1 2433 115 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 2 2470 35 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 3 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 4 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 5 2453 33 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 6 2284 36 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 7 2292 26 THERAPEUTIC EFFECTS OF YOGA FOR CHILDREN: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE. PURPOSE: WE COMPLETED A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE ON THE EFFECT OF YOGA ON QUALITY OF LIFE AND PHYSICAL OUTCOME MEASURES IN THE PEDIATRIC POPULATION. WE EXPLORED VARIOUS DATABASES AND INCLUDED CASE-CONTROL AND PILOT STUDIES, COHORT AND RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIALS THAT EXAMINED YOGA AS AN EXERCISE INTERVENTION FOR CHILDREN. SUMMARY OF KEY POINTS: USING THE SACKETT LEVELS OF EVIDENCE, THIS ARTICLE REVIEWS THE LITERATURE ON YOGA AS A COMPLEMENTARY MIND-BODY MOVEMENT THERAPY. WE ADDRESS THE RESEARCH THROUGH THREE PRACTICE PATTERNS ACCORDING TO THE GUIDE TO PHYSICAL THERAPIST PRACTICE AND PROVIDE CONSIDERATIONS FOR THE INCLUSION OF YOGA INTO CLINICAL PRACTICE. STATEMENT OF CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS FOR CLINICAL PRACTICE: THE EVIDENCE SHOWS PHYSIOLOGICAL BENEFITS OF YOGA FOR THE PEDIATRIC POPULATION THAT MAY BENEFIT CHILDREN THROUGH THE REHABILITATION PROCESS, BUT LARGER CLINICAL TRIALS, INCLUDING SPECIFIC MEASURES OF QUALITY OF LIFE ARE NECESSARY TO PROVIDE DEFINITIVE EVIDENCE. 2008 8 2774 41 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 9 2429 32 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 10 1895 29 RESILIENT TO PAIN: A MODEL OF HOW YOGA MAY DECREASE INTERFERENCE AMONG PEOPLE EXPERIENCING CHRONIC PAIN. CHRONIC MUSCULOSKELETAL PAIN IS THE LEADING CAUSE OF DISABILITY GLOBALLY, YET FOR THE MAJORITY OF PEOPLE WHO EXPERIENCE CHRONIC PAIN, IT DOES NOT SERIOUSLY DISABLE THEM OR INTERFERE WITH THEIR LIFE. PEOPLE WHO EXPERIENCE SEVERE PAIN YET LOW DISABILITY DISPLAY A RESILIENT COURSE OF PAIN. YOGA HAS BEEN SHOWN TO DECREASE DISABILITY AMONG PEOPLE WITH PAIN, BUT IT IS NOT KNOWN HOW. BECAUSE EVEN THE MOST BASIC YOGA PRACTICES POSSESS MANY OF THE COMPONENTS THOUGHT TO BE IMPORTANT IN FOSTERING RESILIENCE, YOGA IS A PROMISING MEANS OF IMPROVING RESILIENCE AND CLINICAL OUTCOMES FOR PEOPLE WITH CHRONIC PAIN. A VALIDATED CONCEPTUAL MODEL OF HOW THE EXPERIENCE OF CHRONIC PAIN IS AFFECTED BY YOGA IS NEEDED TO GUIDE A FUTURE RESEARCH AGENDA AND IDENTIFY POTENTIAL TARGETS FOR CHRONIC PAIN INTERVENTION. ULTIMATELY, AN EXPLANATORY MODEL COULD GUIDE THE OPTIMIZATION OF YOGA AND OTHER NON-PHARMACOLOGICAL THERAPIES FOR THE TREATMENT OF CHRONIC PAIN. I PRESENT A TESTABLE MODEL. 2019 11 2170 35 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 12 549 17 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 13 912 35 EFFECTIVENESS OF IYENGAR YOGA IN TREATING SPINAL (BACK AND NECK) PAIN: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW. CONSIDERABLE AMOUNT OF MONEY SPENT IN HEALTH CARE IS USED FOR TREATMENTS OF LIFESTYLE RELATED, CHRONIC HEALTH CONDITIONS, WHICH COME FROM BEHAVIORS THAT CONTRIBUTE TO MORBIDITY AND MORTALITY OF THE POPULATION. BACK AND NECK PAIN ARE TWO OF THE MOST COMMON MUSCULOSKELETAL PROBLEMS IN MODERN SOCIETY THAT HAVE SIGNIFICANT COST IN HEALTH CARE. YOGA, AS A BRANCH OF COMPLEMENTARY ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE, HAS EMERGED AND IS SHOWING TO BE AN EFFECTIVE TREATMENT AGAINST NONSPECIFIC SPINAL PAIN. RECENT STUDIES HAVE SHOWN POSITIVE OUTCOME OF YOGA IN GENERAL ON REDUCING PAIN AND FUNCTIONAL DISABILITY OF THE SPINE. THE OBJECTIVE OF THIS STUDY IS TO CONDUCT A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW OF THE EXISTING RESEARCH WITHIN IYENGAR YOGA METHOD AND ITS EFFECTIVENESS ON RELIEVING BACK AND NECK PAIN (DEFINED AS SPINAL PAIN). DATABASE RESEARCH FORM THE FOLLOWING SOURCES (COCHRANE LIBRARY, NCBI PUBMED, THE CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRY OF THE INDIAN COUNCIL OF MEDICAL RESEARCH, GOOGLE SCHOLAR, EMBASE, CINAHL, AND PSYCHINFO) DEMONSTRATED INCLUSION AND EXCLUSION CRITERIA THAT SELECTED ONLY IYENGAR YOGA INTERVENTIONS, WHICH IN TURN, IDENTIFIED SIX RANDOMIZED CONTROL TRIALS DEDICATED TO COMPARE THE EFFECTIVENESS OF YOGA FOR BACK AND NECK PAIN VERSUS OTHER CARE. THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE GROUPS ON THE POSTINTERVENTION PAIN OR FUNCTIONAL DISABILITY INTENSITY ASSESSMENT WAS, IN ALL SIX STUDIES, FAVORING THE YOGA GROUP, WHICH PROJECTED A DECREASE IN BACK AND NECK PAIN. OVERALL SIX STUDIES WITH 570 PATIENTS SHOWED, THAT IYENGAR YOGA IS AN EFFECTIVE MEANS FOR BOTH BACK AND NECK PAIN IN COMPARISON TO CONTROL GROUPS. THIS SYSTEMATIC REVIEW FOUND STRONG EVIDENCE FOR SHORT-TERM EFFECTIVENESS, BUT LITTLE EVIDENCE FOR LONG-TERM EFFECTIVENESS OF YOGA FOR CHRONIC SPINE PAIN IN THE PATIENT-CENTERED OUTCOMES. 2015 14 142 26 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 15 2422 29 YOGA AND MINDFULNESS AS THERAPEUTIC INTERVENTIONS FOR STROKE REHABILITATION: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW. AIM. THIS PAPER REPORTS A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW AND CRITICAL APPRAISAL OF THE EVIDENCE ON THE EFFECTIVENESS OF BEHAVIORAL THERAPIES SUCH AS YOGA AND MINDFULNESS PRACTICES FOR STROKE REHABILITATION. BACKGROUND. THE EXPERIENCE OF STROKE CAN HAVE A NEGATIVE IMPACT ON BOTH PSYCHOLOGICAL AND PHYSICAL HEALTH AND ON QUALITY OF LIFE. YOGA AND RELEVANT PRACTICES ARE PROMISING THERAPIES THAT HAVE BEEN USED WITH PATIENTS WITH A VARIETY OF CONDITIONS. IN ORDER TO DRAW CONCLUSIONS ON EFFECTIVENESS FOR STROKE PATIENTS, THE EVIDENCE REQUIRES SYSTEMATIC ASSESSMENT. METHODS. A COMPREHENSIVE SEARCH OF MAJOR BIOMEDICAL AND COMPLEMENTARY MEDICINE DATABASES WAS CONDUCTED. RELEVANT RESEARCH WAS CATEGORIZED BY STUDY TYPE AND APPRAISED ACCORDING TO STUDY DESIGN. RESULTS. FIVE RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED CLINICAL TRIALS AND FOUR SINGLE CASE STUDIES WERE FOUND. ADDITIONALLY, ONE QUALITATIVE RESEARCH STUDY WAS IDENTIFIED. STUDIES REPORTED POSITIVE RESULTS, INCLUDING IMPROVEMENTS IN COGNITION, MOOD, AND BALANCE AND REDUCTIONS IN STRESS. MODIFICATIONS TO DIFFERENT YOGA PRACTICES MAKE COMPARISON BETWEEN STUDIES DIFFICULT, AND A LACK OF CONTROLLED STUDIES PRECLUDES ANY FIRM CONCLUSIONS ON EFFICACY. CONCLUSION. YOGA AND MINDFULNESS COULD BE CLINICALLY VALUABLE SELF-ADMINISTERED INTERVENTION OPTIONS FOR STROKE REHABILITATION. FURTHER RESEARCH IS NEEDED TO EVALUATE THESE SPECIFIC PRACTICES AND THEIR SUITABILITY IN STROKE REHABILITATION. 2013 16 2294 26 THERAPEUTIC EFFICACY OF YOGA FOR COMMON PRIMARY CARE CONDITIONS. INTRODUCTION: YOGA IS A POPULAR FORM OF EXERCISE THAT USES BODY POSTURES, MEDITATION, AND BREATHING TECHNIQUES AND HAS BEEN SHOWN TO HAVE MANY HEALTH BENEFITS. OBJECTIVE/METHODS: OUR GOAL FOR THIS REVIEW IS TO ORIENT HEALTH PROFESSIONALS TO THE EVIDENCE-BASED USES OF YOGA MOST RELEVANT TO PRIMARY CARE. WE CONDUCTED A PUBMED SEARCH THAT INCLUDED META-ANALYSES, REVIEWS, SYSTEMATIC REVIEWS, AND RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIALS. RESULTS: RESULTS WERE LIMITED TO ENGLISH LANGUAGE AND PUBLICATION BETWEEN 2010 AND 2020. YOGA WAS FOUND TO HELP DECREASE HYPERTENSION, RELIEVE BACK PAIN, PROMOTE OVERALL WELL-BEING, AND IMPROVE MENTAL HEALTH. CONCLUSIONS: YOGA IS A RELATIVELY SAFE AND EFFECTIVE OPTION FOR PATIENTS INTERESTED IN THERAPEUTIC LIFESTYLE CHANGE TO PROMOTE WELL-BEING AND TO HELP MANAGE HYPERTENSION, BACK PAIN, AND OVERALL MENTAL HEALTH. 2021 17 2548 33 YOGA FOR CANCER PATIENTS AND SURVIVORS. BACKGROUND: YOGA HAS BEEN PRACTICED FOR THOUSANDS OF YEARS TO IMPROVE PHYSICAL AND EMOTIONAL WELL-BEING. EMPIRICAL RESEARCH ON YOGA HAS BEEN ONGOING FOR SEVERAL DECADES, INCLUDING SEVERAL RECENT STUDIES CONDUCTED WITH CANCER PATIENTS AND SURVIVORS. METHODS: THIS REVIEW PROVIDES A GENERAL INTRODUCTION TO YOGA AND A DETAILED REVIEW OF YOGA RESEARCH IN CANCER. RESULTS: NINE STUDIES CONDUCTED WITH CANCER PATIENTS AND SURVIVORS YIELDED MODEST IMPROVEMENTS IN SLEEP QUALITY, MOOD, STRESS, CANCER-RELATED DISTRESS, CANCER-RELATED SYMPTOMS, AND OVERALL QUALITY OF LIFE. STUDIES CONDUCTED IN OTHER PATIENT POPULATIONS AND HEALTHY INDIVIDUALS HAVE SHOWN BENEFICIAL EFFECTS ON PSYCHOLOGICAL AND SOMATIC SYMPTOMS, AS WELL AS OTHER ASPECTS OF PHYSICAL FUNCTION. CONCLUSIONS: RESULTS FROM THE EMERGING LITERATURE ON YOGA AND CANCER PROVIDE PRELIMINARY SUPPORT FOR THE FEASIBILITY AND EFFICACY OF YOGA INTERVENTIONS FOR CANCER PATIENTS, ALTHOUGH CONTROLLED TRIALS ARE LACKING. FURTHER RESEARCH IS REQUIRED TO DETERMINE THE RELIABILITY OF THESE EFFECTS AND TO IDENTIFY THEIR UNDERLYING MECHANISMS. 2005 18 1413 28 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 19 2383 27 YOGA & CANCER INTERVENTIONS: A REVIEW OF THE CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE OF PATIENT REPORTED OUTCOMES FOR CANCER SURVIVORS. LIMITED RESEARCH SUGGESTS YOGA MAY BE A VIABLE GENTLE PHYSICAL ACTIVITY OPTION WITH A VARIETY OF HEALTH-RELATED QUALITY OF LIFE, PSYCHOSOCIAL AND SYMPTOM MANAGEMENT BENEFITS. THE PURPOSE OF THIS REVIEW WAS TO DETERMINE THE CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE OF PATIENT-REPORTED OUTCOMES FROM YOGA INTERVENTIONS CONDUCTED WITH CANCER SURVIVORS. A TOTAL OF 25 PUBLISHED YOGA INTERVENTION STUDIES FOR CANCER SURVIVORS FROM 2004-2011 HAD PATIENT-REPORTED OUTCOMES, INCLUDING QUALITY OF LIFE, PSYCHOSOCIAL OR SYMPTOM MEASURES. THIRTEEN OF THESE STUDIES MET THE NECESSARY CRITERIA TO ASSESS CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE. CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE FOR EACH OF THE OUTCOMES OF INTEREST WAS EXAMINED BASED ON 1 STANDARD ERROR OF THE MEASUREMENT, 0.5 STANDARD DEVIATION, AND RELATIVE COMPARATIVE EFFECT SIZES AND THEIR RESPECTIVE CONFIDENCE INTERVALS. THIS REVIEW DESCRIBES IN DETAIL THESE PATIENT-REPORTED OUTCOMES, HOW THEY WERE OBTAINED, THEIR RELATIVE CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPLICATIONS FOR BOTH CLINICAL AND RESEARCH SETTINGS. OVERALL, CLINICALLY SIGNIFICANT CHANGES IN PATIENT-REPORTED OUTCOMES SUGGEST THAT YOGA INTERVENTIONS HOLD PROMISE FOR IMPROVING CANCER SURVIVORS' WELL-BEING. THIS RESEARCH OVERVIEW PROVIDES NEW DIRECTIONS FOR EXAMINING HOW CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE CAN PROVIDE A UNIQUE CONTEXT FOR DESCRIBING CHANGES IN PATIENT-REPORTED OUTCOMES FROM YOGA INTERVENTIONS. RESEARCHERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO EMPLOY INDICES OF CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE IN THE INTERPRETATION AND DISCUSSION OF RESULTS FROM YOGA STUDIES. 2012 20 836 36 EFFECT OF YOGA ON PATIENTS WITH CANCER: OUR CURRENT UNDERSTANDING. OBJECTIVE: TO DETERMINE WHETHER THERAPEUTIC YOGA IMPROVES THE QUALITY OF LIFE OF PATIENTS WITH CANCER. DATA SOURCES: SEARCH OF MEDLINE DATABASE (1950-2010) USING KEY WORDS YOGA, CANCER, AND QUALITY OF LIFE. STUDY SELECTION: PRIORITY WAS GIVEN TO RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED CLINICAL STUDIES CONDUCTED TO DETERMINE THE EFFECT OF YOGA ON TYPICAL SYMPTOMS OF PATIENTS WITH CANCER IN NORTH AMERICA. SYNTHESIS: INITIALLY, 4 RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED CLINICAL STUDIES WERE ANALYZED, THEN 2 STUDIES WITHOUT CONTROL GROUPS WERE ANALYZED. THREE STUDIES CONDUCTED IN INDIA AND THE NEAR EAST PROVIDED INTERESTING INFORMATION ON METHODOLOGIES. THE INTERVENTIONS INCLUDED YOGA SESSIONS OF VARYING LENGTH AND FREQUENCY. THE PARAMETERS MEASURED ALSO VARIED AMONG STUDIES. SEVERAL SYMPTOMS IMPROVED SUBSTANTIALLY WITH YOGA (HIGHER QUALITY OF SLEEP, DECREASE IN SYMPTOMS OF ANXIETY AND DEPRESSION, IMPROVEMENT IN SPIRITUAL WELL-BEING, ETC). IT WOULD APPEAR THAT QUALITY OF LIFE, OR SOME ASPECTS THEREOF, ALSO IMPROVED. CONCLUSION: THE VARIETY OF BENEFITS DERIVED, THE ABSENCE OF SIDE EFFECTS, AND THE COST-BENEFIT RATIO OF THERAPEUTIC YOGA MAKE IT AN INTERESTING ALTERNATIVE FOR FAMILY PHYSICIANS TO SUGGEST TO THEIR PATIENTS WITH CANCER. CERTAIN METHODOLOGIC SHORTCOMINGS, INCLUDING THE LIMITED SIZE OF THE SAMPLES AND VARYING LEVELS OF ATTENDANCE ON THE PART OF THE SUBJECTS, MIGHT HAVE REDUCED THE STATISTICAL STRENGTH OF THE STUDIES PRESENTED. IT IS ALSO POSSIBLE THAT THE MEASUREMENT SCALES USED DID NOT SUIT THIS TYPE OF SITUATION AND PATIENT POPULATION, MAKING IT IMPOSSIBLE TO SEE A SIGNIFICANT EFFECT. HOWEVER, FAVOURABLE COMMENTS BY PARTICIPANTS DURING THE STUDIES AND THEIR LEVEL OF APPRECIATION AND WELL-BEING SUGGEST THAT FURTHER RESEARCH IS CALLED FOR TO FULLY UNDERSTAND THE MECHANISMS OF THESE EFFECTS. 2012