1 1498 149 INTRAOCULAR PRESSURE CHANGES AND OCULAR BIOMETRY DURING SIRSASANA (HEADSTAND POSTURE) IN YOGA PRACTITIONERS. PURPOSE: TO STUDY THE INTRAOCULAR PRESSURE (IOP) CHANGES IN SIRSASANA (HEADSTAND POSTURE) DONE BY EXPERIENCED YOGA PRACTITIONERS AND CORRELATE THE OCULAR BIOMETRIC PARAMETERS WITH THE IOP CHANGES, AND TO SCREEN FOR THE PREVALENCE OF OCULAR HYPERTENSION IN THIS GROUP OF SUBJECTS. DESIGN: PROSPECTIVE CASE OBSERVATIONAL SERIES. PARTICIPANTS: SEVENTY-FIVE SUBJECTS (50 ASIAN INDIANS AND 25 CAUCASIANS) FROM A YOGA TRAINING INSTITUTE VOLUNTEERED FOR THE STUDY. METHODS: ALL PARTICIPANTS UNDERWENT A DETAILED OPHTHALMIC EXAMINATION ALONG WITH OCULAR BIOMETRY AND CORNEAL PACHYMETRY. INTRAOCULAR PRESSURE WAS RECORDED USING A TONOPEN BEFORE, DURING, AND AFTER THE SIRSASANA. CHANGES WERE COMPARED USING THE PAIRED T TEST. AGE, AXIAL LENGTH, ANTERIOR CHAMBER DEPTH, LENS THICKNESS, CORNEAL CURVATURE, CORNEAL THICKNESS, RACE, AND THE LENGTH OF TIME FOR WHICH THE PRACTITIONER WAS PERFORMING YOGA WERE CORRELATED WITH THE INDUCED IOP DIFFERENCE IN A RANDOMLY SELECTED EYE USING PEARSON'S CORRELATION COEFFICIENT WITH BONFERRONI CORRECTION FOR MULTIPLE COMPARISONS. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: OCULAR BIOMETRY AND INDUCED IOP DIFFERENCE. RESULTS: THE MEAN INCREASE IN IOP AT BASELINE AND IMMEDIATELY AFTER ASSUMING SIRSASANA WAS 15.1+/-4.1 MMHG (R = 0.07; P = 0.999) AND AFTER 5 MINUTES WAS 15.8+/-4.6 MMHG (R = -0.25; P = 0.357). THE INDUCED INCREASE IN IOP DURING THE POSTURE WAS TWICE THE BASELINE IOP. THERE WAS NO CORRELATION BETWEEN AGE, OCULAR BIOMETRY, AND ULTRASOUND PACHYMETRY WHEN COMPARED WITH THE INDUCED IOP DIFFERENCE. ONE SUBJECT (1.33%) WAS FOUND TO HAVE BASELINE IOP OF MORE THAN 21 MMHG. CONCLUSION: THERE WAS A UNIFORM 2-FOLD INCREASE IN THE IOP DURING SIRSASANA, WHICH WAS MAINTAINED DURING THE POSTURE IN ALL AGE GROUPS IRRESPECTIVE OF THE OCULAR BIOMETRY AND ULTRASOUND PACHYMETRY. WE DID NOT DEMONSTRATE A HIGHER PREVALENCE OF OCULAR HYPERTENSIVES IN THIS COHORT OF YOGA PRACTITIONERS NOR DID THE RISK FACTORS CONTRIBUTING TO GLAUCOMA SHOW ANY CORRELATION WITH MAGNITUDE OF IOP RAISE DURING THE POSTURE. 2006
2 1816 29 PROGRESSIVE OPTIC NEUROPATHY IN CONGENITAL GLAUCOMA ASSOCIATED WITH THE SIRSASANA YOGA POSTURE. THE AUTHORS DESCRIBE A CASE OF PROGRESSIVE OPTIC NEUROPATHY IN A PATIENT WITH CONGENITAL GLAUCOMA WHO HAD ROUTINELY PRACTICED THE SIRSASANA (HEADSTAND) YOGA POSTURE FOR SEVERAL YEARS. OPHTHALMIC EXAMINATION INCLUDED BEST-CORRECTED VISUAL ACUITY, ANTERIOR SEGMENT EXAMINATION, INDIRECT OPHTHALMOSCOPY, ULTRASOUND PACHYMETRY FOR CENTRAL CORNEAL THICKNESS, AND INTRAOCULAR PRESSURE BEFORE, DURING, AND AFTER MAINTAINING THE SIRSASANA POSTURE FOR 5 MINUTES. INTRAOCULAR PRESSURE INCREASED SIGNIFICANTLY DURING THE SIRSASANA POSTURE. TRANSIENT ELEVATION IN INTRAOCULAR PRESSURE DURING YOGA EXERCISES MAY LEAD TO PROGRESSIVE GLAUCOMATOUS OPTIC NEUROPATHY, ESPECIALLY IN SUSCEPTIBLE PATIENTS WITH CONGENITAL GLAUCOMA. 2008
3 1984 32 SOFT TISSUE AND BONY INJURIES ATTRIBUTED TO THE PRACTICE OF YOGA: A BIOMECHANICAL ANALYSIS AND IMPLICATIONS FOR MANAGEMENT. OBJECTIVE: TO ANALYZE INJURIES THAT WERE DIRECTLY ASSOCIATED WITH YOGA PRACTICE AND IDENTIFY SPECIFIC POSES THAT SHOULD BE AVOIDED IN PATIENTS WITH OSTEOPENIA OR OSTEOPOROSIS. PATIENTS AND METHODS: WE RETROSPECTIVELY REVIEWED THE MEDICAL RECORDS OF PATIENTS WITH INJURIES THAT WERE PRIMARILY CAUSED BY YOGA. PATIENTS WERE SEEN FROM JANUARY 1, 2006, THROUGH DECEMBER 31, 2018. INJURIES WERE CATEGORIZED INTO 3 GROUPS: (1) SOFT TISSUE INJURY, (2) AXIAL NONBONY INJURY, AND (3) BONY INJURY. PATIENTS UNDERWENT EVALUATION AND WERE COUNSELED TO MODIFY EXERCISE ACTIVITY. RESULTS: WE IDENTIFIED 89 PATIENTS FOR INCLUSION IN THE STUDY. WITHIN THE SOFT TISSUE GROUP, 66 PATIENTS (74.2%) HAD MECHANICAL MYOFASCIAL PAIN DUE TO OVERUSE. ROTATOR CUFF INJURY WAS SEEN IN 6 (6.7%), AND TROCHANTERIC BURSOPATHY WAS OBSERVED IN 1 (1.1%). IN THE AXIAL GROUP, EXACERBATION OF PAIN IN DEGENERATIVE JOINT DISEASE (46 PATIENTS [51.7%]) AND FACET ARTHROPATHY (N=34 [38.2%]) WERE OBSERVED. RADICULOPATHY WAS SEEN IN 5 PATIENTS (5.6%). WITHIN THE BONY INJURY CATEGORY, KYPHOSCOLIOSIS WAS SEEN ON IMAGING IN 15 PATIENTS (16.9%). SPONDYLOLISTHESIS WAS PRESENT IN 15 PATIENTS (16.9%). ANTERIOR WEDGING WAS SEEN IN 16 (18.0%), AND COMPRESSION FRACTURES WERE PRESENT IN 13 (14.6%). THE POSES THAT WERE MOST COMMONLY IDENTIFIED AS CAUSING THE INJURIES INVOLVED HYPERFLEXION AND HYPEREXTENSION OF THE SPINE. WE CORRELATED THE KINESIOLOGIC EFFECT OF SUCH EXERCISES ON SPECIFIC MUSCULOSKELETAL STRUCTURES. CONCLUSION: YOGA POTENTIALLY HAS MANY BENEFITS, BUT CARE MUST BE TAKEN WHEN PERFORMING POSITIONS WITH EXTREME SPINAL FLEXION AND EXTENSION. PATIENTS WITH OSTEOPENIA OR OSTEOPOROSIS MAY HAVE HIGHER RISK OF COMPRESSION FRACTURES OR DEFORMITIES AND WOULD BENEFIT FROM AVOIDING EXTREME SPINAL FLEXION. PHYSICIANS SHOULD CONSIDER THIS RISK WHEN DISCUSSING YOGA AS EXERCISE. 2019
4 2504 36 YOGA ASANA SESSIONS INCREASE BRAIN GABA LEVELS: A PILOT STUDY. OBJECTIVES: THE AIM OF THIS STUDY WAS TO COMPARE CHANGES IN BRAIN GAMMA-AMINOBUTYRIC (GABA) LEVELS ASSOCIATED WITH AN ACUTE YOGA SESSION VERSUS A READING SESSION. IT WAS HYPOTHESIZED THAT AN INDIVIDUAL YOGA SESSION WOULD BE ASSOCIATED WITH AN INCREASE IN BRAIN GABA LEVELS. DESIGN: THIS IS A PARALLEL-GROUPS DESIGN. SETTINGS/LOCATION: SCREENINGS, SCAN ACQUISITIONS, AND INTERVENTIONS TOOK PLACE AT MEDICAL SCHOOL-AFFILIATED CENTERS. SUBJECTS: THE SAMPLE COMPRISED 8 YOGA PRACTITIONERS AND 11 COMPARISON SUBJECTS. INTERVENTIONS: YOGA PRACTITIONERS COMPLETED A 60-MINUTE YOGA SESSION AND COMPARISON SUBJECTS COMPLETED A 60-MINUTE READING SESSION. OUTCOME MEASURES: GABA-TO-CREATINE RATIOS WERE MEASURED IN A 2-CM AXIAL SLAB USING MAGNETIC RESONANCE SPECTROSCOPIC IMAGING IMMEDIATELY PRIOR TO AND IMMEDIATELY AFTER INTERVENTIONS. RESULTS: THERE WAS A 27% INCREASE IN GABA LEVELS IN THE YOGA PRACTITIONER GROUP AFTER THE YOGA SESSION (0.20 MMOL/KG) BUT NO CHANGE IN THE COMPARISON SUBJECT GROUP AFTER THE READING SESSION ( -0.001 MMOL/KG) (T = -2.99, DF = 7.87, P = 0.018). CONCLUSIONS: THESE FINDINGS DEMONSTRATE THAT IN EXPERIENCED YOGA PRACTITIONERS, BRAIN GABA LEVELS INCREASE AFTER A SESSION OF YOGA. THIS SUGGESTS THAT THE PRACTICE OF YOGA SHOULD BE EXPLORED AS A TREATMENT FOR DISORDERS WITH LOW GABA LEVELS SUCH AS DEPRESSION AND ANXIETY DISORDERS. FUTURE STUDIES SHOULD COMPARE YOGA TO OTHER FORMS OF EXERCISE TO HELP DETERMINE WHETHER YOGA OR EXERCISE ALONE CAN ALTER GABA LEVELS. 2007
5 1499 44 INTRAOCULAR PRESSURE RISE IN SUBJECTS WITH AND WITHOUT GLAUCOMA DURING FOUR COMMON YOGA POSITIONS. PURPOSE: TO MEASURE CHANGES IN INTRAOCULAR PRESSURE (IOP) IN ASSOCIATION WITH YOGA EXERCISES WITH A HEAD-DOWN POSITION. METHODS: THE SINGLE CENTER, PROSPECTIVE, OBSERVATIONAL STUDY INCLUDED 10 SUBJECTS WITH PRIMARY OPEN-ANGLE GLAUCOMA AND 10 NORMAL INDIVIDUALS, WHO PERFORMED THE YOGA EXERCISES OF ADHO MUKHA SVANASANA, UTTANASANA, HALASANA AND VIPARITA KARANI FOR TWO MINUTES EACH. IOP WAS MEASURED BY PNEUMATONOMETRY AT BASELINE AND DURING AND AFTER THE EXERCISES. RESULTS: ALL YOGA POSES WERE ASSOCIATED WITH A SIGNIFICANT (P < 0.01) RISE IN IOP WITHIN ONE MINUTE AFTER ASSUMING THE YOGA POSITION. THE HIGHEST IOP INCREASE (P < 0.01) WAS MEASURED IN THE ADHO MUKHA SVANASANA POSITION (IOP INCREASE FROM 17 +/- 3.2 MMHG TO 28 +/- 3.8 MMHG IN GLAUCOMA PATIENTS; FROM 17 +/- 2.8 MMHG TO 29 +/- 3.9 MMHG IN NORMAL INDIVIDUALS), FOLLOWED BY THE UTTANASANA POSITION (17 +/- 3.9 MMHG TO 27 +/- 3.4 MMHG (GLAUCOMA PATIENTS) AND FROM 18 +/- 2.5 MMHG TO 26 +/- 3.6 MMHG NORMAL INDIVIDUALS)), THE HALASANA POSITION (18 +/- 2.8 MMHG TO 24 +/- 3.5 MMHG (GLAUCOMA PATIENTS); 18 +/- 2.7 MMHG TO 22 +/- 3.4 MMHG (NORMAL INDIVIDUALS)), AND FINALLY THE VIPARITA KIRANI POSITION (17 +/- 4 MMHG TO 21 +/- 3.6 MMHG (GLAUCOMA PATIENTS); 17 +/- 2.8 TO 21 +/- 2.4 MMHG (NORMAL INDIVIDUALS)). IOP DROPPED BACK TO BASELINE VALUES WITHIN TWO MINUTES AFTER RETURNING TO A SITTING POSITION. OVERALL, IOP RISE WAS NOT SIGNIFICANTLY DIFFERENT BETWEEN GLAUCOMA AND NORMAL SUBJECTS (P = 0.813), ALL THOUGH GLAUCOMA EYES TENDED TO HAVE MEASUREMENTS 2 MM HG HIGHER ON AVERAGE. CONCLUSIONS: YOGA EXERCISES WITH HEAD-DOWN POSITIONS WERE ASSOCIATED WITH A RAPID RISE IN IOP IN GLAUCOMA AND HEALTHY EYES. IOP RETURNED TO BASELINE VALUES WITHIN 2 MINUTES. FUTURE STUDIES ARE WARRANTED ADDRESSING WHETHER YOGA EXERCISE ASSOCIATED IOP CHANGES ARE ASSOCIATED WITH SIMILAR CHANGES IN CEREBROSPINAL FLUID PRESSURE AND WHETHER THEY INCREASE THE RISK OF GLAUCOMA PROGRESSION. TRIAL REGISTRATION: CLINICALTRIALS.GOV #NCT01915680. 2015
6 1990 39 SPINAL CURVATURES OF YOGA PRACTITIONERS COMPARED TO CONTROL PARTICIPANTS-A CROSS-SECTIONAL STUDY. PURPOSE: THE ANGLES OF THORACIC KYPHOSIS AND LUMBAR LORDOSIS DETERMINE THE SPINAL ALIGNMENT IN THE SAGITTAL PLANE. THE AIM OF THIS STUDY WAS TO COMPARE THE THORACIC KYPHOSIS AND LUMBAR LORDOSIS OF MALE AND FEMALE YOGA PRACTITIONERS WITH NON-PRACTICING PARTICIPANTS AND TO DETERMINE THE POSSIBLE DEPENDENCIES BETWEEN SAGITTAL SPINAL CURVATURES AND SOMATIC PARAMETERS, TIME SPENT ON YOGA EXERCISE, AND UNDERTAKING OTHER PHYSICAL ACTIVITIES IN YOGA PRACTITIONERS. METHODS: THE STUDY INVOLVED 576 WOMEN AND 91 MEN AGES 18-68 YEARS (MEAN = 38.5 +/- 9) WHO WERE PRACTICING YOGA, AND 402 WOMEN AND 176 MEN AGES 18-30 YEARS (MEAN = 20.2 +/- 1.3) AS A CONTROL GROUP. THE ANGLES OF THORACIC KYPHOSIS AND LUMBAR LORDOSIS WERE MEASURED USING A PLURIMETER-V GRAVITY INCLINOMETER. RESULTS: THE TWO-WAY ANOVA DEMONSTRATED THE INFLUENCE OF GROUP (P < .0001) AND SEX (P = .03) ON THE ANGLE OF THORACIC KYPHOSIS, AS WELL AS THE INFLUENCE OF GROUP (P < .0001) AND SEX (P < .0001) ON THE ANGLE OF LUMBAR LORDOSIS. IT WAS NOTED THAT YOGA PRACTITIONERS HAD LESS PRONOUNCED THORACIC KYPHOSIS AND LUMBAR LORDOSIS AND WERE MORE OFTEN CHARACTERIZED BY NORMAL OR SMALLER THORACIC KYPHOSIS AND LUMBAR LORDOSIS THAN STUDENTS FROM THE CONTROL GROUP. IN YOGA PRACTITIONERS, THE ANGLE OF THORACIC KYPHOSIS WAS POSITIVELY CORRELATED WITH AGE, BODY MASS, BMI, AND UNDERTAKING OTHER FORMS OF PHYSICAL ACTIVITY. THE ANGLE OF LUMBAR LORDOSIS WAS NEGATIVELY CORRELATED WITH BODY HEIGHT AND BODY MASS. CONCLUSIONS: THE RESULTS SUGGEST THAT YOGA EXERCISES CAN AFFECT THE SHAPE OF THE ANTERIOR-POSTERIOR CURVES OF THE SPINE AND MAY BE AN EFFICIENT TRAINING METHOD FOR SHAPING PROPER POSTURE IN ADULTS. 2021
7 1813 22 PROGRESSION OF GLAUCOMA ASSOCIATED WITH THE SIRSASANA (HEADSTAND) YOGA POSTURE. THIS ARTICLE REPORTS A CASE OF PROGRESSIVE GLAUCOMATOUS OPTIC NEUROPATHY AND VISUAL FIELD LOSS THAT OCCURRED IN A PATIENT WHO PRACTICED THE SIRSASANA (HEADSTAND) YOGA POSTURE ON A DAILY BASIS FOR MANY YEARS. VISUAL FIELD ANALYSIS WAS PERFORMED THROUGH STANDARD AUTOMATED PERIMETRY. INTRAOCULAR PRESSURE (IOP) WAS MEASURED THROUGH PNEUMOTONOMETRY IN THE SITTING POSITION AND IN THE HEAD-DOWN POSITION. STEREO-OPTIC DISC PHOTOGRAPHS WERE OBTAINED. IOP INCREASED SIGNIFICANTLY IN THE HEAD-DOWN POSITION. OPTIC DISC EVALUATION REVEALED A NEW DISC HEMORRHAGE IN THE LEFT EYE. VISUAL FIELD ANALYSIS OVER A PERIOD OF 2 Y SHOWED PROGRESSION OF A SUPERIOR ARCUATE DEFECT IN THE LEFT EYE. TRANSIENT INCREASES IN IOP ASSOCIATED WITH THE YOGA HEADSTAND POSTURE MAY LEAD TO PROGRESSIVE GLAUCOMATOUS OPTIC NERVE DAMAGE AND VISUAL FIELD LOSS. 2006
8 2777 31 YOGA SPINAL FLEXION POSITIONS AND VERTEBRAL COMPRESSION FRACTURE IN OSTEOPENIA OR OSTEOPOROSIS OF SPINE: CASE SERIES. OBJECTIVE: THE OBJECTIVE OF THIS REPORT IS TO RAISE AWARENESS OF THE EFFECT OF STRENUOUS YOGA FLEXION EXERCISES ON OSTEOPENIC OR OSTEOPOROTIC SPINES. WE PREVIOUSLY DESCRIBED SUBJECTS WITH KNOWN OSTEOPOROSIS IN WHOM VERTEBRAL COMPRESSION FRACTURES (VCFS) DEVELOPED AFTER SPINAL FLEXION EXERCISE (SFE) AND RECOMMENDED THAT SFES NOT BE PRESCRIBED IN PATIENTS WITH SPINAL OSTEOPOROSIS. METHODS: THIS REPORT DESCRIBES 3 HEALTHY PERSONS WITH LOW BONE MASS AND YOGA-INDUCED PAIN OR FRACTURE. RESULTS: ALL 3 PATIENTS HAD OSTEOPENIA, WERE IN GOOD HEALTH AND PAIN-FREE, AND HAD STARTED YOGA EXERCISES TO IMPROVE THEIR MUSCULOSKELETAL HEALTH. NEW PAIN AND FRACTURE AREAS OCCURRED AFTER PARTICIPATION IN YOGA FLEXION EXERCISES. CONCLUSIONS: THE DEVELOPMENT OF PAIN AND COMPLICATIONS WITH SOME FLEXION YOGA POSITIONS IN THE PATIENTS WITH OSTEOPENIA LEADS TO CONCERN THAT FRACTURE RISK WOULD INCREASE EVEN FURTHER IN OSTEOPOROSIS. ALTHOUGH EXERCISE HAS BEEN SHOWN TO BE EFFECTIVE FOR IMPROVING BONE MINERAL DENSITY AND DECREASING FRACTURE RISK, OUR SUBJECTS HAD DEVELOPMENT OF VCFS AND NECK AND BACK PAIN WITH YOGA EXERCISES. THIS FINDING SUGGESTS THAT FACTORS OTHER THAN BONE MASS SHOULD BE CONSIDERED FOR EXERCISE COUNSELING IN PATIENTS WITH BONE LOSS. THE INCREASED TORQUE PRESSURE APPLIED TO VERTEBRAL BODIES DURING SFES MAY BE A RISK. EXERCISE IS EFFECTIVE AND IMPORTANT FOR TREATMENT OF OSTEOPENIA AND OSTEOPOROSIS AND SHOULD BE PRESCRIBED FOR PATIENTS WITH VERTEBRAL BONE LOSS. SOME YOGA POSITIONS CAN CONTRIBUTE TO EXTREME STRAIN ON SPINES WITH BONE LOSS. ASSESSMENT OF FRACTURE RISK IN OLDER PERSONS PERFORMING SFES AND OTHER HIGH-IMPACT EXERCISES IS AN IMPORTANT CLINICAL CONSIDERATION. 2013
9 1105 36 EFFECTS OF YOGA VERSUS WALKING ON MOOD, ANXIETY, AND BRAIN GABA LEVELS: A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED MRS STUDY. OBJECTIVES: YOGA AND EXERCISE HAVE BENEFICIAL EFFECTS ON MOOD AND ANXIETY. GAMMA-AMINOBUTYRIC ACID (GABA)-ERGIC ACTIVITY IS REDUCED IN MOOD AND ANXIETY DISORDERS. THE PRACTICE OF YOGA POSTURES IS ASSOCIATED WITH INCREASED BRAIN GABA LEVELS. THIS STUDY ADDRESSES THE QUESTION OF WHETHER CHANGES IN MOOD, ANXIETY, AND GABA LEVELS ARE SPECIFIC TO YOGA OR RELATED TO PHYSICAL ACTIVITY. METHODS: HEALTHY SUBJECTS WITH NO SIGNIFICANT MEDICAL/PSYCHIATRIC DISORDERS WERE RANDOMIZED TO YOGA OR A METABOLICALLY MATCHED WALKING INTERVENTION FOR 60 MINUTES 3 TIMES A WEEK FOR 12 WEEKS. MOOD AND ANXIETY SCALES WERE TAKEN AT WEEKS 0, 4, 8, 12, AND BEFORE EACH MAGNETIC RESONANCE SPECTROSCOPY SCAN. SCAN 1 WAS AT BASELINE. SCAN 2, OBTAINED AFTER THE 12-WEEK INTERVENTION, WAS FOLLOWED BY A 60-MINUTE YOGA OR WALKING INTERVENTION, WHICH WAS IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWED BY SCAN 3. RESULTS: THE YOGA SUBJECTS (N = 19) REPORTED GREATER IMPROVEMENT IN MOOD AND GREATER DECREASES IN ANXIETY THAN THE WALKING GROUP (N = 15). THERE WERE POSITIVE CORRELATIONS BETWEEN IMPROVED MOOD AND DECREASED ANXIETY AND THALAMIC GABA LEVELS. THE YOGA GROUP HAD POSITIVE CORRELATIONS BETWEEN CHANGES IN MOOD SCALES AND CHANGES IN GABA LEVELS. CONCLUSIONS: THE 12-WEEK YOGA INTERVENTION WAS ASSOCIATED WITH GREATER IMPROVEMENTS IN MOOD AND ANXIETY THAN A METABOLICALLY MATCHED WALKING EXERCISE. THIS IS THE FIRST STUDY TO DEMONSTRATE THAT INCREASED THALAMIC GABA LEVELS ARE ASSOCIATED WITH IMPROVED MOOD AND DECREASED ANXIETY. IT IS ALSO THE FIRST TIME THAT A BEHAVIORAL INTERVENTION (I.E., YOGA POSTURES) HAS BEEN ASSOCIATED WITH A POSITIVE CORRELATION BETWEEN ACUTE INCREASES IN THALAMIC GABA LEVELS AND IMPROVEMENTS IN MOOD AND ANXIETY SCALES. GIVEN THAT PHARMACOLOGIC AGENTS THAT INCREASE THE ACTIVITY OF THE GABA SYSTEM ARE PRESCRIBED TO IMPROVE MOOD AND DECREASE ANXIETY, THE REPORTED CORRELATIONS ARE IN THE EXPECTED DIRECTION. THE POSSIBLE ROLE OF GABA IN MEDIATING THE BENEFICIAL EFFECTS OF YOGA ON MOOD AND ANXIETY WARRANTS FURTHER STUDY. 2010
10 2328 23 TRUNK AND HIP MUSCLE ACTIVATION DURING YOGA POSES: DO SEX-DIFFERENCES EXIST? OBJECTIVE: TO COMPARE CORE ACTIVATION DURING YOGA BETWEEN MALES AND FEMALES. METHODS: SURFACE ELECTROMYOGRAPHY WAS USED TO QUANTIFY RECTUS ABDOMINIS (RA), ABDOMINAL OBLIQUES (AO), LUMBAR EXTENSORS (LE), AND GLUTEUS MAXIMUS (GMX) ACTIVATION DURING FOUR YOGA POSES. DATA WERE EXPRESSED AS 100% OF A MAXIMUM VOLUNTARY ISOMETRIC CONTRACTION. MIXED-MODEL 2X2 ANALYSES OF VARIANCE WITH REPEATED MEASURES WERE USED TO DETERMINE BETWEEN-SEX DIFFERENCES IN MUSCLE ACTIVITY. RESULTS: FEMALES GENERATED GREATER RA ACTIVITY THAN MALES DURING THE HIGH PLANK (P<0.0001) AND DOMINANT-SIDE WARRIOR 1 (P=0.017). THEY GENERATED GREATER AO (P<0.0001) AND GMX (P=0.004) ACTIVITY DURING THE HIGH PLANK (P<0.0001). NO BETWEEN-SEX EMG ACTIVITY DIFFERENCES EXISTED FOR THE CHAIR AND UPWARD FACING DOG. CONCLUSION: FINDINGS HAVE PROVIDED PRELIMINARY EVIDENCE FOR BETWEEN-SEX DIFFERENCES IN MUSCLE ACTIVATION DURING YOGA POSES. CLINICIANS SHOULD CONSIDER SUCH DIFFERENCES WHEN PRESCRIBING YOGA TO IMPROVE MUSCLE STRENGTH AND ENDURANCE. 2018
11 892 20 EFFECT OF YOGA-BASED OCULAR EXERCISES IN LOWERING OF INTRAOCULAR PRESSURE IN GLAUCOMA PATIENTS: AN AFFIRMATIVE PROPOSITION. GLAUCOMA IS THE MOST COMMON CAUSE OF IRREVERSIBLE BLINDNESS WORLDWIDE, WITH >65 MILLION SUFFERERS. IT IS INCURABLE AND THE ONLY THERAPEUTIC APPROACH ACCEPTED TILL NOW IS THE LOWERING OF INTRAOCULAR PRESSURE (IOP) MEDICALLY AND/OR SURGICALLY. THESE KNOWN INTERVENTIONS MIGHT HAVE MANY SIDE EFFECTS AND COMPLICATIONS. YOGA-BASED INTERVENTIONS ARE NOW WELL ACCEPTED AS ALTERNATIVE THERAPY IN MANY CHRONIC DISEASES. THE EFFECTS OF YOGA IN GLAUCOMA, HOWEVER, HAVE NOT BEEN STUDIED ADEQUATELY. ACCOMMODATION (THE PROCESS OF ADJUSTMENT OF OPTICAL POWER TO MAINTAIN CLEAR VISION) OF EYES LEADS TO INSTANT LOWERING OF IOP. THEREFORE, WE HYPOTHESIZE THAT ONE OF THE YOGA-BASED INTERVENTIONS, TRATAK KRIYA, WHICH INCLUDES OCULAR EXERCISES MIGHT LEAD TO LOWERING OF IOP IN GLAUCOMA PATIENTS. THE PROPOSED TRATAK KRIYA LEADS TO CONTRACTION AND RELAXATION OF CILIARY MUSCLES WHICH MIGHT INCREASE OUTFLOW OF AQUEOUS HUMOR. IN ADDITION, THIS YOGA-BASED INTERVENTION MIGHT DECREASE STRESS AND IMPROVE QUALITY OF LIFE IN GLAUCOMA PATIENTS. 2018
12 2329 21 TRUNK AND HIP MUSCLE ACTIVATION DURING YOGA POSES: IMPLICATIONS FOR PHYSICAL THERAPY PRACTICE. OBJECTIVE: TO DETERMINE AND COMPARE ACTIVATION OF CORE MUSCLES DURING YOGA TO TRADITIONAL BACK EXERCISES. METHODS: SURFACE ELECTROMYOGRAPHY WAS USED TO QUANTIFY ACTIVATION OF THE RECTUS ABDOMINIS (RA), ABDOMINAL OBLIQUES (AO), LUMBAR EXTENSORS (LE), AND GLUTEUS MAXIMUS (GMX) DURING FOUR YOGA POSES. DATA WERE EXPRESSED AS 100% OF A MAXIMUM VOLUNTARY ISOMETRIC CONTRACTION. SEPARATE ANALYSES OF VARIANCE WITH REPEATED MEASURES WERE USED TO COMPARE MUSCLE ACTIVITY ACROSS EACH EXERCISE. RESULTS: SUBJECTS GENERATED GREATER RA (P < 0.0001) AND AO (P < 0.0001) ACTIVITY DURING THE PLANK. THEY GENERATED GREATER AO ACTIVITY (P < 0.0001) DURING THE UPWARD-FACING DOG THAN THE CHAIR AND DOMINANT-SIDE WARRIOR 1. LE ACTIVITY WAS GREATEST (P < 0.0001) DURING THE CHAIR. GMX ACTIVITY WAS SIMILAR (P = 0.09) DURING ALL EXERCISES. CONCLUSION: YOGA POSES MAY HELP IMPROVE CORE ENDURANCE AND STRENGTH. CLINICIANS MAY USE THESE DATA WHEN DEVELOPING AND IMPLEMENTING AN EVIDENCE-BASED CORE EXERCISE PROGRAM FOR INDIVIDUALS WHO PREFER A YOGA TREATMENT STRATEGY. 2017
13 884 34 EFFECT OF YOGA TRAINING ON ONE LEG STANDING AND FUNCTIONAL REACH TESTS IN OBESE INDIVIDUALS WITH POOR POSTURAL CONTROL. [PURPOSE] THE AIM OF THE PRESENT STUDY WAS TO INVESTIGATE THE EFFECT OF YOGA TRAINING ON STATIC AND DYNAMIC STANDING BALANCE IN OBESE INDIVIDUALS WITH POOR STANDING BALANCE. [SUBJECTS AND METHODS] SIXTEEN OBESE VOLUNTEERS WERE RANDOMLY ASSIGNED INTO YOGA AND CONTROL GROUPS. THE YOGA TRAINING PROGRAM WAS PERFORMED FOR 45 MINUTES PER DAY, 3 TIMES PER WEEK, FOR 4 WEEKS. STATIC AND DYNAMIC BALANCE WERE ASSESSED IN VOLUNTEERS WITH ONE LEG STANDING AND FUNCTIONAL REACH TESTS. OUTCOME MEASURES WERE TESTED BEFORE TRAINING AND AFTER A SINGLE WEEK OF TRAINING. TWO-WAY REPEATED MEASURE ANALYSIS OF VARIANCE WITH TUKEY'S HONESTLY SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCE POST HOC STATISTICS WAS USED TO ANALYZE THE DATA. [RESULTS] OBESE INDIVIDUALS SHOWED SIGNIFICANTLY INCREASED STATIC STANDING BALANCE IN THE YOGA TRAINING GROUP, BUT THERE WAS NO SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENT OF STATIC OR DYNAMIC STANDING BALANCE IN THE CONTROL GROUP AFTER 4 WEEKS. IN THE YOGA GROUP, SIGNIFICANT INCREASES IN STATIC STANDING BALANCE WAS FOUND AFTER THE 2ND, 3RD, AND 4TH WEEKS. COMPARED WITH THE CONTROL GROUP, STATIC STANDING BALANCE IN THE YOGA GROUP WAS SIGNIFICANTLY DIFFERENT AFTER THE 2ND WEEK, AND DYNAMIC STANDING BALANCE WAS SIGNIFICANTLY DIFFERENT AFTER THE 4TH WEEK. [CONCLUSION] YOGA TRAINING WOULD BE BENEFICIAL FOR IMPROVING STANDING BALANCE IN OBESE INDIVIDUALS WITH POOR STANDING BALANCE. 2015
14 569 17 DECREASE IN SERUM CORTISOL DURING YOGA EXERCISE IS CORRELATED WITH ALPHA WAVE ACTIVATION. WE EXAMINED CHANGES IN BRAIN WAVES AND BLOOD LEVELS OF SERUM CORTISOL DURING YOGA EXERCISE IN 7 YOGA INSTRUCTORS AND FOUND THAT ALPHA WAVES INCREASED AND SERUM CORTISOL DECREASED. THESE TWO MEASURES WERE NEGATIVELY CORRELATED (R = -.83). COMPARISON WITH A CONTROL GROUP OF NONPRACTITIONERS IS DESIRABLE. 2000
15 2386 31 YOGA AIDS BLOOD PRESSURE RECOVERY AFTER EXPOSURE OF FOREHEAD TO COLD: A PILOT STUDY. CONTEXT: HYPOTENSION THAT OCCURS AFTER A SINGLE BOUT OF AEROBIC EXERCISE ALSO ATTENUATES THE VASCULAR RESPONSE TO DISCRETE STRESSORS, AN EFFECT THAT CAN LAST FOR HOURS. IT IS UNKNOWN WHETHER THE HYPOTENSIVE BENEFITS OF TRADITIONAL EXERCISE EXTEND TO ALTERNATIVE FORMS OF MINDFUL EXERCISE, SUCH AS YOGA, TO CONFER TRANSIENT PROTECTION AGAINST NEUROVASCULAR CHALLENGES THAT INCREASE BLOOD PRESSURE (BP). OBJECTIVES: THE STUDY INTENDED TO EXAMINE THE EFFECTS OF ACUTE EXERCISE ON NEUROVASCULAR RESPONSES TO EXPOSURE OF THE FOREHEAD OF FEMALE YOGA PRACTITIONERS TO VASOCONSTRICTIVE COLD (IE, TO COLD PRESSOR STRESS). DESIGN: THE RESEARCH TEAM DESIGNED A STUDY WITH 3 CONDITIONS (IE, WITH PARTICIPANTS' PARTICIPATION IN 3 ACTIVITIES ON SEPARATE DAYS IN A REPEATED-MEASURES DESIGN). PARTICIPANTS WERE RANDOMLY ASSIGNED TO PERFORM THE ACTIVITIES IN 1 OF 3 ORDERS ACROSS SUCCESSIVE VISITS. PARTICIPANTS: PARTICIPANTS WERE 9 FEMALES, 20 TO 33 Y OLD, WHO HAD REGULARLY PRACTICED HATHA YOGA FROM 6 MO TO 12 Y BEFORE THE START OF THE STUDY. ALL PARTICIPANTS WERE NORMOTENSIVE AT ENTRY TO THE STUDY AND HAD NORMAL BODY WEIGHTS FOR THEIR HEIGHTS. INTERVENTIONS: ALL PARTICIPANTS PERFORMED 3 ACTIVITIES: (1) SELF-DIRECTED YOGA PRACTICE, THE INTERVENTION; (2) CYCLING EXERCISE AT A SELF-SELECTED INTENSITY, A POSITIVE CONTROL; AND (3) QUIET REST, A NEGATIVE CONTROL. OUTCOME MEASURES: POSTINTERVENTION, PARTICIPANTS' FOREHEADS WERE EXPOSED TO COLD. THEIR SYSTOLIC BLOOD PRESSURES (SBPS), DIASTOLIC BLOOD PRESSURES (DBPS), PULSE RATES, AND FOREARM OXYGENATION WERE ASSESSED USING NEAR-INFRARED SPECTROSCOPY. RESULTS: PARTICIPANTS' SBPS AND DBPS INCREASED DURING COLD PRESSOR STRESS UNDER ALL CONDITIONS, CONCURRENT WITH DECREASED FOREARM OXYGENATION. DURING RECOVERY FROM THE COLD, PARTICIPANTS' BPS DECLINED TO NEAR PRECOLD PRESSOR BASELINE LEVELS AFTER YOGA AND CYCLING BUT REMAINED ELEVATED AFTER QUIET REST. CONCLUSIONS: THE ENHANCED RECOVERY OF BP FROM COLD APPLIED TO THE FOREHEAD AFTER YOGA PRACTICE OR CYCLING EXERCISE SUGGESTS THAT BOTH TYPES OF EXERCISE PROMOTE A HYPOTENSIVE RESPONSE, WHICH COULD INDICATE LOWERED CARDIOVASCULAR RISK. 2018
16 2193 36 THE EFFECTS OF YOGA TRAINING AND A SINGLE BOUT OF YOGA ON DELAYED ONSET MUSCLE SORENESS IN THE LOWER EXTREMITY. THE PURPOSE OF THIS STUDY WAS TO DETERMINE THE EFFECTS OF YOGA TRAINING AND A SINGLE BOUT OF YOGA ON THE INTENSITY OF DELAYED ONSET MUSCLE SORENESS (DOMS). 24 YOGA-TRAINED (YT; N = 12) AND NON-YOGA-TRAINED (CON; N = 12), MATCHED WOMEN VOLUNTEERS WERE ADMINISTERED A DOMS-INDUCING BENCH-STEPPING EXERCISE. MUSCLE SORENESS WAS ASSESSED AT BASELINE, 24, 48, 72, 96, AND 120 HOURS AFTER BENCH-STEPPING USING A VISUAL ANALOG SCALE (VAS). GROUPS WERE ALSO COMPARED ON BODY AWARENESS (BA), FLEXIBILITY USING THE SIT-AND-REACH TEST (SR), AND PERCEIVED EXERTION (RPE). STATISTICAL SIGNIFICANCE WAS ACCEPTED AT P </= 0.05. A 2 X 2 MIXED FACTORIAL ANOVA WITH REPEATED MEASURES AT 24 AND 48 HOURS REVEALED A SIGNIFICANT (P < 0.05) GROUP MAIN EFFECT WITH VAS SCORES GREATER FOR CON THAN YT. PAIRED T-TESTS REVEALED THAT IN YT, VAS SCORES WERE HIGHER BEFORE YOGA CLASS THAN AFTER YOGA CLASS AT 24 HOURS (21.4 [+/- 6.9] MM VS. 11.1 [+/- 4.1] MM; P = 0.02). THE SR WAS GREATER IN YT THAN IN CON (65.0 [+/- 7.9] CM VS. 33.3 [+/- 7.0] CM; P < 0.01); HOWEVER, NO DIFFERENCES WERE FOUND BETWEEN YOGA AND CONTROL IN BA (94.0 [+/- 4.4] UNITS VS. 83.8 [+/- 3.7] UNITS; P = 0.21) OR IN RPE AT 5-MINUTE INTERVALS (2.9 [+/- 0.3], 5.3 [+/- 0.8], 5.8 [+/- 0.9], AND 5.2 [+/- 0.8] VS. 2.5 [+/- 0.3], 4.0 [+/- 0.5], 4.2 [+/- 0.3], AND 4.9 [+/- 0.4]. YOGA TRAINING AND A SINGLE BOUT OF YOGA APPEAR TO ATTENUATE PEAK MUSCLE SORENESS IN WOMEN FOLLOWING A BOUT OF ECCENTRIC EXERCISE. THESE FINDINGS HAVE SIGNIFICANT IMPLICATIONS FOR COACHES, ATHLETES, AND THE EXERCISING PUBLIC WHO MAY WANT TO IMPLEMENT YOGA TRAINING AS A PRESEASON REGIMEN OR SUPPLEMENTAL ACTIVITY TO LESSEN THE SYMPTOMS ASSOCIATED WITH MUSCLE SORENESS. 2004
17 570 30 DECREASED NOCTURNAL AWAKENINGS IN YOUNG ADULTS PERFORMING BIKRAM YOGA: A LOW-CONSTRAINT HOME SLEEP MONITORING STUDY. THIS PILOT STUDY EVALUATED THE IMPACT OF BIKRAM YOGA ON SUBJECTIVE AND OBJECTIVE SLEEP PARAMETERS. WE COMPARED SUBJECTIVE (DIARY) AND OBJECTIVE (HEADBAND SLEEP MONITOR) SLEEP MEASURES ON YOGA VERSUS NONYOGA DAYS DURING A 14-DAY PERIOD. SUBJECTS (N = 13) WERE NOT CONSTRAINED REGARDING YOGA-PRACTICE DAYS, OTHER EXERCISE, CAFFEINE, ALCOHOL, OR NAPS. THESE ACTIVITIES DID NOT SEGREGATE BY CHOICE OF YOGA DAYS. STANDARD SLEEP METRICS WERE UNAFFECTED BY YOGA, INCLUDING SLEEP LATENCY, TOTAL SLEEP TIME, AND PERCENTAGE OF TIME SPENT IN RAPID EYE MOVEMENT (REM), LIGHT NON-REM, DEEP NON-REM, OR WAKE AFTER SLEEP ONSET (WASO). CONSISTENT WITH PRIOR WORK, TRANSITION PROBABILITY ANALYSIS WAS A MORE SENSITIVE INDEX OF SLEEP ARCHITECTURE CHANGES THAN STANDARD METRICS. SPECIFICALLY, BIKRAM YOGA WAS ASSOCIATED WITH SIGNIFICANTLY FASTER RETURN TO SLEEP AFTER NOCTURNAL AWAKENINGS. WE CONCLUDE THAT OBJECTIVE HOME SLEEP MONITORING IS FEASIBLE IN A LOW-CONSTRAINT, REAL-WORLD STUDY DESIGN. FURTHER STUDIES ON PATIENTS WITH INSOMNIA WILL DETERMINE WHETHER THE RESULTS GENERALIZE OR NOT. 2012
18 322 21 ANKLE MOTION IN COMMON YOGA POSES. BACKGROUND: MOTION OF THE ANKLE IS ESSENTIAL FOR MANY YOGA POSES. AN UNDERSTANDING OF RANGE OF ANKLE MOTION DURING TYPICAL YOGA POSES MAY HELP THE CLINICIAN TO UNDERSTAND EXPECTED OUTCOMES OF PATIENTS WHEN RETURNING FROM ANKLE SURGERY OR INJURY TO YOGA. METHODS: THE BIOMECHANICS OF TWENTY HEALTHY ACTIVE YOGIS WERE COLLECTED DURING SEVEN YOGA POSES THAT ARE COMMON WITHIN THEIR PRACTICES. MOTION CAPTURE AND FORCE PLATES WERE USED TO ASSESS THE RANGE OF MOTION AND JOINT MOMENTS OF THE ANKLE FOR EACH POSE. RESULTS: ALL POSES RESULTED IN PLANTARFLEXION AND EXTERNAL ROTATION MOMENTS AT THE ANKLE JOINTS. JOINT LOADING WAS HIGHEST IN SINGLE LEG POSES. THE ARC OF MOTION USED BY THE STUDY PARTICIPANTS IN THE POSES WAS 29 DEGREES OF SAGITTAL MOTION, 20 DEGREES OF FRONTAL MOTION AND 35 DEGREES OF TRANSVERSE MOTION. DISCUSSION: ANKLE MOTION WAS EVALUATED WHEN HEALTHY YOGIS PERFORM STANDARD POSES. THESE RESULTS MAY HELP IN DISCUSSION WITH PATIENTS REGARDING EXPECTED OUTCOMES AFTER ANKLE INJURY OR SURGERY. 2019
19 2565 32 YOGA FOR CORRECTION OF LYMPHEDEMA'S IMPAIRMENT OF GAIT AS AN ADJUNCT TO LYMPHATIC DRAINAGE: A PILOT OBSERVATIONAL STUDY. INTRODUCTION: YOGA USED AS A MAJOR COMPONENT OF INTEGRATIVE TREATMENT PROTOCOL IN 14 INDIAN VILLAGE CAMPS IMPROVED QUALITY-OF-LIFE IN 425 LYMPHATIC FILARIASIS PATIENTS. THEY EXPERIENCED BETTER MOBILITY AND REDUCED DISABILITY. THIS PAPER DOCUMENTS THE GAIT ABNORMALITIES OBSERVED IN LOWER LIMB LYMPHEDEMA PATIENTS AND THE LOCOMOTOR CHANGES FOLLOWING INTEGRATIVE TREATMENT. MATERIALS AND METHODS: YOGA POSTURES WERE PERFORMED AS EXPLAINED BY TRADITIONAL YOGA PRACTICE IN TWO SESSIONS: BEFORE AYURVEDIC OIL MASSAGE WITHOUT COMPRESSION BANDAGES AND AFTER THE MASSAGE WITH COMPRESSION BANDAGES. EACH YOGA POSTURE LASTED FOR 5 MIN AND THE WHOLE SESSION ENDED IN 45 MIN. THROUGHOUT EACH SESSION, WE ADVISED PATIENTS TO DO LONG, DIAPHRAGMATIC BREATHING, CONCENTRATING ON EACH BREATH. THE FLEXION OF JOINTS WAS COORDINATED WITH EXHALATION AND EXTENSION WITH INHALATION. WE EDUCATED THE PATIENTS TO DO LONGER EXPIRATION THAN INSPIRATION. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION: A TOTAL OF 98 PATIENTS (133 LIMBS) ATTENDING THE 6(TH) MONTH FOLLOW-UP WERE EVALUATED. THE MOST COMMON GAIT ABNORMALITY WAS ANTALGIC GAIT. STRUCTURAL AND FUNCTIONAL ABNORMALITIES WERE OBSERVED IN HIP, KNEE AND ANKLE JOINTS. WE FOUND THAT YOGA AS AN ADJUNCT TO OTHER COMPONENTS IN INTEGRATIVE TREATMENT IMPROVED THE GAIT PROBLEMS. LONG STANDING LYMPHEDEMA CAUSED ALTERED GAIT AND JOINT DEFORMITIES. THIS WAS MOSTLY DUE TO INACTIVITY CAUSING MUSCLE WEAKNESS AND EDEMA WITHIN AND AROUND THE MUSCLES. BOTH LARGE AND SMALL LIMBS HAVE SHOWN SIGNIFICANT VOLUME REDUCTION (P < 0.01) DURING FOLLOW-UP AFTER 6 MONTHS. CONCLUSION: THERE CAN BE A MIXED ETIOLOGY FOR GAIT RELATED PROBLEMS IN LYMPHEDEMA PATIENTS. FURTHER STUDIES ARE RECOMMENDED TO UNDERSTAND THE CAUSES OF DEFORMITIES IN LYMPHEDEMA PATIENTS AND AN EXACT ROLE OF YOGA. 2015
20 2400 30 YOGA AND DISC DEGENERATIVE DISEASE IN CERVICAL AND LUMBAR SPINE: AN MR IMAGING-BASED CASE CONTROL STUDY. THE OBJECTIVE OF THE CURRENT STUDY WAS TO FIND OUT WHETHER YOGA PRACTICE WAS BENEFICIAL TO THE SPINE BY COMPARING DEGENERATIVE DISC DISEASE IN THE SPINES OF LONG-TIME YOGA PRACTITIONERS AND NON-YOGA PRACTICING CONTROLS, USING AN OBJECTIVE MEASUREMENT TOOL, MAGNETIC RESONANCE IMAGING. THIS MATCHED CASE-CONTROL STUDY COMPRISED 18 YOGA INSTRUCTORS WITH TEACHING EXPERIENCE OF MORE THAN 10 YEARS AND 18 NON-YOGA PRACTICING ASYMPTOMATIC INDIVIDUALS RANDOMLY SELECTED FROM A HEALTH CHECKUP DATABASE. A VALIDATED GRADING SCALE WAS USED TO GRADE THE CONDITION OF CERVICAL AND LUMBAR DISCS SEEN IN MAGNETIC RESONANCE IMAGING OF THE SPINE, AND THE RESULTING DATA ANALYZED STATISTICALLY. THE MEAN NUMBER OF YEARS OF YOGA PRACTICE FOR THE YOGA GROUP WAS 12.9 +/- 7.5. THE OVERALL (CERVICAL + LUMBAR) DISC SCORES OF THE YOGA GROUP WERE SIGNIFICANTLY LOWER (INDICATING LESS DEGENERATIVE DISC DISEASE) THAN THOSE OF THE CONTROL GROUP (P < 0.001). THE SCORES FOR THE CERVICAL VERTEBRAL DISCS OF THE YOGA GROUP WERE ALSO SIGNIFICANTLY LOWER THAN THOSE OF THE CONTROL GROUP (P < 0.001), WHILE THE LOWER SCORES FOR THE YOGA GROUP IN THE LUMBAR GROUP APPROACHED, BUT DID NOT REACH, STATISTICAL SIGNIFICANCE (P = 0.055). THE SCORES FOR INDIVIDUAL DISCS OF YOGA PRACTITIONERS SHOWED SIGNIFICANTLY LESS DEGENERATIVE DISEASE AT THREE DISC LEVELS, C3/C4, L2/L3 AND L3/L4 (P < 0.05). MAGNETIC RESONANCE IMAGING SHOWED THAT THE GROUP OF LONG-TERM PRACTITIONERS OF YOGA STUDIED HAD SIGNIFICANTLY LESS DEGENERATIVE DISC DISEASE THAN A MATCHED CONTROL GROUP. 2011