1 2485 79 YOGA AS AN ANCILLARY TREATMENT FOR NEUROLOGICAL AND PSYCHIATRIC DISORDERS: A REVIEW. YOGA IS GAINING ACCEPTANCE AS AN ANCILLARY MEDICAL TREATMENT, BUT THERE HAVE BEEN FEW STUDIES EVALUATING ITS THERAPEUTIC BENEFITS IN NEUROLOGICAL AND MAJOR PSYCHIATRIC CONDITIONS. THE AUTHORS REVIEWED THE LITERATURE IN ENGLISH ON THE EFFICACY OF YOGA FOR THESE DISORDERS. ONLY RANDOMIZED, CONTROLLED TRIALS WERE INCLUDED, WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THE ONLY STUDY OF YOGA FOR BIPOLAR DISORDER, WHICH WAS OBSERVATIONAL. TRIALS WERE EXCLUDED IF YOGA WAS NOT THE CENTRAL COMPONENT OF THE INTERVENTION. OF SEVEN RANDOMIZED, CONTROLLED TRIALS OF YOGA IN PATIENTS WITH NEUROLOGICAL DISORDERS, SIX FOUND SIGNIFICANT, POSITIVE EFFECTS. OF 13 RANDOMIZED, CONTROLLED TRIALS OF YOGA IN PATIENTS WITH PSYCHIATRIC DISORDERS, 10 FOUND SIGNIFICANT, POSITIVE EFFECTS. THESE RESULTS, ALTHOUGH ENCOURAGING, INDICATE THAT ADDITIONAL RANDOMIZED, CONTROLLED STUDIES ARE NEEDED TO CRITICALLY DEFINE THE BENEFITS OF YOGA FOR BOTH NEUROLOGICAL AND PSYCHIATRIC DISORDERS. 2012 2 2927 38 [YOGA FOR MENTAL DISORDERS]. BACKGROUND: THE DEMAND FOR COMPLEMENTARY CLINICALLY EFFICACIOUS, SAFE, PATIENT ACCEPTABLE, AND COST-EFFECTIVE FORMS OF TREATMENT FOR MENTAL ILLNESS IS GROWING. YOGA HAS BENEFICIAL EFFECTS ON SOMATIC AND MENTAL HEALTH FACTORS; THEREFORE, YOGA HAS PREVENTIVE AND THERAPEUTIC CAPABILITIES TO IMPROVE MENTAL DYSFUNCTION. OBJECTIVE: IN THIS OVERVIEW OF THE CURRENT LITERATURE, THE EVIDENCE OF THE EFFECTS OF YOGA ON SELECTED MAJOR PSYCHIATRIC DISORDERS IS SUMMARIZED. RESULTS: THE STRONGEST EVIDENCE BASE FOR YOGA EXISTS IN REDUCING DEPRESSIVE SYMPTOMS BUT ITS USE IN MAJOR DEPRESSIVE DISORDERS IS LESS CLEAR. THE EVIDENCE FOR THE EFFICACY OF YOGA FOR ANXIETY DISORDERS, AND POSTTRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER (PTSD) IS ENCOURAGING, BUT NOT DEFINITIVE DUE TO ONLY A FEW RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIALS AND METHODOLOGICAL PROBLEMS. CONCLUSION: THERE IS PRELIMINARY EVIDENCE THAT MEDITATION-BASED YOGA INTERVENTIONS MAY BE HELPFUL FOR DEPRESSION, ANXIETY AND PTSD; HOWEVER, THERE MAY ALSO BE THE RISK OF ENGAGING IN EXTREME YOGA PRACTICES. THE VALUE OF INTEGRATING YOGA INTO A TREATMENT PLAN FOR PATIENTS WITH PSYCHIATRIC DISORDERS NEEDS TO BE EVALUATED ON AN INDIVIDUAL BASIS. HEALTHCARE PROVIDERS CAN MOTIVATE AND HELP PATIENTS EVALUATE WHETHER A GIVEN YOGA CLASS IS HELPFUL AND SAFE FOR THEM. METHODOLOGICAL PROBLEMS AND THE UNCLEAR RISK-BENEFIT RATIO PRECLUDE DEFINITIVE RECOMMENDATIONS FOR YOGA AS AN ADJUNCT TREATMENT. 2018 3 931 49 EFFECTIVENESS OF YOGA THERAPY AS A COMPLEMENTARY TREATMENT FOR MAJOR PSYCHIATRIC DISORDERS: A META-ANALYSIS. OBJECTIVE: TO EXAMINE THE EFFICACY OF YOGA THERAPY AS A COMPLEMENTARY TREATMENT FOR PSYCHIATRIC DISORDERS SUCH AS SCHIZOPHRENIA, DEPRESSION, ANXIETY, AND POSTTRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER (PTSD). DATA SOURCES: ELIGIBLE TRIALS WERE IDENTIFIED BY A LITERATURE SEARCH OF PUBMED/MEDLINE, COCHRANE CONTROL TRIALS REGISTER, GOOGLE SCHOLAR, AND EBSCO ON THE BASIS OF CRITERIA OF ACCEPTABLE QUALITY AND RELEVANCE. THE SEARCH WAS PERFORMED USING THE FOLLOWING TERMS: YOGA FOR SCHIZOPHRENIA, YOGA FOR DEPRESSION, YOGA FOR ANXIETY, YOGA FOR PTSD, YOGA THERAPY, YOGA FOR PSYCHIATRIC DISORDERS, COMPLEMENTARY TREATMENT, AND EFFICACY OF YOGA THERAPY. TRIALS BOTH UNPUBLISHED AND PUBLISHED WITH NO LIMITATION PLACED ON YEAR OF PUBLICATION WERE INCLUDED; HOWEVER, THE OLDEST ARTICLE INCLUDED IN THE FINAL META-ANALYSIS WAS PUBLISHED IN 2000. STUDY SELECTION: ALL AVAILABLE RANDOMIZED, CONTROLLED TRIALS OF YOGA FOR THE TREATMENT OF MENTAL ILLNESS WERE REVIEWED, AND 10 STUDIES WERE ELIGIBLE FOR INCLUSION. AS VERY FEW RANDOMIZED, CONTROLLED STUDIES HAVE EXAMINED YOGA FOR MENTAL ILLNESS, THIS META-ANALYSIS INCLUDES STUDIES WITH PARTICIPANTS WHO WERE DIAGNOSED WITH MENTAL ILLNESS, AS WELL AS STUDIES WITH PARTICIPANTS WHO WERE NOT DIAGNOSED WITH MENTAL ILLNESS BUT REPORTED SYMPTOMS OF MENTAL ILLNESS. TRIALS WERE EXCLUDED DUE TO THE FOLLOWING: (1) INSUFFICIENT INFORMATION, (2) INADEQUATE STATISTICAL ANALYSIS, (3) YOGA WAS NOT THE CENTRAL COMPONENT OF THE INTERVENTION, (4) SUBJECTS WERE NOT DIAGNOSED WITH OR DID NOT REPORT EXPERIENCING SYMPTOMS OF ONE OF THE PSYCHIATRIC DISORDERS OF INTEREST (IE, SCHIZOPHRENIA, DEPRESSION, ANXIETY, AND PTSD), (5) STUDY WAS NOT REPORTED IN ENGLISH, AND (6) STUDY DID NOT INCLUDE A CONTROL GROUP. DATA EXTRACTION: DATA WERE EXTRACTED ON PARTICIPANT DIAGNOSIS, INCLUSION CRITERIA, TREATMENT AND CONTROL GROUPS, DURATION OF INTERVENTION, AND RESULTS (PRE-POST MEAN AND STANDARD DEVIATIONS, T VALUES, AND F VALUES). NUMBER, AGE, AND SEX RATIO OF PARTICIPANTS WERE ALSO OBTAINED WHEN AVAILABLE. DATA SYNTHESIS: THE COMBINED ANALYSIS OF ALL 10 STUDIES PROVIDED A POOLED EFFECT SIZE OF -3.25 (95% CI, -5.36 TO -1.14; P = .002), INDICATING THAT YOGA-BASED INTERVENTIONS HAVE A STATISTICALLY SIGNIFICANT EFFECT AS AN ADJUNCT TREATMENT FOR MAJOR PSYCHIATRIC DISORDERS. FINDINGS IN SUPPORT OF ALTERNATIVE AND COMPLEMENTARY INTERVENTIONS MAY ESPECIALLY BE AN AID IN THE TREATMENT OF DISORDERS FOR WHICH CURRENT TREATMENTS ARE FOUND TO BE INADEQUATE OR TO CARRY SEVERE LIABILITIES. CONCLUSIONS: AS CURRENT PSYCHOPHARMACOLOGIC INTERVENTIONS FOR SEVERE MENTAL ILLNESS ARE ASSOCIATED WITH INCREASED RISK OF WEIGHT GAIN AS WELL AS OTHER METABOLIC SIDE EFFECTS THAT INCREASE PATIENTS' RISK FOR CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE, YOGA MAY BE AN EFFECTIVE, FAR LESS TOXIC ADJUNCT TREATMENT OPTION FOR SEVERE MENTAL ILLNESS. 2011 4 1084 24 EFFECTS OF YOGA ON STRESS MANAGEMENT IN HEALTHY ADULTS: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW. OBJECTIVE: THIS ARTICLE REPORTS A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW AND CRITICAL APPRAISAL OF THE EFFECT OF YOGA ON STRESS MANAGEMENT IN HEALTHY ADULTS. METHODS: A SYSTEMATIC LITERATURE SEARCH WAS PERFORMED TO IDENTIFY RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIALS (RCTS) AND CLINICAL CONTROLLED TRIALS (CCTS) THAT ASSESSED THE EFFECTS OF YOGA ON STRESS MANAGEMENT IN HEALTHY ADULTS. SELECTED STUDIES WERE CLASSIFIED ACCORDING TO THE TYPES OF INTERVENTION, DURATION, OUTCOME MEASURES, AND RESULTS. THEY WERE ALSO QUALITATIVELY ASSESSED BASED ON PUBLIC HEALTH RESEARCH, EDUCATION AND DEVELOPMENT STANDARDS. RESULTS: THE SYSTEMATIC REVIEW WAS BASED ON EIGHT RCTS AND CCTS THAT INDICATED A POSITIVE EFFECT OF YOGA IN REDUCING STRESS LEVELS OR STRESS SYMPTOMS. HOWEVER, MOST OF THE STUDIES HAD METHODOLOGICAL PROBLEMS IN THAT THE INTERVENTION DURATION WAS SHORT AND LIMITED FOLLOW-UP DATA WAS AVAILABLE. CONCLUSION: THIS REVIEW REVEALED POSITIVE EFFECTS OF YOGA ON STRESS REDUCTION IN HEALTHY ADULT POPULATIONS. HOWEVER, THE RESULT SHOULD BE INTERPRETED WITH CAUTION DUE TO THE SMALL NUMBER OF STUDIES AND THE ASSOCIATED METHODOLOGICAL PROBLEMS. FURTHER STUDIES TO ASCERTAIN YOGA'S LONG-TERM EFFECTS AND THE UNDERLYING BIOLOGICAL MECHANISMS LEADING TO ITS STRESS REDUCTION EFFECT SHOULD BE CONDUCTED. 2011 5 2105 24 THE EFFECT OF YOGA ON MENSTRUAL DISORDERS: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW. OBJECTIVE: TO SUMMARIZE AND EVALUATE EVIDENCE FOR THE EFFECT OF YOGA ON MENSTRUAL DISORDERS. METHODS: PUBMED, CINAHL/MEDLINE, WEB OF SCIENCE, AMED, AND SCOPUS WERE SEARCHED FOR ENGLISH-LANGUAGE LITERATURE RELEVANT TO THE REVIEW QUESTION. ALL PRIMARY RESEARCH STUDIES WERE INCLUDED. RESULTS: FIFTEEN STUDIES DESCRIBED IN 18 PAPERS WERE INCLUDED IN THE REVIEW. A RANGE OF YOGA INTERVENTIONS WERE USED. SOME STUDIES USED A COMBINATION OF ASANA, PRANAYAMA, AND OTHER YOGIC RELAXATION OR MEDITATION TECHNIQUES. ALL INCLUDED STUDIES REPORTED SOME CHANGE IN THEIR OUTCOME MEASURES, SUGGESTING REDUCED SYMPTOMS OF MENSTRUAL DISTRESS FOLLOWING A YOGA INTERVENTION; HOWEVER, THE HETEROGENEITY AND INTENSITY OF THE INTERVENTIONS AND OUTCOME MEASURES MEANT THAT FINDINGS HAVE LIMITED GENERALIZABILITY AND APPLICABILITY IN PRACTICE SETTINGS. CONCLUSIONS: FURTHER RESEARCH ON THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN YOGA PRACTICE AND MENSTRUAL DISORDERS IS WARRANTED, BUT THERE MUST BE BOTH CONSISTENCY IN THE METHODS, MEASURES, AND QUALITY OF STUDIES AND A SHIFT TOWARD RESEARCH ON YOGA PRACTICES THAT ARE REPLICABLE OUTSIDE OF THE CLINICAL TRIAL SETTING. 2017 6 2732 34 YOGA ON OUR MINDS: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW OF YOGA FOR NEUROPSYCHIATRIC DISORDERS. BACKGROUND: THE DEMAND FOR CLINICALLY EFFICACIOUS, SAFE, PATIENT ACCEPTABLE, AND COST-EFFECTIVE FORMS OF TREATMENT FOR MENTAL ILLNESS IS GROWING. SEVERAL STUDIES HAVE DEMONSTRATED BENEFIT FROM YOGA IN SPECIFIC PSYCHIATRIC SYMPTOMS AND A GENERAL SENSE OF WELL-BEING. OBJECTIVE: TO SYSTEMATICALLY EXAMINE THE EVIDENCE FOR EFFICACY OF YOGA IN THE TREATMENT OF SELECTED MAJOR PSYCHIATRIC DISORDERS. METHODS: ELECTRONIC SEARCHES OF THE COCHRANE CENTRAL REGISTER OF CONTROLLED TRIALS AND THE STANDARD BIBLIOGRAPHIC DATABASES, MEDLINE, EMBASE, AND PSYCINFO, WERE PERFORMED THROUGH APRIL 2011 AND AN UPDATED IN JUNE 2011 USING THE KEYWORDS YOGA AND PSYCHIATRY OR DEPRESSION OR ANXIETY OR SCHIZOPHRENIA OR COGNITION OR MEMORY OR ATTENTION AND RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL (RCT). STUDIES WITH YOGA AS THE INDEPENDENT VARIABLE AND ONE OF THE ABOVE MENTIONED TERMS AS THE DEPENDENT VARIABLE WERE INCLUDED AND EXCLUSION CRITERIA WERE APPLIED. RESULTS: THE SEARCH YIELDED A TOTAL OF 124 TRIALS, OF WHICH 16 MET RIGOROUS CRITERIA FOR THE FINAL REVIEW. GRADE B EVIDENCE SUPPORTING A POTENTIAL ACUTE BENEFIT FOR YOGA EXISTS IN DEPRESSION (FOUR RCTS), AS AN ADJUNCT TO PHARMACOTHERAPY IN SCHIZOPHRENIA (THREE RCTS), IN CHILDREN WITH ADHD (TWO RCTS), AND GRADE C EVIDENCE IN SLEEP COMPLAINTS (THREE RCTS). RCTS IN COGNITIVE DISORDERS AND EATING DISORDERS YIELDED CONFLICTING RESULTS. NO STUDIES LOOKED AT PRIMARY PREVENTION, RELAPSE PREVENTION, OR COMPARATIVE EFFECTIVENESS VERSUS PHARMACOTHERAPY. CONCLUSION: THERE IS EMERGING EVIDENCE FROM RANDOMIZED TRIALS TO SUPPORT POPULAR BELIEFS ABOUT YOGA FOR DEPRESSION, SLEEP DISORDERS, AND AS AN AUGMENTATION THERAPY. LIMITATIONS OF LITERATURE INCLUDE INABILITY TO DO DOUBLE-BLIND STUDIES, MULTIPLICITY OF COMPARISONS WITHIN SMALL STUDIES, AND LACK OF REPLICATION. BIOMARKER AND NEUROIMAGING STUDIES, THOSE COMPARING YOGA WITH STANDARD PHARMACO- AND PSYCHOTHERAPIES, AND STUDIES OF LONG-TERM EFFICACY ARE NEEDED TO FULLY TRANSLATE THE PROMISE OF YOGA FOR ENHANCING MENTAL HEALTH. 2012 7 2292 25 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 2422 38 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 9 2023 35 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 10 2541 30 YOGA FOR ANXIETY: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW OF THE RESEARCH EVIDENCE. BETWEEN MARCH AND JUNE 2004, A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW WAS CARRIED OUT OF THE RESEARCH EVIDENCE ON THE EFFECTIVENESS OF YOGA FOR THE TREATMENT OF ANXIETY AND ANXIETY DISORDERS. EIGHT STUDIES WERE REVIEWED. THEY REPORTED POSITIVE RESULTS, ALTHOUGH THERE WERE MANY METHODOLOGICAL INADEQUACIES. OWING TO THE DIVERSITY OF CONDITIONS TREATED AND POOR QUALITY OF MOST OF THE STUDIES, IT IS NOT POSSIBLE TO SAY THAT YOGA IS EFFECTIVE IN TREATING ANXIETY OR ANXIETY DISORDERS IN GENERAL. HOWEVER, THERE ARE ENCOURAGING RESULTS, PARTICULARLY WITH OBSESSIVE COMPULSIVE DISORDER. FURTHER WELL CONDUCTED RESEARCH IS NECESSARY WHICH MAY BE MOST PRODUCTIVE IF FOCUSED ON SPECIFIC ANXIETY DISORDERS. 2005 11 2622 38 YOGA FOR SUBSTANCE USE: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW. INTRODUCTION: SUBSTANCE USE DISORDERS (SUDS) ARE COMPLEX INTERACTIONS BETWEEN VARIOUS GENETIC, ENVIRONMENTAL, DEVELOPMENTAL, AND SOCIAL FACTORS. YOGA IS RECOMMENDED AS A NONMAINSTREAM TREATMENT FOR MANY HEALTH CONDITIONS, INCLUDING SUDS. METHODS: FIVE DATABASES WERE SEARCHED FOR RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIALS (RCTS) THAT EVALUATED YOGA AS AN INTERVENTION IN ADULTS WITH ANY TYPE OF SUBSTANCE USE DISORDER. THE INTERVENTIONS BEING STUDIED INCLUDED HATHA YOGA, SUDARSHAN KRIYA YOGA, BREATHING YOGA EXERCISES, AND MEDITATION. STUDIES, WHERE YOGA WAS COMBINED WITH OTHER INTERVENTIONS WERE EXCLUDED. THE EFFECT OF YOGA AS AN INTERVENTION WAS ANALYZED USING PRIMARY OUTCOMES SUCH AS ANXIETY, PAIN, AND CRAVING. EIGHT RCTS MET THE ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA, AND QUALITY ANALYSIS WAS CONDUCTED USING THE COCHRANE CRITERIA. RESULTS: AMONG THE 8 FINAL STUDIES ELIGIBLE FOR QUALITY ANALYSIS, 2 HAD UNDEFINED SUBSTANCE USE, WHILE THE OTHERS WERE FOCUSED ON TOBACCO, ALCOHOL, OR OPIOIDS. SEVEN OUT OF 8 STUDIES SHOWED SIGNIFICANT RESULTS AND IMPROVED PRIMARY OUTCOMES SUCH AS ANXIETY, PAIN, OR SUBSTANCE USE. SEVEN OUT OF THE 8 STUDIES SHOWED SIGNIFICANT POSITIVE OUTCOMES USING YOGA IN CONJUNCTION WITH OTHER PHARMACOLOGICAL TREATMENT MODALITIES LIKE OPIOID SUBSTITUTION THERAPY. CONCLUSIONS: SIX OUT OF 8 STUDIES SHOWED LOW CONCERNS, WHILE 2 STUDIES SHOWED SOME CONCERNS ABOUT THE RISK OF BIAS JUDGMENT. ALTHOUGH THE RESULTS LOOK ENCOURAGING, RCTS WITH LARGER SAMPLE SIZE ARE NEEDED TO BETTER EVALUATE THE EFFECTIVENESS OF YOGA AS A TREATMENT MODALITY FOR SUBSTANCE USE. 2021 12 2170 32 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 13 2688 35 YOGA IN THE TREATMENT OF MOOD AND ANXIETY DISORDERS: A REVIEW. BACKGROUND: PATIENT USE OF COMPLEMENTARY AND ALTERNATIVE TREATMENTS, INCLUDING YOGA, TO MANAGE MOOD AND ANXIETY DISORDERS, HAS BEEN WELL DOCUMENTED. DESPITE RESEARCH INTEREST, THERE ARE FEW RECENT REVIEWS OF THE EVIDENCE OF THE BENEFIT OF YOGA IN THESE CONDITIONS. METHOD: THE PUBMED, MEDLINE AND PSYCINFO DATABASES WERE SEARCHED FOR LITERATURE PUBLISHED UP TO JULY 2008, RELATING TO YOGA AND DEPRESSIVE AND ANXIETY DISORDERS. RESULTS: THE PAUCITY OF REPORTED STUDIES AND SEVERAL METHODOLOGICAL CONSTRAINTS LIMIT DATA INTERPRETATION. IN DEPRESSIVE DISORDERS, YOGA MAY BE COMPARABLE TO MEDICATION AND THE COMBINATION SUPERIOR TO MEDICATION ALONE. THERE IS REASONABLE EVIDENCE FOR ITS USE AS SECOND-LINE MONOTHERAPY OR AUGMENTATION TO MEDICATION IN MILD TO MODERATE MAJOR DEPRESSION AND DYSTHYMIA, WITH EARLY EVIDENCE OF BENEFIT IN MORE SEVERE DEPRESSION. IN ANXIETY DISORDERS, YOGA MAY BE SUPERIOR TO MEDICATION FOR A SUBGROUP OF PATIENTS, BUT ITS BENEFITS IN SPECIFIC CONDITIONS ARE STILL LARGELY UNKNOWN. SECOND-LINE MONOTHERAPY IS INDICATED IN PERFORMANCE OR TEST ANXIETY, BUT ONLY PRELIMINARY EVIDENCE EXISTS FOR OBSESSIVE-COMPULSIVE DISORDER AND POST-TRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER. YOGA APPEARS TO BE SUPERIOR TO NO TREATMENT AND PROGRESSIVE RELAXATION FOR BOTH DEPRESSION AND ANXIETY, AND MAY BENEFIT MOOD AND ANXIETY SYMPTOMS ASSOCIATED WITH MEDICAL ILLNESS. IT SHOWS GOOD SAFETY AND TOLERABILITY IN SHORT-TERM TREATMENT. CONCLUSION: REASONABLE EVIDENCE SUPPORTS THE BENEFIT OF YOGA IN SPECIFIC DEPRESSIVE DISORDERS. THE EVIDENCE IS STILL PRELIMINARY IN ANXIETY DISORDERS. GIVEN ITS PATIENT APPEAL AND THE PROMISING FINDINGS THUS FAR, FURTHER RESEARCH ON YOGA IN THESE CONDITIONS IS ENCOURAGED. 2009 14 2488 26 YOGA AS AN INTERVENTION FOR THE REDUCTION OF SYMPTOMS OF ANXIETY AND DEPRESSION IN CHILDREN AND ADOLESCENTS: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW. PURPOSE: THE PURPOSE OF THIS REVIEW IS TO EVALUATE THE IMPLEMENTATION AND EFFECTIVENESS OF YOGA FOR THE REDUCTION OF SYMPTOMS OF ANXIETY AND DEPRESSION IN YOUTH. TO OUR KNOWLEDGE, THERE ARE NO SYSTEMATIC REVIEWS TO DATE LOOKING AT THE REDUCTION OF SYMPTOMS OF BOTH ANXIETY AND DEPRESSION. METHODS: NUMEROUS SCIENTIFIC DATABASES WERE SEARCHED UP TO NOVEMBER 2018 FOR EXPERIMENTAL STUDIES ASSESSING CHANGES IN SYMPTOMS OF ANXIETY AND/OR DEPRESSION IN YOUTHS FOLLOWING YOGA INTERVENTIONS. QUALITY AND LEVEL OF EVIDENCE WERE ASSESSED, AND INFORMATION WAS SYNTHESIZED ACROSS STUDIES. RESULTS: TWENTY-SEVEN STUDIES INVOLVING YOUTH WITH VARYING HEALTH STATUSES WERE REVIEWED. INTERVENTION CHARACTERISTICS VARIED GREATLY ACROSS STUDIES REVEALING MULTIPLE FACTORS THAT MAY IMPACT INTERVENTION EFFICACY, HOWEVER 70% OF THE STUDIES OVERALL SHOWED IMPROVEMENTS. FOR STUDIES ASSESSING ANXIETY AND DEPRESSION, 58% SHOWED REDUCTIONS IN BOTH SYMPTOMS, WHILE 25% SHOWED REDUCTIONS IN ANXIETY ONLY. ADDITIONALLY, 70% OF STUDIES ASSESSING ANXIETY ALONE SHOWED IMPROVEMENTS AND 40% OF STUDIES ONLY ASSESSING DEPRESSION SHOWED IMPROVEMENTS. CONCLUSION: THE STUDIES REVIEWED, WHILE OF WEAK TO MODERATE METHODOLOGICAL QUALITY, SHOWED THAT YOGA, DEFINED BY THE PRACTICE OF POSTURES, GENERALLY LEADS TO SOME REDUCTIONS IN ANXIETY AND DEPRESSION IN YOUTH REGARDLESS OF HEALTH STATUS AND INTERVENTION CHARACTERISTICS. 2020 15 2401 39 YOGA AND EATING DISORDER PREVENTION AND TREATMENT: A COMPREHENSIVE REVIEW AND META-ANALYSIS. YOGA IS FREQUENTLY USED IN CONJUNCTION WITH STANDARD TREATMENT APPROACHES FOR EATING DISORDERS. HOWEVER, YOGA'S EFFICACY AND EFFECTIVENESS IN PREVENTING AND TREATING EATING DISORDERS HAS REMAINED UNCLEAR. THE AIM OF THIS COMPREHENSIVE REVIEW AND META-ANALYSIS IS TO REVIEW THE EXTANT LITERATURE AND ASSESS THE EFFECTS OF YOGA IN THE PREVENTION AND INTERVENTION OF EATING DISORDER SYMPTOMS AND CORRELATES IN BOTH CLINICAL AND NON-CLINICAL POPULATIONS. STUDIES ASSESSING YOGA AND ITS EFFECT ON EATING DISORDER SYMPTOMS AND/OR BODY IMAGE AS RELATED TO DISORDERED EATING, WERE ELIGIBLE FOR INCLUSION. THE COMPREHENSIVE REVIEW DETAILS CORRELATIONAL, NON-CONTROLLED, NON-RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED, AND YOGA COMPARISON STUDIES. FOR THE META-ANALYSIS, ONLY RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIALS COMPARING A YOGA-BASED INTERVENTION TO A NON-YOGA CONTROL GROUP WERE INCLUDED. IN TOTAL, 43 STUDIES ARE INCLUDED IN THIS REVIEW, WITH 11 TRIALS INVOLVING 754 PARTICIPANTS INCLUDED IN THE META-ANALYSIS. RESULTS OF THE COMPREHENSIVE REVIEW AND META-ANALYSES RESULTS INDICATED YOGA INTERVENTIONS DEMONSTRATED A SMALL, SIGNIFICANT EFFECT ON GLOBAL EATING DISORDER PSYCHOPATHOLOGY, A MODERATE-TO-LARGE EFFECT ON BINGE EATING AND BULIMIA, AND A SMALL EFFECT ON BODY IMAGE CONCERNS, AS COMPARED TO THE CONTROL CONDITIONS. THERE WAS NO STATISTICALLY SIGNIFICANT EFFECT ON DIETARY RESTRAINT IN EITHER DIRECTION. ADDITIONALLY, RESULTS INDICATED A SMALL-TO-MODERATE EFFECT ON A COMPOSITE MEASURE OF EATING DISORDER-RELATED CONSTRUCTS. THESE FINDINGS SUGGEST THAT YOGA-BASED INTERVENTIONS MAY BE AN EFFECTIVE APPROACH SUPPORTING THE PREVENTION AND TREATMENT OF EATING DISORDERS. 2020 16 2294 27 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 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 18 2923 22 [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 19 522 33 COMPARISON GROUPS IN YOGA RESEARCH: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW AND CRITICAL EVALUATION OF THE LITERATURE. OBJECTIVES: COMPARISON GROUPS ARE ESSENTIAL FOR ACCURATE TESTING AND INTERPRETATION OF YOGA INTERVENTION TRIALS. HOWEVER, SELECTING PROPER COMPARISON GROUPS IS DIFFICULT BECAUSE YOGA COMPRISES A VERY HETEROGENEOUS SET OF PRACTICES AND ITS MECHANISMS OF EFFECT HAVE NOT BEEN CONCLUSIVELY ESTABLISHED. METHODS: WE CONDUCTED A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW OF THE CONTROL AND COMPARISON GROUPS USED IN PUBLISHED RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIALS (RCTS) OF YOGA. RESULTS: WE LOCATED 128 RCTS THAT MET OUR INCLUSION CRITERIA; OF THESE, 65 INCLUDED ONLY A PASSIVE CONTROL AND 63 INCLUDED AT LEAST ONE ACTIVE COMPARISON GROUP. PRIMARY COMPARISON GROUPS WERE PHYSICAL EXERCISE (43%), RELAXATION/MEDITATION (20%), AND EDUCATION (16%). STUDIES RARELY PROVIDED A STRONG RATIONALE FOR CHOICE OF COMPARISON. CONSIDERING YEAR OF PUBLICATION, THE USE OF ACTIVE CONTROLS IN YOGA RESEARCH APPEARS TO BE SLOWLY INCREASING OVER TIME. CONCLUSIONS: GIVEN THAT YOGA HAS BEEN ESTABLISHED AS A POTENTIALLY POWERFUL INTERVENTION, FUTURE RESEARCH SHOULD USE ACTIVE CONTROL GROUPS. FURTHER, CARE IS NEEDED TO SELECT COMPARISON CONDITIONS THAT HELP TO ISOLATE THE SPECIFIC MECHANISMS OF YOGA'S EFFECTS. 2014 20 2774 35 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