AND ANXIETY, BUT FURTHER INVESTIGATION INTO THIS RELATIONSHIP USING LARGE, WELL-DEFINED POPULATIONS, ADEQUATE CONTROLS, RANDOMIZATION AND LONG DURATION SHOULD BE EXPLORED BEFORE RECOMMENDING YOGA AS A TREATMENT OPTION. 2012 6 2470 33 YOGA AS A TREATMENT FOR CHRONIC LOW BACK PAIN: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE. OBJECTIVES: CHRONIC LOW BACK PAIN (CLBP) AFFECTS MILLIONS OF PEOPLE WORLDWIDE, AND APPEARS TO BE INCREASING IN PREVALENCE. IT IS ASSOCIATED NOT ONLY WITH PAIN, BUT ALSO WITH INCREASED DISABILITY, PSYCHOLOGICAL SYMPTOMS, AND REDUCED QUALITY OF LIFE. THERE ARE VARIOUS TREATMENT OPTIONS FOR CLBP, BUT NO SINGLE THERAPY STANDS OUT AS BEING THE MOST EFFECTIVE. IN THE PAST 10 YEARS, YOGA INTERVENTIONS HAVE BEEN STUDIED AS A CLBP TREATMENT APPROACH. THE OBJECTIVE OF THIS PAPER IS TO REVIEW THE CURRENT LITERATURE SUPPORTING THE EFFICACY OF YOGA FOR CLBP. METHODS: A LITERATURE SEARCH THROUGH THE BEGINNING OF 2015 WAS CONDUCTED IN PUB MED FOR RANDOMIZED CONTROL TRIALS ADDRESSING TREATMENT OF CLBP WITH YOGA. RESULTS: IN THIS REVIEW WE EVALUATE THE USE OF YOGA AS A TREATMENT FOR CLBP. SPECIFICALLY WE EVALUATE HOW YOGA IMPACTS PHYSICAL FUNCTIONING AND DISABILITY, PAIN, AND ASSOCIATED PSYCHOLOGICAL SYMPTOMS. WE ALSO EVALUATE POSSIBLE MEDIATORS OF THE EFFECT OF YOGA AND THE SAFETY OF YOGA. DISCUSSION: WITH FEW EXCEPTIONS, PREVIOUS STUDIES AND THE RECENT RANDOMIZED CONTROL TRIALS (RCTS) INDICATE THAT YOGA CAN REDUCE PAIN AND DISABILITY, CAN BE PRACTICED SAFELY, AND IS WELL RECEIVED BY PARTICIPANTS. SOME STUDIES ALSO INDICATE THAT YOGA MAY IMPROVE PSYCHOLOGICAL SYMPTOMS, BUT THESE EFFECTS ARE CURRENTLY NOT AS WELL ESTABLISHED. 2016 7 2774 29 YOGA RESEARCH REVIEW. THIS PAPER IS A REVIEW OF EMPIRICAL STUDIES, REVIEW AND META-ANALYSIS PUBLICATIONS ON YOGA FROM THE LAST FEW YEARS. THE REVIEW INCLUDES DEMOGRAPHICS/PREVALENCE OF YOGA AS A PRACTICE, BIBLIOMETRIC ANALYSES OF THE YOGA PUBLICATIONS AND THE USE OF YOGA FOR PHYSICAL FITNESS AND COGNITIVE FUNCTION. MOST OF THE STUDIES REVIEWED HERE INVOLVE YOGA EFFECTS ON PSYCHIATRIC AND MEDICAL CONDITIONS. THESE INCLUDE PREGNANCY, PRENATAL AND POSTPARTUM DEPRESSION; STRESS, PTSD, ANXIETY, AND OBESITY; CARDIOVASCULAR CONDITIONS INCLUDING HYPERTENSION; PAIN SYNDROMES INCLUDING ARTHRITIS, HEADACHES AND LOW BACK PAIN; AUTOIMMUNE CONDITIONS INCLUDING ASTHMA, TYPE II DIABETES AND MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS; IMMUNE CONDITIONS INCLUDING HIV AND BREAST CANCER; AND AGING PROBLEMS INCLUDING BALANCE, OSTEOPOROSIS AND PARKINSON'S. THE METHODS AND RESULTS OF THOSE STUDIES ARE BRIEFLY SUMMARIZED ALONG WITH THEIR LIMITATIONS AND SUGGESTIONS FOR FUTURE RESEARCH. BASICALLY YOGA HAS BEEN MORE EFFECTIVE THAN CONTROL AND WAITLIST CONTROL CONDITIONS, ALTHOUGH NOT ALWAYS MORE EFFECTIVE THAN TREATMENT COMPARISON GROUPS SUCH AS OTHER FORMS OF EXERCISE. MORE RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED STUDIES ARE NEEDED IN WHICH YOGA IS COMPARED TO ACTIVE EXERCISE GROUPS. HAVING ESTABLISHED THE PHYSICAL AND MENTAL HEALTH BENEFITS OF YOGA MAKES IT ETHICALLY QUESTIONABLE TO ASSIGN PARTICIPANTS TO INACTIVE CONTROL GROUPS. SHORTER SESSIONS SHOULD BE INVESTIGATED FOR COST-EFFECTIVENESS AND FOR DAILY PRACTICE. MULTIPLE PHYSICAL AND PHYSIOLOGICAL MEASURES NEED TO BE ADDED TO THE SELF-REPORT RESEARCH PROTOCOLS AND POTENTIAL UNDERLYING MECHANISMS NEED TO BE FURTHER EXPLORED. IN THE INTERIM, THE STUDIES REVIEWED HERE HIGHLIGHT THE THERAPEUTIC EFFECTS OF YOGA, A PRACTICE THAT COULD COME TO BE CALLED YOGA THERAPY. 2016 8 2300 30 THERAPEUTIC YOGA: SYMPTOM MANAGEMENT FOR MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS. MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS (MS) IS THE MOST COMMON AUTOIMMUNE INFLAMMATORY DEMYELINATING DISEASE OF THE CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM, AFFECTING OVER 2.3 MILLION PEOPLE WORLDWIDE. ACCORDING TO THE NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF NEUROLOGICAL DISORDERS AND STROKE, THE AGE OF DISEASE ONSET IS TYPICALLY BETWEEN 20 AND 40 YEARS, WITH A HIGHER INCIDENCE IN WOMEN. INDIVIDUALS WITH MS EXPERIENCE A WIDE RANGE OF SYMPTOMS, INCLUDING DECLINING PHYSICAL, EMOTIONAL, AND PSYCHOLOGICAL SYMPTOMS (E.G., FATIGUE, IMBALANCE, SPASTICITY, CHRONIC PAIN, COGNITIVE IMPAIRMENT, BLADDER AND BOWEL DYSFUNCTION, VISUAL AND SPEECH IMPAIRMENTS, DEPRESSION, SENSORY DISTURBANCE, AND MOBILITY IMPAIRMENT). TO DATE, BOTH THE CAUSE OF AND CURE FOR MS REMAIN UNKNOWN. IN RECENT YEARS, MORE INDIVIDUALS WITH MS HAVE BEEN PURSUING ALTERNATIVE METHODS OF TREATMENT TO MANAGE SYMPTOMS OF THE DISEASE, INCLUDING MIND-BODY THERAPIES SUCH AS YOGA, MEDITATION, BREATHING, AND RELAXATION TECHNIQUES. IT HAS BEEN SUGGESTED THAT THE PRACTICE OF YOGA MAY BE A SAFE AND EFFECTIVE WAY OF MANAGING SYMPTOMS OF MS. THEREFORE, THE PURPOSE OF THIS PAPER IS TO SUMMARIZE THE MOST RELEVANT LITERATURE ON EXERCISE AND MIND-BODY MODALITIES TO TREAT MS SYMPTOMS AND, MORE SPECIFICALLY, THE BENEFITS AND POTENTIAL ROLE OF YOGA AS AN ALTERNATIVE TREATMENT OF SYMPTOM MANAGEMENT FOR INDIVIDUALS WITH MS. THE ARTICLE ALSO DISCUSSES FUTURE DIRECTIONS FOR RESEARCH. 2015 9 142 22 A PROTOCOL AND PILOT STUDY FOR MANAGING FIBROMYALGIA WITH YOGA AND MEDITATION. FIBROMYALGIA IS A CHRONIC SYNDROME CHARACTERIZED BY WIDESPREAD PAIN, SLEEP DISTURBANCE, STIFFNESS, FATIGUE, HEADACHE, AND MOOD DISORDERS. RECENT RESEARCH HAS RESULTED IN AN IMPROVED UNDERSTANDING OF FIBROMYALGIA AND ITS POSSIBLE CAUSES. THIS ARTICLE HIGHLIGHTS SOME OF THE CURRENT RESEARCH, DISCUSSES A STRATEGY FOR USING YOGA AND MEDITATION AS A THERAPY FOR FIBROMYALGIA SUFFERERS, AND PRESENTS THE RESULTS OF A PRELIMINARY 8-WEEK STUDY USING YOGA AND MEDITATION TO HELP MANAGE FIBROMYALGIA SYMPTOMS. THE STUDY OF 11 PARTICIPANTS FOUND SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENT IN THE OVERALL HEALTH STATUS OF THE PARTICIPANTS AND IN SYMPTOMS OF STIFFNESS, ANXIETY, AND DEPRESSION. SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENTS WERE ALSO SEEN IN THE REPORTED NUMBER OF DAYS "FELT GOOD" AND NUMBER OF DAYS "MISSED WORK" BECAUSE OF FIBROMYALGIA. NONSIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENTS WERE SEEN IN MEASURES OF PAIN, FATIGUE, AND HOW ONE FELT IN THE MORNING. EFFECT SIZES WERE MEDIUM TO LARGE FOR MOST TESTED AREAS. THIS STUDY SUPPORTS THE BENEFITS OF YOGA AND MEDITATION FOR INDIVIDUALS WITH FIBROMYALGIA AND ENCOURAGES FURTHER RESEARCH TO EXPLORE THEIR USE AS STANDARD THERAPIES FOR FIBROMYALGIA. 2011 10 2023 37 SYSTEMATIC REVIEW OF YOGA FOR SYMPTOM MANAGEMENT DURING CONVENTIONAL TREATMENT OF BREAST CANCER PATIENTS. INTRODUCTION: BREAST CANCER IS ONE OF THE MOST COMMONLY DIAGNOSED CANCERS IN WOMEN IN THE US, AND ITS TREATMENTS HAVE SIGNIFICANT PHYSICAL AND PSYCHOLOGICAL SIDE EFFECTS AND LONG-TERM COMPLICATIONS CAUSING SIGNIFICANT MORBIDITY AND DECREASED QUALITY OF LIFE. INTEGRATIVE MEDICINE MODALITIES, SUCH AS YOGA, HAVE BEEN FOUND TO REDUCE SIDE EFFECTS OF CONVENTIONAL TREATMENTS WITHOUT INTERFERING WITH THE TREATMENT ITSELF AND IMPROVE QUALITY OF LIFE. IN THIS SYSTEMATIC REVIEW, WE SPECIFICALLY EXPLORED YOGA AS A POTENTIAL OPTION FOR SYMPTOMATIC MANAGEMENT IN PATIENTS UNDERGOING CONVENTIONAL BREAST CANCER TREATMENTS. METHODS: WE PERFORMED A LITERATURE SEARCH THAT WAS CONDUCTED TO INCLUDE THE DATABASES PUBMED, PSYCHINFO, COCHRANE LIBRARY, SCOPUS, AND CINAHL, RESULTING IN 28 RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL (RCT) ARTICLES. WE REVIEW THE RESULTS OF THESE TRIALS REGARDING THE IMPACT OF YOGA IN THIS PATIENT POPULATION. RESULTS: OVERALL, THE MAJORITY OF THE RCT ARTICLES SHOWED SIGNIFICANT BENEFITS OF YOGA INTERVENTION IN VARIOUS ASPECTS OF QUALITY OF LIFE, FATIGUE, NAUSEA/VOMITING, SLEEP QUALITY, ANXIETY, DEPRESSION, AND DISTRESS. THERE ARE SEVERAL STUDIES THAT HAVE EXPLORED THE PHYSIOLOGICAL MECHANISM BEHIND THE EFFECTS OF YOGA AND FOUND THAT YOGA AFFECTS BOTH THE IMMUNE RESPONSE AND INFLAMMATION. DISCUSSION: THESE STUDIES REVEALED THAT YOGA HAS A POTENTIAL THERAPEUTIC ROLE IN THE SYMPTOMATIC MANAGEMENT OF BREAST CANCER PATIENTS, ENHANCING QUALITY OF LIFE DURING TREATMENT AS WELL AS IMPROVING ADHERENCE TO TREATMENT. FUTURE STUDIES WITH MORE DEFINED AND CONSISTENT METHODOLOGIES ARE NECESSARY TO FULLY UNDERSTAND THE POTENTIAL USE OF YOGA THERAPY IN PATIENTS WITH BREAST CANCER. 2022 11 2453 24 YOGA AS A COMPLEMENTARY THERAPY FOR CHILDREN AND ADOLESCENTS: A GUIDE FOR CLINICIANS. YOGA IS BEING USED BY A GROWING NUMBER OF YOUTH AND ADULTS AS A MEANS OF IMPROVING OVERALL HEALTH AND FITNESS. THERE IS ALSO A PROGRESSIVE TREND TOWARD USE OF YOGA AS A MIND-BODY COMPLEMENTARY AND ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE INTERVENTION TO IMPROVE SPECIFIC PHYSICAL AND MENTAL HEALTH CONDITIONS. TO PROVIDE CLINICIANS WITH THERAPEUTICALLY USEFUL INFORMATION ABOUT YOGA, THE EVIDENCE EVALUATING YOGA AS AN EFFECTIVE INTERVENTION FOR CHILDREN AND ADOLESCENTS WITH HEALTH PROBLEMS IS REVIEWED AND SUMMARIZED. A BRIEF OVERVIEW OF YOGA AND YOGA THERAPY IS PRESENTED ALONG WITH YOGA RESOURCES AND PRACTICAL STRATEGIES FOR CLINICAL PRACTITIONERS TO USE WITH THEIR PATIENTS. THE MAJORITY OF AVAILABLE STUDIES WITH CHILDREN AND ADOLESCENTS SUGGEST BENEFITS TO USING YOGA AS A THERAPEUTIC INTERVENTION AND SHOW VERY FEW ADVERSE EFFECTS. THESE RESULTS MUST BE INTERPRETED AS PRELIMINARY FINDINGS BECAUSE MANY OF THE STUDIES HAVE METHODOLOGICAL LIMITATIONS THAT PREVENT STRONG CONCLUSIONS FROM BEING DRAWN. YOGA APPEARS PROMISING AS A COMPLEMENTARY THERAPY FOR CHILDREN AND ADOLESCENTS. FURTHER INFORMATION ABOUT HOW TO APPLY IT MOST EFFECTIVELY AND MORE COORDINATED RESEARCH EFFORTS ARE NEEDED. 2010 12 2516 22 YOGA CLINICAL RESEARCH REVIEW. IN THIS PAPER RECENT RESEARCH IS REVIEWED ON THE EFFECTS OF YOGA POSES ON PSYCHOLOGICAL CONDITIONS INCLUDING ANXIETY AND DEPRESSION, ON PAIN SYNDROMES, CARDIOVASCULAR, AUTOIMMUNE AND IMMUNE CONDITIONS AND ON PREGNANCY. FURTHER, THE PHYSIOLOGICAL EFFECTS OF YOGA INCLUDING DECREASED HEARTRATE AND BLOOD PRESSURE AND THE PHYSICAL EFFECTS INCLUDING WEIGHT LOSS AND INCREASED MUSCLE STRENGTH ARE REVIEWED. FINALLY, POTENTIAL UNDERLYING MECHANISMS ARE PROPOSED INCLUDING THE STIMULATION OF PRESSURE RECEPTORS LEADING TO ENHANCED VAGAL ACTIVITY AND REDUCED CORTISOL. THE REDUCTION IN CORTISOL, IN TURN, MAY CONTRIBUTE TO POSITIVE EFFECTS SUCH AS ENHANCED IMMUNE FUNCTION AND A LOWER PREMATURITY RATE. 2011 13 2429 27 YOGA AND PHYSICAL EXERCISE - A REVIEW AND COMPARISON. YOGA IS A MULTIFACETED SPIRITUAL TOOL WITH ENHANCED HEALTH AND WELL-BEING AS ONE OF ITS POSITIVE EFFECTS. THE COMPONENTS OF YOGA WHICH ARE VERY COMMONLY APPLIED FOR HEALTH BENEFITS ARE ASANAS (PHYSICAL POSTURES), PRANAYAMA (REGULATED BREATHING) AND MEDITATION. IN THE CONTEXT OF ASANAS, YOGA RESEMBLES MORE OF A PHYSICAL EXERCISE, WHICH MAY LEAD TO THE PERCEPTION THAT YOGA IS ANOTHER KIND OF PHYSICAL EXERCISE. THIS ARTICLE AIMS AT EXPLORING THE COMMONALITIES AND DIFFERENCES BETWEEN YOGA AND PHYSICAL EXERCISE IN TERMS OF CONCEPTS, POSSIBLE MECHANISMS AND EFFECTIVENESS FOR HEALTH BENEFITS. A NARRATIVE REVIEW IS UNDERTAKEN BASED ON TRADITIONAL AND CONTEMPORARY LITERATURE FOR YOGA, ALONG WITH SCIENTIFIC ARTICLES AVAILABLE ON YOGA AND EXERCISE INCLUDING HEAD-TO-HEAD COMPARATIVE TRIALS WITH HEALTHY VOLUNTEERS AND PATIENTS WITH VARIOUS DISEASE CONDITIONS. PHYSICAL EXERCISES AND THE PHYSICAL COMPONENTS OF YOGA PRACTICES HAVE SEVERAL SIMILARITIES, BUT ALSO IMPORTANT DIFFERENCES. EVIDENCE SUGGESTS THAT YOGA INTERVENTIONS APPEAR TO BE EQUAL AND/OR SUPERIOR TO EXERCISE IN MOST OUTCOME MEASURES. EMPHASIS ON BREATH REGULATION, MINDFULNESS DURING PRACTICE, AND IMPORTANCE GIVEN TO MAINTENANCE OF POSTURES ARE SOME OF THE ELEMENTS WHICH DIFFERENTIATE YOGA PRACTICES FROM PHYSICAL EXERCISES. 2016 14 549 16 CONTEXTUALIZING THE EFFECTS OF YOGA THERAPY ON DIABETES MANAGEMENT: A REVIEW OF THE SOCIAL DETERMINANTS OF PHYSICAL ACTIVITY. THIS ARTICLE PROVIDES A REVIEW OF LITERATURE BOTH TO IDENTIFY THE EFFECTS OF YOGA-BASED THERAPY ON THE MANAGEMENT OF TYPE 2 DIABETES MELLITUS AND TO EXAMINE THE SOCIAL CONTEXT OF PHYSICAL ACTIVITY. FINDINGS FROM THE REVIEW INDICATE THAT YOGA HAS A POSITIVE SHORT-TERM EFFECT ON MULTIPLE DIABETES-RELATED OUTCOMES; HOWEVER, LONG-TERM EFFECTS OF YOGA THERAPY ON DIABETES MANAGEMENT REMAIN UNCLEAR. THE CONTEXT OF THE SOCIAL ENVIRONMENT, INCLUDING INTERPERSONAL RELATIONSHIPS, COMMUNITY CHARACTERISTICS, AND DISCRIMINATION, INFLUENCES THE ADOPTION AND MAINTENANCE OF HEALTH BEHAVIORS SUCH AS PHYSICAL ACTIVITY, INCLUDING YOGA PRACTICE. FURTHER RESEARCH IS NECESSARY TO DETERMINE THE EXTENT OF THIS INFLUENCE. 2008 15 2281 24 THE SUITABILITY OF YOGA AS A POTENTIAL THERAPEUTIC INTERVENTION FOR RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS: A FOCUS GROUP APPROACH. OBJECTIVES: THE AIM OF THIS STUDY WAS TO EXPLORE THE VIEWS OF PATIENTS WITH RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS (RA) REGARDING THE SUITABILITY OF YOGA AS A POTENTIAL THERAPEUTIC INTERVENTION IN THE MANAGEMENT OF RA. METHODS: TWENTY-TWO PARTICIPANTS WITH RA WERE RECRUITED FROM OUTPATIENT CLINICS AT A REGIONAL HOSPITAL IN NEW ZEALAND AND DIVIDED INTO FOUR FOCUS GROUPS. HETEROGENEITY BETWEEN GROUPS IN TERMS OF AGE, GENDER, DURATION OF RA AND FUNCTIONAL ABILITY PROVIDED OPINIONS FROM A CROSS-SECTION OF RA PATIENTS. TRANSCRIPTS WERE ANALYSED USING THEMATIC ANALYSIS, WITH FOUR THEMES PREDOMINATING. RESULTS: FIRSTLY, PARTICIPANTS DESCRIBED THEIR EXPERIENCE OF SYMPTOMS RELATED TO THEIR RA IN THREE INDEPENDENT BUT LINKED CATEGORIES OF PHYSICAL, MENTAL AND SOCIAL WELL-BEING. SECONDLY, PARTICIPANTS PERCEIVED THE MANAGEMENT OF THEIR RA TO BE PRESCRIPTIVE, MEDICALIZED AND FAILING TO ADDRESS THEIR WIDER HEALTH CONCERNS. THIRDLY, PARTICIPANTS PERCEIVED YOGA AS A SAFE, ADAPTABLE THERAPY THAT MAY ALLOW SELF-MANAGEMENT OF THEIR RA. HOWEVER, THERE WAS SOME CONCERN THAT FUNCTIONAL LIMITATIONS MAY INHIBIT ABILITY TO PRACTISE THE PHYSICAL ASPECTS OF YOGA. FOURTHLY, REQUIREMENTS FOR A YOGA INTERVENTION THAT WOULD BE FEASIBLE FOR PEOPLE WITH RA WERE PRESENTED BY PARTICIPANTS. CONCLUSIONS: PATIENTS WITH RA PERCEIVE A DISPARITY BETWEEN THEIR PERSONAL EXPERIENCE OF LIVING WITH RA AND THEIR CURRENT MEDICAL MANAGEMENT. YOGA IS PERCEIVED AS A POTENTIAL THERAPY TO ADDRESS THIS DISPARITY. BASED ON OPINIONS EXPRESSED BY PARTICIPANTS, FUTURE RESEARCH REGARDING A YOGA INTERVENTION AS AN ADJUNCTIVE THERAPY FOR MANAGING RA SHOULD MEET PATIENTS' VIEWS ON FEASIBILITY AND TEST OUTCOME MEASURES REFLECTING THE DOMAINS OF PHYSICAL, MENTAL AND SOCIAL WELL-BEING. 2011 16 2284 26 THE USE OF YOGA AS A GROUP INTERVENTION FOR PEDIATRIC CHRONIC PAIN REHABILITATION: EXPLORING QUALITATIVE AND QUANTITATIVE OUTCOMES. PURPOSE: WITH THE INCREASE IN OPIOID USE OVER THE LAST DECADE, MIND-BODY APPROACHES TO PEDIATRIC PAIN MANAGEMENT HAVE BEEN TRENDING. TO DATE, THERE IS LIMITED RESEARCH REGARDING THE USE OF YOGA WITH PEDIATRIC CHRONIC PAIN. THIS STUDY AIMS TO GAUGE THE EFFECTIVENESS OF GROUP YOGA AS PART OF CHRONIC PAIN REHABILITATION AND ONE'S ABILITY TO CONTINUE PRACTICING INDEPENDENTLY BY EXPLORING QUALITATIVE AND QUANTITATIVE INFORMATION. METHODS: A SINGLE THERAPIST USED YOGA AS A GROUP PHYSICAL THERAPY INTERVENTION ONCE A WEEK FOR 60 MINUTES. YOGA EDUCATION, IYENGAR YOGA COMPONENTS, RELAXATION, AND STRETCHING WERE INCORPORATED INTO THE THERAPEUTIC YOGA SESSION. QUALITATIVE AND QUANTITATIVE INFORMATION WAS COLLECTED. RESULTS: QUALITATIVE OUTCOMES PROVIDED VALUABLE DATA ABOUT DISTRACTIONS AND BENEFITS. QUANTITATIVE OUTCOMES SHOWED THAT THERE WERE SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENTS IN AREAS SUCH AS MENTAL TENSION, EMOTIONAL TENSION, MUSCLE TENSION, AND PAIN (ALL P < 0.001 SIGNIFICANT). CONCLUSION: PEDIATRIC CHRONIC PAIN PATIENTS CAN IDENTIFY MANY BENEFITS AFTER A SINGLE GROUP YOGA SESSION. IT COMBINES THE PHYSICAL AND COGNITIVE ASPECTS OF INTERDISCIPLINARY PAIN REHABILITATION FOR CONTINUED USE AFTER DISCHARGE. THE USE OF YOGA IS AN ECONOMICAL MEANS OF PHYSICAL ACTIVITY AFTER DISCHARGE TO PROMOTE LONG-TERM BENEFITS. 2020 17 14 35 "NOW I SEE A BRIGHTER DAY": EXPECTATIONS AND PERCEIVED BENEFITS OF AN IYENGAR YOGA INTERVENTION FOR YOUNG PATIENTS WITH RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS. RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS (RA) IS A CHRONIC DISEASE CHARACTERIZED BY INFLAMMATION OF JOINTS AND ASSOCIATED FATIGUE, DETERIORATED RANGE OF MOTION, AND IMPAIRED PSYCHOSOCIAL FUNCTIONING. YOUNG ADULTS WITH RA ARE AT A PARTICULAR RISK FOR COMPROMISED HEALTH-RELATED QUALITY OF LIFE, AND THERE IS A NEED FOR SAFE, EFFECTIVE COMPLEMENTARY TREATMENT IN ADDITION TO TRADITIONAL MEDICAL APPROACHES. THE AIM OF THE PRESENT STUDY WAS TO USE FACE-TO-FACE PARTICIPANT INTERVIEWS, CONDUCTED BEFORE AND AFTER AN IYENGAR YOGA (IY) PROGRAM, TO EXAMINE MECHANISMS THROUGH WHICH YOGA MAY BE BENEFICIAL TO YOUNG ADULTS WITH RA.THIS PILOT STUDY UTILIZED A SINGLE-ARM DESIGN WHERE ALL PARTICIPANTS RECEIVED THE INTERVENTION. CLASSES WERE TAUGHT TWICE PER WEEK (1.5 HOURS EACH) FOR 6 WEEKS BY AN IY TEACHER QUALIFIED IN THERAPEUTICS. INTERVIEW THEMES INCLUDED PARTICIPANTS' BASELINE EXPECTATIONS ABOUT YOGA AND VIEWPOINTS AS TO HOW THEIR FUNCTIONING HAD BEEN IMPACTED BY THE IY INTERVENTION WERE EXAMINED. FIVE YOUNG ADULTS WITH RA AGED 24-31 YEARS (MEAN = 28; 80% FEMALE) COMPLETED THE YOGA INTERVENTION. PARTICIPANTS CONSISTENTLY REPORTED THAT YOGA HELPED WITH ENERGY, RELAXATION AND MOOD AND THEY DISCUSSED PERCEIVED MECHANISMS FOR HOW YOGA IMPACTED WELL-BEING. MECHANISMS INCLUDED PHYSICAL CHANGES SUCH AS RANGE OF MOTION AND PHYSIOLOGICAL AWARENESS, AND PSYCHOSPIRITUAL DEVELOPMENTS SUCH AS ACCEPTANCE, COPING, SELF-EFFICACY AND MINDFULNESS. THOUGH THE STUDY IS LIMITED, PARTICIPANTS' RESPONSES PROVIDE COMPELLING EVIDENCE THAT IY FOR RA PATIENTS IS AN INTERVENTION WORTHY OF FURTHER EXPLORATION. THE MECHANISMS AND OUTCOMES REPORTED BY PARTICIPANTS SUPPORT A BIOPSYCHOSOCIAL MODEL, WHICH PROPOSES THAT YOGA BENEFITS PATIENTS THROUGH BOTH PHYSIOLOGICAL AND PSYCHOSPIRITUAL CHANGES. 2011 18 2433 31 YOGA AND PILATES IN THE MANAGEMENT OF LOW BACK PAIN. MANY INTERVENTIONS FOR THE MANAGEMENT OF LOW BACK PAIN EXIST, HOWEVER MOST HAVE MODEST EFFICACY AT BEST, AND THERE ARE FEW WITH CLEARLY DEMONSTRATED BENEFITS ONCE PAIN BECOMES CHRONIC. THERAPEUTIC EXERCISE, ON THE OTHER HAND, DOES APPEAR TO HAVE SIGNIFICANT BENEFITS FOR MANAGING PATIENTS WITH CHRONIC LOW BACK PAIN (CLBP) IN TERMS OF DECREASING PAIN AND IMPROVING FUNCTION. IN ADDITION, BECAUSE CHRONIC PAIN IS COMPLEX AND DOES NOT FIT A SIMPLE MODEL, THERE HAVE ALSO BEEN NUMEROUS TRIALS INVESTIGATING AND DEMONSTRATING THE EFFICACY OF MULTIDISCIPLINARY PAIN PROGRAMS FOR CLBP. IT FOLLOWS THAT INTERVENTIONS THAT TREAT MORE THAN ONE ASPECT OF LBP WOULD HAVE SIGNIFICANT BENEFITS FOR THIS PATIENT POPULATION. YOGA AND PILATES WHICH HAVE, BOTH BEEN GAINING IN POPULARITY OVER THE LAST DECADE ARE TWO MIND-BODY EXERCISE INTERVENTIONS THAT ADDRESS BOTH THE PHYSICAL AND MENTAL ASPECTS OF PAIN WITH CORE STRENGTHENING, FLEXIBILITY, AND RELAXATION. THERE HAS BEEN A SLOW EVOLUTION OF THESE NONTRADITIONAL EXERCISE REGIMENS INTO TREATMENT PARADIGMS FOR LBP, ALTHOUGH FEW STUDIES EXAMINING THEIR EFFECTS HAVE BEEN PUBLISHED. THE FOLLOWING ARTICLE WILL FOCUS ON THE SCIENTIFIC AND THEORETICAL BASIS OF USING YOGA AND PILATES IN THE MANAGEMENT OF CLBP. 2008 19 1770 28 POTENTIAL LONG-TERM EFFECTS OF A MIND-BODY INTERVENTION FOR WOMEN WITH MAJOR DEPRESSIVE DISORDER: SUSTAINED MENTAL HEALTH IMPROVEMENTS WITH A PILOT YOGA INTERVENTION. DESPITE PHARMACOLOGIC AND PSYCHOTHERAPEUTIC ADVANCES OVER THE PAST DECADES, MANY INDIVIDUALS WITH MAJOR DEPRESSIVE DISORDER (MDD) EXPERIENCE RECURRENT DEPRESSIVE EPISODES AND PERSISTENT DEPRESSIVE SYMPTOMS DESPITE TREATMENT WITH THE USUAL CARE. YOGA IS A MIND-BODY THERAPEUTIC MODALITY THAT HAS RECEIVED ATTENTION IN BOTH THE LAY AND RESEARCH LITERATURE AS A POSSIBLE ADJUNCTIVE THERAPY FOR DEPRESSION. ALTHOUGH PROMISING, RECENT FINDINGS ABOUT THE POSITIVE MENTAL HEALTH EFFECTS OF YOGA ARE LIMITED BECAUSE FEW STUDIES HAVE USED STANDARDIZED OUTCOME MEASURES AND NONE OF THEM HAVE INVOLVED LONG-TERM FOLLOW-UP BEYOND A FEW MONTHS AFTER THE INTERVENTION PERIOD. THE GOAL OF OUR RESEARCH STUDY WAS TO EVALUATE THE FEASIBILITY, ACCEPTABILITY, AND EFFECTS OF A YOGA INTERVENTION FOR WOMEN WITH MDD USING STANDARDIZED OUTCOME MEASURES AND A LONG FOLLOW-UP PERIOD (1YEAR AFTER THE INTERVENTION). THE KEY FINDING IS THAT PREVIOUS YOGA PRACTICE HAS LONG-TERM POSITIVE EFFECTS, AS REVEALED IN BOTH QUALITATIVE REPORTS OF PARTICIPANTS' EXPERIENCES AND IN THE QUANTITATIVE DATA ABOUT DEPRESSION AND RUMINATION SCORES OVER TIME. ALTHOUGH GENERALIZABILITY OF THE STUDY FINDINGS IS LIMITED BECAUSE OF A VERY SMALL SAMPLE SIZE AT THE 1-YEAR FOLLOW-UP ASSESSMENT, THE TRENDS IN THE DATA SUGGEST THAT EXPOSURE TO YOGA MAY CONVEY A SUSTAINED POSITIVE EFFECT ON DEPRESSION, RUMINATIONS, STRESS, ANXIETY, AND HEALTH-RELATED QUALITY OF LIFE. WHETHER AN INDIVIDUAL CONTINUES WITH YOGA PRACTICE, SIMPLE EXPOSURE TO A YOGA INTERVENTION APPEARS TO PROVIDE SUSTAINED BENEFITS TO THE INDIVIDUAL. THIS IS IMPORTANT BECAUSE IT IS RARE THAT ANY INTERVENTION, PHARMACOLOGIC OR NON-PHARMACOLOGIC, FOR DEPRESSION CONVEYS SUCH SUSTAINED EFFECTS FOR INDIVIDUALS WITH MDD, PARTICULARLY AFTER THE TREATMENT IS DISCONTINUED. 2014 20 2676 30 YOGA IN RHEUMATIC DISEASES. YOGA IS A POPULAR ACTIVITY WHICH MAY BE WELL SUITED TO SOME INDIVIDUALS WITH SPECIFIC RHEUMATIC DISORDERS. REGULAR YOGA PRACTICE CAN INCREASE MUSCLE STRENGTH AND ENDURANCE, PROPRIOCEPTION, AND BALANCE, WITH EMPHASIS ON MOVEMENT THROUGH A FULL RANGE OF MOTION TO INCREASE FLEXIBILITY AND MOBILITY. ADDITIONAL BENEFICIAL ELEMENTS OF YOGA INCLUDE BREATHING, RELAXATION, BODY AWARENESS, AND MEDITATION, WHICH CAN REDUCE STRESS AND ANXIETY AND PROMOTE A SENSE OF CALMNESS, GENERAL WELL-BEING, AND IMPROVED QUALITY OF LIFE. YOGA ALSO ENCOURAGES A MEDITATIVE FOCUS, INCREASED BODY AWARENESS AND MINDFULNESS; SOME EVIDENCE SUGGESTS YOGA MAY HELP REDUCE INFLAMMATORY MEDIATORS INCLUDING C-REACTIVE PROTEIN AND INTERLEUKIN-6. YOGA IS BEST LEARNED UNDER THE SUPERVISION OF QUALIFIED TEACHERS WHO ARE WELL INFORMED ABOUT THE POTENTIAL MUSCULOSKELETAL NEEDS OF EACH INDIVIDUAL. HERE, WE BRIEFLY REVIEW THE LITERATURE ON YOGA FOR HEALTHY, MUSCULOSKELETAL, AND RHEUMATIC DISEASE POPULATIONS AND OFFER RECOMMENDATIONS FOR DISCUSSING WAYS TO BEGIN YOGA WITH PATIENTS. 2013