1 1982 169 SLEEP QUALITY, DEPRESSION STATE, AND HEALTH STATUS OF OLDER ADULTS AFTER SILVER YOGA EXERCISES: CLUSTER RANDOMIZED TRIAL. BACKGROUND: SLEEP DISTURBANCES, DEPRESSION, AND LOW PERCEPTION OF HEALTH STATUS ARE COMMONLY SEEN IN ELDERLY POPULATION; HOWEVER, CLINICIANS TEND TO UNDERESTIMATE OR OVERLOOK THE PRESENCE OF THESE SYMPTOMS AND ASSUME THEM TO BE A PART OF NORMAL AGING. NON-PHARMACOLOGICAL METHODS THAT PROMOTE A MIND-BODY INTERACTION SHOULD BE TESTED TO ENHANCE THE MENTAL HEALTH OF OLDER ADULTS. OBJECTIVE: TO TEST THE EFFECTS OF 6 MONTHS OF SILVER YOGA EXERCISES IN PROMOTING THE MENTAL HEALTH OF OLDER ADULTS IN SENIOR ACTIVITY CENTERS, ESPECIALLY THEIR SLEEP QUALITY, DEPRESSION, AND SELF-PERCEPTION OF HEALTH STATUS. DESIGN: CLUSTER RANDOMIZED TRIAL. SETTINGS: EIGHT SENIOR ACTIVITY CENTERS, SOUTHERN TAIWAN. PARTICIPANTS: A SAMPLE OF 139 PARTICIPANTS WAS RECRUITED, AND 128 OF THEM COMPLETED THE STUDY. INCLUSION CRITERIA: (1) COMMUNITY-DWELLING OLDER ADULTS AGES 60 AND OVER, (2) NO PREVIOUS TRAINING IN YOGA, (3) ABLE TO WALK WITHOUT ASSISTANCE, (4) COGNITIVELY ALERT BASED ON THE SHORT PORTABLE MENTAL STATUS QUESTIONNAIRE (SPMSQ) SCORE OF EIGHT OR HIGHER, AND (5) INDEPENDENT OR MILDLY DEPENDENT IN SELF-CARE BASED ON A BARTHEL INDEX (BI) SCORE OF 91 OR HIGHER. THE MEAN AGE OF THE PARTICIPANTS WAS 69.20 +/- 6.23 YEARS, AND THE AVERAGE NUMBER OF CHRONIC ILLNESS WAS 0.83 +/- 0.90. THE AVERAGE BI SCORE OF THE PARTICIPANTS WAS 99.92 +/- 0.62, AND THE MEAN SPMSQ SCORE WAS 9.90 +/- 0.30. METHODS: PARTICIPANTS WERE RANDOMLY ASSIGNED INTO EITHER THE EXPERIMENTAL (N=62) OR THE CONTROL (N=66) GROUP BASED ON ATTENDANCE AT SELECTED SENIOR ACTIVITY CENTERS. A 70-MIN SILVER YOGA EXERCISE PROGRAM WAS IMPLEMENTED THREE TIMES PER WEEK FOR 6 MONTHS AS THE INTERVENTION FOR THE PARTICIPANTS IN THE EXPERIMENTAL GROUP. RESULTS: MOST OF THE MENTAL HEALTH INDICATORS OF THE PARTICIPANTS IN THE EXPERIMENTAL GROUP HAD SIGNIFICANTLY IMPROVED AFTER THE SILVER YOGA INTERVENTIONS, AND MANY OF THE INDICATORS IMPROVED AFTER 3 MONTHS OF INTERVENTION AND WERE MAINTAINED THROUGHOUT THE 6 MONTHS STUDY. THE MENTAL HEALTH INDICATORS OF THE PARTICIPANTS IN THE EXPERIMENTAL GROUP WERE ALL BETTER THAN THE PARTICIPANTS IN THE CONTROL GROUP (ALL P<.05). CONCLUSIONS: AFTER 6 MONTHS OF SILVER YOGA EXERCISES, THE SLEEP QUALITY, DEPRESSION, AND HEALTH STATUS OF OLDER ADULTS WERE ALL IMPROVED. 2009 2 2049 42 THE APPLICATION OF "UPPER-BODY YOGA" IN ELDERLY PATIENTS WITH ACUTE HIP FRACTURE: A PROSPECTIVE, RANDOMIZED, AND SINGLE-BLIND STUDY. PURPOSES: HIP FRACTURE LEADS TO DECREASED ACTIVITY AND AN INCREASED RISK OF PULMONARY COMPLICATIONS. THE MAIN PURPOSE OF THIS STUDY WAS TO OBSERVE THE LUNG CAPACITY, COUGH CAPACITY OF THE ELDERLY PATIENT WITH ACUTE HIP FRACTURE, AND ASSESS THE EFFECTS AND THE FEASIBILITY OF USING A SPECIAL-DESIGNED "UPPER-BODY YOGA" TRAINING TO TREAT ELDERLY PATIENTS WITH HIP FRACTURE. METHODS: THIS WAS A PROSPECTIVE, RANDOMIZED, AND SINGLE-BLIND STUDY. EIGHTY-FOUR SUBJECTS AGED OVER 65 YEARS WERE RANDOMLY DIVIDED INTO EITHER A CONTROL GROUP OR A YOGA GROUP TO UNDERGO AN ABDOMINAL BREATHING PROGRAM OR AN "UPPER-BODY YOGA" PROGRAM UNTIL 4 WEEKS AFTER SURGERY. THE PRIMARY OUTCOMES WERE FORCED VITAL CAPACITY/PREDICTED VALUE (FVC%), PEAK COUGH FLOW (PCF), BARTHEL INDEX (BI), AND THE INCIDENCE OF PNEUMONIA. THE SECONDARY OUTCOMES WERE THE RATES OF RIGHT SKILLS AND INCLINATION. RESULTS: THIRTY-NINE SUBJECTS IN THE YOGA GROUP AND 40 SUBJECTS IN THE CONTROL GROUP COMPLETED THIS STUDY. AT THE END OF THE FIRST TRAINING WEEK, FVC% (74.14% +/- 13.11% VS. 70.87% +/- 10.46%, P = 0.231) SHOWED NO SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE TWO GROUPS, WHILE THE VALUE OF PCF (204.80 +/- 33.45 L/MIN VS. 189.06 +/- 34.80 L/MIN, P = 0.048) AND BI (38.59 +/- 8.66 VS. 33.00 +/- 9.32, P = 0.009) IN THE YOGA GROUP WAS HIGHER. AFTER 4 WEEKS OF TREATMENT, FVC%, PCF, AND BI WERE HIGHER IN THE YOGA GROUP (78.83% +/- 13.31 % VS. 72.20% +/- 10.53%, P = 0.016; 216.16 +/- 39.29 L/MIN VS. 194.95 +/- 31.14 L/MIN, P = 0.008; 70.77 +/- 10.23 VS. 65.75 +/- 11.30, P = 0.019). ONE IN THE CONTROL GROUP AND NOBODY IN THE YOGA GROUP WAS DIAGNOSED WITH PNEUMONIA. THERE WAS NO SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE TWO GROUPS IN TERMS OF THE RATES OF RIGHT SKILLS, WHEREAS MORE ELDERLY PEOPLE PREFERRED THE TRAINING PROGRAM OF THE "UPPER-BODY YOGA." CONCLUSION: ELDERLY PATIENTS WITH ACUTE HIP FRACTURES ARE AT RISK OF IMPAIRED LUNG CAPACITY AND INADEQUATE COUGH. "UPPER-BODY YOGA" TRAINING MAY IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF DAILY LIFE, VITAL CAPACITY, AND COUGH FLOW IN ELDERLY PATIENTS, MAKING IT A BETTER CHOICE FOR BEDRIDDEN PATIENTS WITH HIP FRACTURE. 2019 3 1742 63 PHYSICAL FITNESS OF OLDER ADULTS IN SENIOR ACTIVITY CENTRES AFTER 24-WEEK SILVER YOGA EXERCISES. AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: PROMOTING PHYSICAL FITNESS OF YOUNG-OLDER ADULTS IS ESSENTIAL IN REDUCING HEALTHCARE EXPENDITURES WHICH WOULD OCCUR IN THE FUTURE FOR THOSE WITH CHRONIC HEALTH PROBLEMS. THE SILVER YOGA EXERCISE PROGRAMME WAS DEVELOPED TO ACCOMMODATE THE REDUCED BODY FLEXIBILITY EXPERIENCED BY MANY OLDER ADULTS AND WAS CRITICALLY REVIEWED BY EXPERTS AND PILOT-TESTED WITH COMMUNITY-DWELLING OLDER ADULTS. THIS STUDY AIMED TO TEST OLDER ADULTS' PHYSICAL FITNESS AFTER A 24-WEEK SILVER YOGA EXERCISE PROGRAMME AND TO EXAMINE WHETHER THE PROGRAMME COULD BE FURTHER SHORTENED TO FIT SENIOR ACTIVITY CENTRES' PROGRAMME DESIGNS. DESIGN: A QUASI-EXPERIMENTAL, PRE-POST TESTS DESIGN WAS USED: BASELINE, AT 12-WEEK AND AT 24-WEEK PERIODS. METHODS: CONVENIENCE SAMPLES OF 204 SUBJECTS WERE RECRUITED FROM EIGHT SENIOR ACTIVITY CENTRES AND 176 SUBJECTS COMPLETED THE STUDY. SUBJECTS WERE RANDOMLY ASSIGNED INTO THREE GROUPS BASED ON THE CENTRES: (1) EXPERIMENT I: COMPLETE SILVER YOGA WITH STRETCHING AND MEDITATION, (2) EXPERIMENT II: SHORTENED SILVER YOGA WITHOUT THE GUIDED-IMAGERY MEDITATION AND (3) WAIT-LIST CONTROL. THE INTERVENTIONS WERE CONDUCTED THREE TIMES PER WEEK FOR 24 WEEKS. PHYSICAL FITNESS INDICATORS INCLUDED BODY COMPOSITIONS, CARDIOVASCULAR-RESPIRATORY FUNCTIONS, PHYSICAL FUNCTIONS AND THE RANGE OF MOTION. RESULTS: AT THE END OF THE 24-WEEK PERIOD, THE PHYSICAL FITNESS OF SUBJECTS IN EXPERIMENTS I AND II HAD SIGNIFICANTLY IMPROVED WHETHER OR NOT GUIDED-IMAGERY MEDITATION WAS USED AND ALL HAD BETTER PHYSICAL FITNESS THAN SUBJECTS IN THE CONTROL GROUP (ALL P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: THE PHYSICAL FITNESS OF OLDER ADULTS IN BOTH THE 70-MINUTE COMPLETE SILVER YOGA GROUP AND THE 55-MINUTE SHORTENED SILVER YOGA GROUP HAD SIGNIFICANTLY IMPROVED AFTER THE INTERVENTIONS. IT WAS RECOMMENDED THAT THE SILVER YOGA PROGRAMME BE SHORTENED BY ELIMINATING THE GUIDED-IMAGERY MEDITATION. RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE: THE SHORTENED SILVER YOGA EXERCISE PROGRAMME IS RECOMMENDED TO BE INCORPORATED AS AN ACTIVITY PROGRAMME IN COMMUNITY-SETTINGS TO PROMOTE THE PHYSICAL FITNESS OF OLDER ADULTS. 2008 4 34 42 A 12-WEEK IYENGAR YOGA PROGRAM IMPROVED BALANCE AND MOBILITY IN OLDER COMMUNITY-DWELLING PEOPLE: A PILOT RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL. BACKGROUND: EXERCISE THAT CHALLENGES BALANCE CAN IMPROVE MOBILITY AND PREVENT FALLS IN OLDER ADULTS. YOGA AS A PHYSICAL ACTIVITY OPTION FOR OLDER ADULTS IS NOT WELL STUDIED. THIS TRIAL EVALUATED THE FEASIBILITY AND EFFECT OF A 12-WEEK IYENGAR YOGA PROGRAM ON BALANCE AND MOBILITY IN OLDER PEOPLE. METHODS: WE CONDUCTED A BLINDED, PILOT RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL WITH INTENTION-TO-TREAT ANALYSIS. PARTICIPANTS WERE 54 COMMUNITY DWELLERS (MEAN AGE 68 YEARS, SD 7.1) NOT CURRENTLY PARTICIPATING IN YOGA OR TAI CHI. THE INTERVENTION GROUP (N = 27) PARTICIPATED IN A 12-WEEK, TWICE-WEEKLY YOGA PROGRAM FOCUSED ON STANDING POSTURES AND RECEIVED A FALL PREVENTION EDUCATION BOOKLET. THE CONTROL GROUP (N = 27) RECEIVED THE EDUCATION BOOKLET ONLY. PRIMARY OUTCOME WAS STANDING BALANCE COMPONENT OF THE SHORT PHYSICAL PERFORMANCE BATTERY WITH ADDITION OF ONE-LEGGED STANCE TIME (STANDING BALANCE). SECONDARY OUTCOMES WERE THE TIMED SIT-TO-STAND TEST, TIMED 4-M WALK, ONE-LEGGED STAND WITH EYES CLOSED, AND SHORT FALLS EFFICACY SCALE-INTERNATIONAL. FEASIBILITY WAS MEASURED BY RECORDING CLASS ATTENDANCE AND ADVERSE EVENTS. RESULTS: FIFTY-TWO PARTICIPANTS COMPLETED FOLLOW-UP ASSESSMENTS. THE INTERVENTION GROUP SIGNIFICANTLY IMPROVED COMPARED WITH CONTROL GROUP ON STANDING BALANCE (MEAN DIFFERENCE = 1.52 SECONDS, 95% CI 0.10-2.96, P = .04), SIT-TO-STAND TEST (MEAN DIFFERENCE = -3.43 SECONDS, 95% CI -5.23 TO -1.64, P < .001), 4-M WALK (MEAN DIFFERENCE = -0.50 SECONDS, 95% CI -0.72 TO -0.28, P < .001), AND ONE-LEGGED STAND WITH EYES CLOSED (MEAN DIFFERENCE = 1.93 SECONDS, 95% CI 0.40-3.46, P = .02). AVERAGE CLASS ATTENDANCE WAS 20 OF 24 CLASSES (83%). NO SERIOUS ADVERSE EVENTS OCCURRED. CONCLUSIONS: THIS TRIAL DEMONSTRATES THE BALANCE AND MOBILITY-RELATED BENEFITS AND FEASIBILITY OF IYENGAR YOGA FOR OLDER PEOPLE. THE FALL PREVENTION EFFECT OF IYENGAR YOGA WARRANTS FURTHER INVESTIGATION. 2013 5 2134 45 THE EFFECTS OF A THERAPEUTIC YOGA PROGRAM ON POSTURAL CONTROL, MOBILITY, AND GAIT SPEED IN COMMUNITY-DWELLING OLDER ADULTS. OBJECTIVE: TO EXAMINE THE EFFECTS OF A 12-WEEK THERAPEUTIC YOGA PROGRAM ON GAIT SPEED, POSTURAL CONTROL, AND MOBILITY IN COMMUNITY-DWELLING OLDER ADULTS. DESIGN: QUASI-EXPERIMENTAL STUDY WITH A PRETEST/POST-TEST DESIGN. RESEARCHERS EVALUATED CHANGES OVER TIME (PRETEST TO POST-TEST) IN ALL OUTCOME MEASURES. PAIRED T-TESTS WERE USED TO ANALYZE NORMAL AND FAST GAIT SPEED, TIMED UP AND GO TEST, AND TIMED UP AND GO DUAL TASK. WILCOXON SIGNED-RANK TEST WAS USED TO EVALUATE SCORES FOR THE MINI-BESTEST (MBT). SETTING: YOGA CLASSES WERE PERFORMED AT A LOCAL SENIOR CENTER. BLIND EXAMINERS WHO WERE PREVIOUSLY TRAINED IN THE OUTCOME MEASURES PERFORMED ALL PRETESTS AND POST-TESTS AT THE SITE. PARTICIPANTS: THIRTEEN ADULTS (12 WOMEN AND 1 MAN, WITH A MEAN AGE+/-STANDARD DEVIATION OF 72+/-6.9 YEARS) COMPLETED THE STUDY. RESEARCH PARTICIPANTS HAD MINIMAL TO NO YOGA EXPERIENCE. INTERVENTIONS: A 12-WEEK, 60-MINUTE, BIWEEKLY KRIPALU YOGA CLASS DESIGNED SPECIFICALLY FOR COMMUNITY-DWELLING OLDER ADULTS. OUTCOME MEASURES: POSTURAL CONTROL (MBT), MOBILITY (TIMED UP AND GO TEST), AND GAIT SPEED (NORMAL AND FAST) WERE ASSESSED. RESULTS: ALL 13 PARTICIPANTS ATTENDED AT LEAST 19 OF THE 24 CLASSES (80% ATTENDANCE). STATISTICALLY SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENTS WERE SEEN IN THE MBT (P=0.039), NORMAL GAIT SPEED (P=0.015), FAST GAIT SPEED (P=0.001), TIMED UP AND GO TEST (P=0.045), AND TIMED UP AND GO DUAL-TASK (P=0.05). CONCLUSIONS: IMPROVEMENTS IN POSTURAL CONTROL AND MOBILITY AS MEASURED BY THE MBT AND TIMED UP AND GO GAIT AS MEASURED BY FAST GAIT SPEED INDICATE THAT RESEARCH PARTICIPANTS BENEFITTED FROM THE THERAPEUTIC YOGA INTERVENTION. THE YOGA PROGRAM DESIGNED FOR THIS STUDY INCLUDED ACTIVITIES IN STANDING, SITTING, AND LYING ON THE FLOOR AND MAY BE EFFECTIVE IN IMPROVING MOBILITY, POSTURAL CONTROL, AND GAIT SPEED IN COMMUNITY-DWELLING OLDER ADULTS. 2014 6 1974 52 SILVER YOGA EXERCISES IMPROVED PHYSICAL FITNESS OF TRANSITIONAL FRAIL ELDERS. BACKGROUND: PROMOTING THE HEALTH OF TRANSITIONAL FRAIL ELDERS (E.G., THROUGH THERAPEUTIC-BASED YOGA EXERCISES) IS ESSENTIAL TO REDUCE HEALTHCARE EXPENDITURES CAUSED BY CHRONIC HEALTH PROBLEMS. OBJECTIVE: THE PURPOSE OF THIS STUDY WAS TO DETERMINE THE EFFICACY OF 24 WEEKS OF THE SENIOR-TAILORED SILVER YOGA (SY) EXERCISE PROGRAM FOR TRANSITIONAL FRAIL ELDERS. METHODS: A CONVENIENCE SAMPLE OF 69 ELDERS IN ASSISTED LIVING FACILITIES WERE ASSIGNED RANDOMLY TO THE SY GROUP (N = 38) OR TO THE CONTROL GROUP (N = 31) ON THE BASIS OF THE FACILITIES WHERE THEY RESIDED, AND 55 OF THEM COMPLETED THIS QUASI-EXPERIMENTAL PRETEST AND POSTTEST STUDY. INTERVENTION WAS CONDUCTED THREE TIMES PER WEEK, 70 MINUTES PER SESSION, FOR 24 WEEKS. PHYSICAL FITNESS (BODY COMPOSITION, CARDIOVASCULAR-RESPIRATORY FUNCTIONS, BODY FLEXIBILITY, MUSCLE POWER AND ENDURANCE, BALANCE, AND AGILITY) WERE EXAMINED AT BASELINE, AT 12 WEEKS, AND AT THE END OF THE 24TH WEEK OF THE STUDY. RESULTS: AT THE END OF THE STUDY, THE PHYSICAL FITNESS INDICATORS OF PARTICIPANTS IN THE SY GROUP HAD IMPROVED SIGNIFICANTLY, AND THEY HAD BETTER PHYSICAL FITNESS THAN PARTICIPANTS IN THE CONTROL GROUP (ALL P VALUES < .05). DISCUSSION: IT WAS RECOMMENDED THAT THE SY EXERCISES BE INCORPORATED AS AN ACTIVITY PROGRAM IN ASSISTED LIVING FACILITIES TO PROMOTE THE PHYSICAL FITNESS OF TRANSITIONAL FRAIL ELDERS. 2010 7 107 46 A PILOT RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL OF THE EFFECTS OF CHAIR YOGA ON PAIN AND PHYSICAL FUNCTION AMONG COMMUNITY-DWELLING OLDER ADULTS WITH LOWER EXTREMITY OSTEOARTHRITIS. OBJECTIVES: TO DETERMINE EFFECTS OF SIT 'N' FIT CHAIR YOGA, COMPARED TO A HEALTH EDUCATION PROGRAM (HEP), ON PAIN AND PHYSICAL FUNCTION IN OLDER ADULTS WITH LOWER EXTREMITY OSTEOARTHRITIS (OA) WHO COULD NOT PARTICIPATE IN STANDING EXERCISE. DESIGN: TWO-ARM RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL. SETTING: ONE HUD SENIOR HOUSING FACILITY AND ONE DAY SENIOR CENTER IN SOUTH FLORIDA. PARTICIPANTS: COMMUNITY-DWELLING OLDER ADULTS (N = 131) WERE RANDOMLY ASSIGNED TO CHAIR YOGA (N = 66) OR HEP (N = 65). THIRTEEN DROPPED AFTER ASSIGNMENT BUT PRIOR TO THE INTERVENTION; SIX DROPPED DURING THE INTERVENTION; 106 OF 112 COMPLETED AT LEAST 12 OF 16 SESSIONS (95% RETENTION RATE). INTERVENTIONS: PARTICIPANTS ATTENDED EITHER CHAIR YOGA OR HEP. BOTH INTERVENTIONS CONSISTED OF TWICE-WEEKLY 45-MINUTE SESSIONS FOR 8 WEEKS. MEASUREMENTS: PRIMARY: PAIN, PAIN INTERFERENCE; SECONDARY: BALANCE, GAIT SPEED, FATIGUE, FUNCTIONAL ABILITY MEASURED AT BASELINE, AFTER 4 WEEKS OF INTERVENTION, AT THE END OF THE 8-WEEK INTERVENTION, AND POST-INTERVENTION (1 AND 3 MONTHS). RESULTS: THE CHAIR YOGA GROUP SHOWED GREATER REDUCTION IN PAIN INTERFERENCE DURING THE INTERVENTION (P = .01), SUSTAINED THROUGH 3 MONTHS (P = .022). WOMAC PAIN (P = .048), GAIT SPEED (P = .024), AND FATIGUE (P = .037) WERE IMPROVED IN THE YOGA GROUP DURING THE INTERVENTION (P = .048) BUT IMPROVEMENTS WERE NOT SUSTAINED POST INTERVENTION. CHAIR YOGA HAD NO EFFECT ON BALANCE. CONCLUSION: AN 8-WEEK CHAIR YOGA PROGRAM WAS ASSOCIATED WITH REDUCTION IN PAIN, PAIN INTERFERENCE, AND FATIGUE, AND IMPROVEMENT IN GAIT SPEED, BUT ONLY THE EFFECTS ON PAIN INTERFERENCE WERE SUSTAINED 3 MONTHS POST INTERVENTION. CHAIR YOGA SHOULD BE FURTHER EXPLORED AS A NONPHARMACOLOGIC INTERVENTION FOR OLDER PEOPLE WITH OA IN THE LOWER EXTREMITIES. TRIAL REGISTRATION: CLINICALTRIALS.GOV: NCT02113410. 2017 8 518 37 COMPARING ONCE- VERSUS TWICE-WEEKLY YOGA CLASSES FOR CHRONIC LOW BACK PAIN IN PREDOMINANTLY LOW INCOME MINORITIES: A RANDOMIZED DOSING TRIAL. BACKGROUND. PREVIOUS STUDIES HAVE DEMONSTRATED THAT ONCE-WEEKLY YOGA CLASSES ARE EFFECTIVE FOR CHRONIC LOW BACK PAIN (CLBP) IN WHITE ADULTS WITH HIGH SOCIOECONOMIC STATUS. THE COMPARATIVE EFFECTIVENESS OF TWICE-WEEKLY CLASSES AND GENERALIZABILITY TO RACIALLY DIVERSE LOW INCOME POPULATIONS ARE UNKNOWN. METHODS. WE CONDUCTED A 12-WEEK RANDOMIZED, PARALLEL-GROUP, DOSING TRIAL FOR 95 ADULTS RECRUITED FROM AN URBAN SAFETY-NET HOSPITAL AND FIVE COMMUNITY HEALTH CENTERS COMPARING ONCE-WEEKLY (N = 49) VERSUS TWICE-WEEKLY (N = 46) STANDARDIZED YOGA CLASSES SUPPLEMENTED BY HOME PRACTICE. PRIMARY OUTCOMES WERE CHANGE FROM BASELINE TO 12 WEEKS IN PAIN (11-POINT SCALE) AND BACK-RELATED FUNCTION (23-POINT MODIFIED ROLAND-MORRIS DISABILITY QUESTIONNAIRE). RESULTS. 82% OF PARTICIPANTS WERE NONWHITE; 77% HAD ANNUAL HOUSEHOLD INCOMES <$40,000. THE SAMPLE'S BASELINE MEAN PAIN INTENSITY [6.9 (SD 1.6)] AND FUNCTION [13.7 (SD 5.0)] REFLECTED MODERATE TO SEVERE BACK PAIN AND IMPAIRMENT. PAIN AND BACK-RELATED FUNCTION IMPROVED WITHIN BOTH GROUPS (P < 0.001). HOWEVER, THERE WERE NO DIFFERENCES BETWEEN ONCE-WEEKLY AND TWICE-WEEKLY GROUPS FOR PAIN REDUCTION [-2.1 (95% CI -2.9, -1.3) VERSUS -2.4 (95% CI -3.1, -1.8), P = 0.62] OR BACK-RELATED FUNCTION [-5.1 (95% CI -7.0, -3.2) VERSUS -4.9 (95% CI -6.5, -3.3), P = 0.83]. CONCLUSIONS. TWELVE WEEKS OF ONCE-WEEKLY OR TWICE-WEEKLY YOGA CLASSES WERE SIMILARLY EFFECTIVE FOR PREDOMINANTLY LOW INCOME MINORITY ADULTS WITH MODERATE TO SEVERE CHRONIC LOW BACK PAIN. THIS TRIAL IS REGISTERED WITH CLINICALTRIALS.GOV NCT01761617. 2013 9 1429 32 IMPROVEMENTS IN PSYCHOLOGICAL AND OCCUPATIONAL WELL-BEING IN A PRAGMATIC CONTROLLED TRIAL OF A YOGA-BASED PROGRAM FOR PROFESSIONALS. OBJECTIVE: THE PURPOSE OF THIS PRAGMATIC CONTROLLED TRIAL WAS TO EXAMINE CHANGES IN PSYCHOLOGICAL AND OCCUPATIONAL WELL-BEING IN PROFESSIONALS WHO ATTENDED A YOGA-BASED PROGRAM. SETTING: THE 5-DAY RISE (RESILIENCE, INTEGRATION, SELF-AWARENESS, ENGAGEMENT) PROGRAM WAS DELIVERED AT THE KRIPALU CENTER FOR YOGA & HEALTH. RISE INCLUDED 5 H PER DAY OF YOGA, MEDITATION, LECTURES, AND EXPERIENTIAL ACTIVITIES. SUBJECTS: ADULT PROFESSIONALS FROM EDUCATION, CORRECTIONS, AND SOCIAL SERVICE INSTITUTIONS WERE PRAGMATICALLY ASSIGNED TO THE RISE GROUP (N = 61) OR A WAITLIST CONTROL GROUP (N = 60). OUTCOME MEASURES: MEASURES OF PSYCHOLOGICAL AND OCCUPATIONAL WELL-BEING WERE COMPLETED BEFORE RISE (BASELINE), IMMEDIATELY AFTER RISE (POSTPROGRAM), AND 2 MONTHS AFTER RISE (FOLLOW-UP). ANALYSES OF COVARIANCE WERE CONDUCTED TO COMPARE CHANGE SCORES BETWEEN GROUPS. RESULTS: EIGHTY-TWO PARTICIPANTS (RISE N = 41, CONTROL N = 41) COMPLETED BASELINE AND POSTMEASURES AND WERE INCLUDED IN THE ANALYSIS, AND 57 (RISE N = 27, CONTROL N = 30) ALSO COMPLETED THE FOLLOW-UP. RELATIVE TO CONTROLS, THE RISE GROUP REPORTED IMPROVEMENTS IN STRESS (P = 0.001, R(2) = 0.51), RESILIENCE (P = 0.028, R(2) = 0.34), POSITIVE AFFECT (P = 0.001, R(2) = 0.52), NEGATIVE AFFECT (P = 0.001, R(2) = 0.52), MINDFULNESS (P = 0.021, R(2) = 0.13), AND JOB SATISFACTION (P = 0.034, R(2) = 0.08) FROM BASELINE TO POSTPROGRAM. FROM BASELINE TO FOLLOW-UP, COMPARED WITH CONTROLS THE RISE GROUP SHOWED IMPROVEMENTS IN STRESS (P = 0.001, R(2) = 0.33), RESILIENCE (P = 0.001, R(2) = 0.24), POSITIVE AFFECT (P = 0.006, R(2) = 0.49), NEGATIVE AFFECT (P = 0.043, R(2) = 0.32), MINDFULNESS (P = 0.001, R(2) = 0.28), EMPOWERMENT (P = 0.005, R(2) = 0.20), AND SELF-COMPASSION (P = 0.011, R(2) = 0.19). CONCLUSIONS: THE RISE PROGRAM WAS ASSOCIATED WITH IMPROVEMENTS IN PSYCHOLOGICAL AND OCCUPATIONAL WELL-BEING IMMEDIATELY AFTER AND 2 MONTHS AFTER THE PROGRAM. FUTURE RESEARCH IS NEEDED TO CONFIRM THESE RESULTS. 2019 10 681 43 EFFECT OF ADD-ON YOGA ON COGNITIVE FUNCTIONS AMONG SUBSTANCE ABUSERS IN A RESIDENTIAL THERAPEUTIC CENTER: RANDOMIZED COMPARATIVE STUDY. BACKGROUND: CHRONIC VULNERABILITY CHARACTERIZES SUBSTANCE ABUSE DISORDER WITH CONSEQUENT RELAPSE. THE PROCESS OF ABSTINENCE DEPENDS ON COGNITIVE RECOVERY. HENCE, BEHAVIORAL INTERVENTION SHOULD ACCOUNT FOR COGNITIVE DIMENSION OF SUBSTANCE ABUSERS. RECENT STUDIES HIGHLIGHT YOGA-BASED INTERVENTION AS A PROMISING ADD-ON THERAPY FOR TREATING AND PREVENTING ADDICTIVE BEHAVIORS. PURPOSE: THE STUDY AIMED TO EVALUATE THE EFFICACY OF A YOGA-BASED INTERVENTION AS AN ADD-ON IN ENHANCING COGNITIVE FUNCTIONS, COMPARED WITH PHYSICAL EXERCISE TO NEWLY ADMITTED SUBSTANCE ABUSERS SEEKING AN INPATIENT TREATMENT PROGRAM. METHODS: THE STUDY WAS A SINGLE-BLIND, RANDOMIZED, COMPARATIVE DESIGN THAT INCLUDED 96 MALE PARTICIPANTS, BETWEEN 18 AND 40 YEARS IN A RESIDENTIAL REHABILITATION TREATMENT UNIT. PARTAKERS IN THE YOGA OR PHYSICAL EXERCISE GROUP RECEIVED SUPERVISED DAILY TRAINING FOR 12 WEEKS, IN ADDITION TO STANDARD REHABILITATION TREATMENT. RATERS BLIND TO THE STUDY ASSESSED THE PATIENTS ON DIGIT SPAN TASK, CANCELLATION TEST, AND STROOP TESTS AT THE BASELINE AND FOLLOWING 12 WEEKS OF INTERVENTION. RESULTS: A SIGNIFICANT ENHANCEMENT IN DIGIT FORWARD (YOGA - P < 0.0005, D = 0.81; EXERCISE - P < 0.0005, D = 0.73), DIGIT BACKWARD (YOGA - P < 0.0005, D = 0.88; EXERCISE - P < 0.0005, D = 0.58), AND LETTER CANCELLATION TEST SCORES (YOGA - P < 0.0005, D = 1.31; EXERCISE - P < 0.0005, D = 1.4) WERE OBSERVED IN BOTH THE YOGA AND THE EXERCISE GROUPS. STROOP WORD AND COLOR TASK SCORES WERE SEEN SIGNIFICANTLY HIGHER FOLLOWING YOGA (P < 0.005, D = 0.74; P < 0.005, D = 1.13) AND EXERCISE (P < 0.0005, D = 0.62; P < 0.0005, D = 0.61). FURTHERMORE, STROOP COLOR-WORD TEST SHOWED SIGNIFICANT ENHANCEMENT AFTER YOGA (P < 0.0005, D = 1.10) AND EXERCISE (P < 0.0005, D = 0.42), WITH DEGREE OF VARIATION HIGHER IN THE YOGA GROUP. CONCLUSION: OUR RESULTS SUGGEST THAT THE ADD-ON YOGA OR EXERCISE-BASED INTERVENTION SHOW ENHANCEMENT OF COGNITIVE FUNCTIONS. THESE FINDINGS PROVIDE THE UTILITY OF YOGA AND EXERCISE-BASED INTERVENTION IN IMPROVING COGNITIVE FUNCTIONS AMONG SUBSTANCE ABUSERS. FURTHERMORE, RIGOROUS TRIALS ARE NEEDED TO EXPLORE THE POTENTIAL LONG-TERM EFFECTS OF THESE PROCEDURES. 2018 11 2552 41 YOGA FOR CHEMOTHERAPY-INDUCED PERIPHERAL NEUROPATHY AND FALL RISK: A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL. BACKGROUND: CHEMOTHERAPY-INDUCED PERIPHERAL NEUROPATHY (CIPN) IS A COMMON, DEBILITATING SIDE EFFECT THAT WORSENS QUALITY OF LIFE AND INCREASES THE RISK OF FALLS IN CANCER SURVIVORS. EVIDENCE OF YOGA'S SAFETY AND EFFICACY IN TREATING CIPN IS LACKING. METHODS: IN A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED STUDY, WE ASSIGNED BREAST AND GYNECOLOGICAL CANCER SURVIVORS WITH PERSISTENT MODERATE-TO-SEVERE CIPN PAIN, NUMBNESS, OR TINGLING WITH A SCORE OF 4 OR GREATER (0-10 NUMERIC RATING SCALE [NRS]) FOR AT LEAST 3 MONTHS AFTER CHEMOTHERAPY TO 8 WEEKS OF USUAL CARE OR YOGA FOCUSED ON BREATHWORK AND MUSCULOSKELETAL CONDITIONING. PRIMARY ENDPOINT WAS TREATMENT ARM DIFFERENCES FOR NRS, AND SECONDARY ENDPOINTS WERE FUNCTIONAL ASSESSMENT OF CANCER THERAPY/GYNECOLOGIC ONCOLOGY GROUP-NEUROTOXICITY SUBSCALE (FACT/GOG-NTX), AND FUNCTIONAL REACH TEST AFTER WEEK 8. WE TESTED TREATMENT ARM DIFFERENCES FOR EACH OUTCOME MEASURE USING LINEAR MIXED MODELS WITH TREATMENT-BY-TIME INTERACTIONS. ALL STATISTICAL TESTS WERE TWO-SIDED. RESULTS: WE RANDOMLY ASSIGNED 41 PARTICIPANTS INTO YOGA (N = 21) OR USUAL CARE (N = 20). AT WEEK 8, MEAN NRS PAIN DECREASED BY 1.95 POINTS (95% CONFIDENCE INTERVAL [CI] = -3.20 TO -0.70) IN YOGA VS 0.65 (95% CI = -1.81 TO 0.51) IN USUAL CARE (P = .14). FACT/GOG-NTX IMPROVED BY 4.25 (95% CI = 2.29 TO 6.20) IN YOGA VS 1.36 (95% CI = -0.47 TO 3.19) IN USUAL CARE (P = .035). FUNCTIONAL REACH, AN OBJECTIVE FUNCTIONAL MEASURE PREDICTING THE RISK OF FALLS, IMPROVED BY 7.14 CM (95% CI = 3.68 TO 10.59) IN YOGA AND DECREASED BY 1.65 CM (95% CI = -5.00 TO 1.72) IN USUAL CARE (P = .001). FOUR GRADE 1 ADVERSE EVENTS WERE OBSERVED IN THE YOGA ARM. CONCLUSION: AMONG BREAST AND GYNECOLOGICAL CANCER SURVIVORS WITH MODERATE-TO-SEVERE CIPN, YOGA WAS SAFE AND SHOWED PROMISING EFFICACY IN IMPROVING CIPN SYMPTOMS. 2020 12 1752 39 PILOT-TESTING THE EFFECTS OF A NEWLY-DEVELOPED SILVER YOGA EXERCISE PROGRAM FOR FEMALE SENIORS. THIS STUDY AIMED TO PILOT-TEST THE HEALTH PROMOTION EFFECTS OF A SILVER YOGA EXERCISE PROGRAM FOR FEMALE SENIORS. USING A ONE-GROUP, PRE-POST TEST DESIGN, A CONVENIENCE SAMPLE OF 16 COMMUNITY-DWELLING FEMALE SENIORS WAS RECRUITED. THE SILVER YOGA EXERCISE INTERVENTION WAS ADMINISTERED THREE TIMES A WEEK, 70 MINUTES PER SESSION, FOR FOUR WEEKS. DATA WERE COLLECTED AT BASELINE AND AFTER COMPLETION OF THE FOUR-WEEK INTERVENTION. RESULTS INDICATED THAT PARTICIPANTS' BODY FAT PERCENTAGE AND SYSTOLIC BLOOD PRESSURE DECREASED, BALANCE AND RANGE OF MOTION ON SHOULDER FLEXION AND ABDUCTION IMPROVED, AND SLEEP DISTURBANCE WAS MINIMIZED (ALL P < .05). PRELIMINARY EVIDENCE SUPPORTS THAT THE SILVER YOGA EXERCISE PROGRAM PROVIDES POSITIVE EFFECTS ON THE PROMOTION OF GOOD HEALTH IN FEMALE SENIORS LIVING IN THE COMMUNITIES. 2008 13 190 38 A RANDOMIZED STUDY OF YOGA THERAPY FOR THE PREVENTION OF RECURRENT REFLEX VASOVAGAL SYNCOPE. AIMS: VASOVAGAL SYNCOPE (VVS) IS A COMMON CARDIOVASCULAR DYSAUTONOMIC DISORDER THAT SIGNIFICANTLY IMPACTS HEALTH AND QUALITY OF LIFE (QOL). YOGA HAS BEEN SHOWN TO HAVE A POSITIVE INFLUENCE ON CARDIOVASCULAR AUTONOMICS. THIS STUDY ASSESSED THE EFFECTIVENESS OF YOGA THERAPY ON THE RECURRENCE OF VVS AND QOL. METHODS AND RESULTS: WE RANDOMIZED SUBJECTS WITH RECURRENT REFLEX VVS (>3 EPISODES IN THE PAST 1 YEAR) AND POSITIVE HEAD-UP TILT TEST TO GUIDELINE-DIRECTED THERAPY (GROUP 1) OR YOGA THERAPY (GROUP 2). PATIENTS IN GROUP 1 WERE ADVISED GUIDELINE-DIRECTED TREATMENT AND GROUP 2 WAS TAUGHT YOGA BY A CERTIFIED INSTRUCTOR. THE PRIMARY ENDPOINT WAS VVS RECURRENCES AND QOL. BETWEEN JUNE 2015 AND FEBRUARY 2017, 97 HIGHLY SYMPTOMATIC VVS PATIENTS WERE RANDOMIZED (GROUP 1: 47 AND GROUP 2: 50). THE MEAN AGE WAS 33.1 +/- 16.6 YEARS, MALE:FEMALE OF 40:57, SYMPTOM DURATION OF 17.1 +/- 20.7 MONTHS, WITH A MEAN OF 6.4 +/- 6.1 SYNCOPE EPISODES. OVER A FOLLOW-UP OF 14.3 +/- 2.1 MONTHS GROUP 2 HAD SIGNIFICANTLY LOWER SYNCOPE BURDEN COMPARED WITH GROUP 1 AT 3 (0.8 +/- 0.9 VS. 1.8 +/- 1.4, P < 0.001), 6 (1.0 +/- 1.2 VS. 3.4 +/- 3.0, P < 0.001), AND AT 12 MONTHS (1.1 +/- 0.8 VS. 3.8 +/- 3.2, P < 0.001). THE SYNCOPE FUNCTIONAL SCORE QUESTIONNAIRE WAS SIGNIFICANTLY LOWER IN GROUP 2 COMPARED WITH GROUP 1 AT 3 (31.4 +/- 7.2 VS. 64.1 +/- 11.5, P < 0.001), 6 (26.4 +/- 6.3 VS. 61.4 +/- 10.7, P < 0.001), AND 12 MONTHS (22.2 +/- 4.7 VS. 68.3 +/- 11.4, P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: FOR PATIENTS WITH RECURRENT VVS, GUIDED YOGA THERAPY IS SUPERIOR TO CONVENTIONAL THERAPY IN REDUCING SYMPTOM BURDEN AND IMPROVING QOL. 2021 14 507 42 COMPARATIVE EFFECTIVENESS OF PILATES AND YOGA GROUP EXERCISE INTERVENTIONS FOR CHRONIC MECHANICAL NECK PAIN: QUASI-RANDOMISED PARALLEL CONTROLLED STUDY. OBJECTIVES: TO DETERMINE THE EFFECTIVENESS OF PILATES AND YOGA GROUP EXERCISE INTERVENTIONS FOR INDIVIDUALS WITH CHRONIC NECK PAIN (CNP). DESIGN: QUASI-RANDOMISED PARALLEL CONTROLLED STUDY. SETTING: COMMUNITY, UNIVERSITY AND PRIVATE PRACTICE SETTINGS IN FOUR LOCATIONS. PARTICIPANTS: FIFTY-SIX INDIVIDUALS WITH CNP SCORING >/=3/10 ON THE NUMERIC PAIN RATING SCALE FOR >3 MONTHS (CONTROLS N=17, PILATES N=20, YOGA N=19). INTERVENTIONS: EXERCISE PARTICIPANTS COMPLETED 12 SMALL-GROUP SESSIONS WITH MODIFICATIONS AND PROGRESSIONS SUPERVISED BY A PHYSIOTHERAPIST. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: THE PRIMARY OUTCOME MEASURE WAS THE NECK DISABILITY INDEX (NDI). SECONDARY OUTCOMES WERE PAIN RATINGS, RANGE OF MOVEMENT AND POSTURAL MEASUREMENTS COLLECTED AT BASELINE, 6 WEEKS AND 12 WEEKS. FOLLOW-UP WAS PERFORMED 6 WEEKS AFTER COMPLETION OF THE EXERCISE CLASSES (WEEK 18). RESULTS: NDI DECREASED SIGNIFICANTLY IN THE PILATES {BASELINE: 11.1 [STANDARD DEVIATION (SD) 4.3] VS WEEK 12: 6.8 (SD 4.3); MEAN DIFFERENCE -4.3 (95% CONFIDENCE INTERVAL -1.64 TO -6.7); P<0.001} AND YOGA GROUPS [BASELINE: 12.8 (SD 7.4) VS WEEK 12: 8.1 (SD 5.6); MEAN DIFFERENCE -4.7 (95% CONFIDENCE INTERVAL -2.1 TO -7.4); P<0.00], WITH NO CHANGE IN THE CONTROL GROUP. PAIN RATINGS ALSO IMPROVED SIGNIFICANTLY. MODERATE-TO-LARGE EFFECT SIZES (0.7 TO 1.8) AND LOW NUMBERS NEEDED TO TREAT WERE FOUND. THERE WERE NO DIFFERENCES IN OUTCOMES BETWEEN THE EXERCISE GROUPS OR ASSOCIATED ADVERSE EFFECTS. NO IMPROVEMENTS IN RANGE OF MOVEMENT OR POSTURE WERE FOUND. CONCLUSIONS: PILATES AND YOGA GROUP EXERCISE INTERVENTIONS WITH APPROPRIATE MODIFICATIONS AND SUPERVISION WERE SAFE AND EQUALLY EFFECTIVE FOR DECREASING DISABILITY AND PAIN COMPARED WITH THE CONTROL GROUP FOR INDIVIDUALS WITH MILD-TO-MODERATE CNP. PHYSIOTHERAPISTS MAY CONSIDER INCLUDING THESE APPROACHES IN A PLAN OF CARE. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: CLINICALTRIALS.GOV NCT01999283. 2016 15 1981 42 SLEEP QUALITY AND BODY COMPOSITION VARIATIONS IN OBESE MALE ADULTS AFTER 14 WEEKS OF YOGA INTERVENTION: A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL. BACKGROUND: OBESITY IS A BIG CHALLENGE ALL OVER THE WORLD. IT IS ASSOCIATED WITH MANY NONCOMMUNICABLE DISEASES. YOGA KNOWN TO BE ADD-ON TREATMENT MAY BE EFFECTIVE FOR OBESITY CONTROL. AIM: TO ASSESS THE EFFECT OF INTEGRATED APPROACH OF YOGA THERAPY (IAYT) FOR BODY COMPOSITION AND QUALITY OF SLEEP IN ADULT OBESE MALE. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL WAS CONDUCTED FOR 14 WEEKS ON OBESE MALE OF URBAN SETTING. EIGHTY INDIVIDUALS WERE RANDOMLY DIVIDED INTO TWO GROUPS, I.E., YOGA GROUP (N = 40; AGE; 40.03 +/- 8.74 YEARS, BODY MASS INDEX [BMI] 28.7 +/- 2.35 KG/M(2)) AND CONTROL GROUP (AGE; 42.20 +/- 12.06 YEARS, BMI 27.70 +/- 2.05 KG/M(2)). THE IAYT WAS IMPARTED TO YOGA GROUP FOR 1(1/2) HOUR FOR 5 DAYS IN A WEEK FOR 14 WEEKS. THE CONTROL GROUP CONTINUED THEIR REGULAR ACTIVITIES. THE BODY COMPOSITION BY INBODY R20 AND SLEEP QUALITY BY PITTSBURGH SLEEP QUALITY INDEX (PSQI) WERE ASSESSED. STATISTICAL ANALYSIS WAS DONE FOR WITHIN AND BETWEEN GROUPS USING SPSS VERSION 21. THE CORRELATION ANALYSIS WAS DONE ON THE DIFFERENCE IN PRE-POST VALUES. RESULTS: THE RESULTS SHOWED THAT WEIGHT (P = 0.004), BMI (P = 0.008), BONE MASS (P = 0.017), OBESITY DEGREE (P = 0.005), AND MINERAL MASS (P = 0.046) WERE IMPROVED IN YOGA GROUP AND NO CHANGE IN CONTROL GROUP (P > 0.05). THE GLOBAL SCORE OF PSQI IMPROVED (P = 0.017) IN YOGA GROUP ALONE. CONCLUSION: THE RESULTS INDICATE THE BENEFICIAL EFFECTS OF IAYT ON BODY COMPOSITION AND SLEEP QUALITY IN OBESE MALES. THE YOGA PRACTICE MAY REDUCE OBESITY WITH THE IMPROVEMENT IN QUALITY OF LIFE. 2017 16 74 35 A GROUP-BASED YOGA THERAPY INTERVENTION FOR URINARY INCONTINENCE IN WOMEN: A PILOT RANDOMIZED TRIAL. OBJECTIVE: THE AIM OF THIS STUDY IS TO EXAMINE THE FEASIBILITY, EFFICACY, AND SAFETY OF A GROUP-BASED YOGA THERAPY INTERVENTION FOR MIDDLE-AGED AND OLDER WOMEN WITH URINARY INCONTINENCE. METHODS: WE CONDUCTED A PILOT RANDOMIZED TRIAL OF AMBULATORY WOMEN AGED 40 YEARS AND OLDER WITH STRESS, URGENCY, OR MIXED-TYPE INCONTINENCE. WOMEN WERE RANDOMIZED TO A 6-WEEK YOGA THERAPY PROGRAM (N = 10) CONSISTING OF TWICE WEEKLY GROUP CLASSES AND ONCE WEEKLY HOME PRACTICE OR A WAIT-LIST CONTROL GROUP (N = 9). ALL PARTICIPANTS ALSO RECEIVED WRITTEN PAMPHLETS ABOUT STANDARD BEHAVIORAL SELF-MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES FOR INCONTINENCE. CHANGES IN INCONTINENCE WERE ASSESSED WITH 7-DAY VOIDING DIARIES. RESULTS: THE MEAN (SD) AGE WAS 61.4 (8.2) YEARS, AND THE MEAN BASELINE FREQUENCY OF INCONTINENCE WAS 2.5 (1.3) EPISODES/D. AFTER 6 WEEKS, THE TOTAL INCONTINENCE FREQUENCY DECREASED BY 70% (1.8 [0.9] FEWER EPISODES/D) IN THE YOGA THERAPY VERSUS 13% (0.3 [1.7] FEWER EPISODES/D) IN THE CONTROL GROUP (P = 0.049). PARTICIPANTS IN THE YOGA THERAPY GROUP ALSO REPORTED AN AVERAGE OF 71% DECREASE IN STRESS INCONTINENCE FREQUENCY (0.7 [0.8] FEWER EPISODES/D) COMPARED WITH A 25% INCREASE IN CONTROLS (0.2 [1.1] MORE EPISODES/D) (P = 0.039). NO SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCES IN REDUCTION IN URGENCY INCONTINENCE WERE DETECTED BETWEEN THE YOGA THERAPY VERSUS CONTROL GROUPS (1.0 [1.0] VERSUS 0.5 [0.5] FEWER EPISODES/D; P = 0.20). ALL WOMEN STARTING THE YOGA THERAPY PROGRAM COMPLETED AT LEAST 90% OF THE GROUP CLASSES AND PRACTICE SESSIONS. TWO PARTICIPANTS IN EACH GROUP REPORTED ADVERSE EVENTS UNRELATED TO THE INTERVENTION. CONCLUSIONS: FINDINGS PROVIDE PRELIMINARY EVIDENCE TO SUPPORT THE FEASIBILITY, EFFICACY, AND SAFETY OF A GROUP-BASED YOGA THERAPY INTERVENTION TO IMPROVE URINARY INCONTINENCE IN WOMEN. 2014 17 521 43 COMPARING YOGA, EXERCISE, AND A SELF-CARE BOOK FOR CHRONIC LOW BACK PAIN: A RANDOMIZED, CONTROLLED TRIAL. BACKGROUND: CHRONIC LOW BACK PAIN IS A COMMON PROBLEM THAT HAS ONLY MODESTLY EFFECTIVE TREATMENT OPTIONS. OBJECTIVE: TO DETERMINE WHETHER YOGA IS MORE EFFECTIVE THAN CONVENTIONAL THERAPEUTIC EXERCISE OR A SELF-CARE BOOK FOR PATIENTS WITH CHRONIC LOW BACK PAIN. DESIGN: RANDOMIZED, CONTROLLED TRIAL. SETTING: A NONPROFIT, INTEGRATED HEALTH CARE SYSTEM. PATIENTS: 101 ADULTS WITH CHRONIC LOW BACK PAIN. INTERVENTION: 12-WEEK SESSIONS OF YOGA OR CONVENTIONAL THERAPEUTIC EXERCISE CLASSES OR A SELF-CARE BOOK. MEASUREMENTS: PRIMARY OUTCOMES WERE BACK-RELATED FUNCTIONAL STATUS (MODIFIED 24-POINT ROLAND DISABILITY SCALE) AND "BOTHERSOMENESS" OF PAIN (11-POINT NUMERICAL SCALE). THE PRIMARY TIME POINT WAS 12 WEEKS. CLINICALLY SIGNIFICANT CHANGE WAS CONSIDERED TO BE 2.5 POINTS ON THE FUNCTIONAL STATUS SCALE AND 1.5 POINTS ON THE BOTHERSOMENESS SCALE. SECONDARY OUTCOMES WERE DAYS OF RESTRICTED ACTIVITY, GENERAL HEALTH STATUS, AND MEDICATION USE. RESULTS: AFTER ADJUSTMENT FOR BASELINE VALUES, BACK-RELATED FUNCTION IN THE YOGA GROUP WAS SUPERIOR TO THE BOOK AND EXERCISE GROUPS AT 12 WEEKS (YOGA VS. BOOK: MEAN DIFFERENCE, -3.4 [95% CI, -5.1 TO - 1.6] [P < 0.001]; YOGA VS. EXERCISE: MEAN DIFFERENCE, -1.8 [CI, -3.5 TO - 0.1] [P = 0.034]). NO SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCES IN SYMPTOM BOTHERSOMENESS WERE FOUND BETWEEN ANY 2 GROUPS AT 12 WEEKS; AT 26 WEEKS, THE YOGA GROUP WAS SUPERIOR TO THE BOOK GROUP WITH RESPECT TO THIS MEASURE (MEAN DIFFERENCE, -2.2 [CI, -3.2 TO - 1.2]; P < 0.001). AT 26 WEEKS, BACK-RELATED FUNCTION IN THE YOGA GROUP WAS SUPERIOR TO THE BOOK GROUP (MEAN DIFFERENCE, -3.6 [CI, -5.4 TO - 1.8]; P < 0.001). LIMITATIONS: PARTICIPANTS IN THIS STUDY WERE FOLLOWED FOR ONLY 26 WEEKS AFTER RANDOMIZATION. ONLY 1 INSTRUCTOR DELIVERED EACH INTERVENTION. CONCLUSIONS: YOGA WAS MORE EFFECTIVE THAN A SELF-CARE BOOK FOR IMPROVING FUNCTION AND REDUCING CHRONIC LOW BACK PAIN, AND THE BENEFITS PERSISTED FOR AT LEAST SEVERAL MONTHS. 2005 18 675 28 EFFECT OF A SIX-MONTH YOGA EXERCISE INTERVENTION ON FITNESS OUTCOMES FOR BREAST CANCER SURVIVORS. YOGA-BASED EXERCISE HAS PROVEN TO BE BENEFICIAL FOR PRACTITIONERS, INCLUDING CANCER SURVIVORS. THIS STUDY REPORTS ON THE IMPROVEMENTS IN PHYSICAL FITNESS FOR 20 BREAST CANCER SURVIVORS WHO PARTICIPATED IN A SIX-MONTH YOGA-BASED EXERCISE PROGRAM (YE). RESULTS ARE COMPARED TO A COMPREHENSIVE EXERCISE (CE) PROGRAM GROUP AND A COMPARISON (C) EXERCISE GROUP WHO CHOSE THEIR OWN EXERCISES. "PRE" AND "POST" FITNESS ASSESSMENTS INCLUDED MEASURES OF ANTHROPOMETRICS, CARDIORESPIRATORY CAPACITY, STRENGTH AND FLEXIBILITY. DESCRIPTIVE STATISTICS, EFFECT SIZE (D), DEPENDENT SAMPLE 'T' TESTS FOR ALL OUTCOME MEASURES WERE CALCULATED FOR THE YE GROUP. SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENTS INCLUDED: DECREASED % BODY FAT (-3.00%, D = -0.44, P < 0.001); INCREASED SIT TO STAND LEG STRENGTH REPETITIONS (2.05, D = 0.48, P = 0.003); FORWARD REACH (3.59 CM, D = 0.61, P = 0.01); AND RIGHT ARM SAGITTAL RANGE OF MOTION (6.50 DEGREES , D = 0.92, P = 0.05). TO COMPARE YE OUTCOMES WITH THE OTHER TWO GROUPS, A ONE-WAY ANALYSIS OF VARIANCE (ANOVA) WAS USED. YE PARTICIPANTS SIGNIFICANTLY OUTPERFORMED C PARTICIPANTS ON "FORWARD REACH" (3.59 CM GAINED VERSUS -2.44 CM LOST), (P = 0.009) AND OUTPERFORMED CE PARTICIPANTS (3.59 CM GAINED VERSUS 1.35 CM GAINED), BUT NOT STATISTICALLY SIGNIFICANT. OUR RESULTS SUPPORT YOGA-BASED EXERCISE MODIFIED FOR BREAST CANCER SURVIVORS AS SAFE AND EFFECTIVE. 2015 19 702 51 EFFECT OF HOME-BASED TAI CHI, YOGA OR CONVENTIONAL BALANCE EXERCISE ON FUNCTIONAL BALANCE AND MOBILITY AMONG PERSONS WITH IDIOPATHIC PARKINSON'S DISEASE: AN EXPERIMENTAL STUDY. BACKGROUND: INDIVIDUALS WITH PARKINSON'S DISEASE (PD) INVARIABLY EXPERIENCE FUNCTIONAL DECLINE IN A NUMBER OF MOTOR AND NON-MOTOR DOMAINS AFFECTING POSTURE, BALANCE AND GAIT. NUMEROUS CLINICAL STUDIES HAVE EXAMINED EFFECTS OF VARIOUS TYPES OF EXERCISE ON MOTOR AND NON-MOTOR PROBLEMS. BUT STILL MUCH GAP REMAINS IN OUR UNDERSTANDING OF VARIOUS THERAPIES AND THEIR EFFECT ON DELAYING OR SLOWING THE DOPAMINE NEURON DEGENERATION. RECENTLY, TAI CHI AND YOGA BOTH HAVE GAINED POPULARITY AS COMPLEMENTARY THERAPIES, SINCE BOTH HAVE COMPONENTS FOR MIND AND BODY CONTROL. OBJECTIVE: THE AIM OF THIS STUDY WAS TO DETERMINE WHETHER EIGHT WEEKS OF HOME-BASED TAI CHI OR YOGA WAS MORE EFFECTIVE THAN REGULAR BALANCE EXERCISES ON FUNCTIONAL BALANCE AND MOBILITY. METHODS: TWENTY-SEVEN INDIVIDUALS WITH IDIOPATHIC PD (MODIFIED HOEHN AND YAHR STAGES 2.5-3) WERE RANDOMLY ASSIGNED TO EITHER TAI CHI, YOGA OR CONVENTIONAL EXERCISE GROUP. ALL THE PARTICIPANTS WERE EVALUATED FOR FUNCTIONAL BALANCE AND MOBILITY USING BERG BALANCE SCALE, TIMED 10 M WALK TEST AND TIMED UP AND GO TEST BEFORE AND AFTER EIGHT WEEKS OF TRAINING. RESULTS: THE RESULTS WERE ANALYZED USING TWO-WAY MIXED ANOVA WHICH SHOWED THAT THERE WAS A SIGNIFICANT MAIN EFFECT FOR TIME AS F (1, 24) = 74.18, P = 0 . 000 , ETA P 2 = 0 . 76 FOR OVERALL BALANCE IN BERG BALANCE SCALE. THERE WAS ALSO SIGNIFICANT MAIN EFFECT OF TIME ON MOBILITY OVERALL AS F(1, 24) = 77 . 78 , P = 0 . 000 , ETA P 2 = 0 . 76 IN TIMED UP AND GO TEST AND F(1, 24) = 48 . 24 , P = 0 . 000 , ETA P 2 = 0 . 67 FOR 10 M WALK TEST. THERE WAS A SIGNIFICANT INTERACTION EFFECT FOR TIME X GROUP WITH F(2, 24) = 8 . 67 , P = 0 . 001 , ETA P 2 = 0 . 420 FOR BALANCE. WITH RESPECT TO MOBILITY, THE VALUES F(2, 24) = 5 . 92 , P = 0 . 008 , ETA P 2 = 0 . 330 IN TIMED UP AND GO TEST AND F(2, 24) = 10 . 40 , P = 0 . 001 , ETA P 2 = 0 . 464 IN 10 M WALK TEST SHOWED A SIGNIFICANT INTERACTION. BUT THERE WAS NO SIGNIFICANT MAIN EFFECT BETWEEN THE GROUPS FOR BOTH BALANCE AND MOBILITY. CONCLUSION: THE FINDINGS OF THIS STUDY SUGGEST THAT TAI CHI AS WELL AS YOGA ARE WELL ADHERED AND ARE ATTRACTIVE OPTIONS FOR A HOME-BASED SETTING. AS ANY FORM OF PHYSICAL ACTIVITY IS CONSIDERED BENEFICIAL FOR INDIVIDUALS WITH PD EITHER TAI CHI, YOGA OR CONVENTIONAL BALANCE EXERCISES COULD BE USED AS THERAPEUTIC INTERVENTION TO OPTIMIZE BALANCE AND MOBILITY. FURTHER STUDIES ARE NECESSARY TO UNDERSTAND THE MIND-BODY BENEFITS OF TAI CHI AND YOGA EITHER AS MULTICOMPONENT PHYSICAL ACTIVITIES OR AS INDIVIDUAL THERAPIES IN VARIOUS STAGES OF PD. 2020 20 944 43 EFFECTS OF A 12-WEEK HATHA YOGA INTERVENTION ON METABOLIC RISK AND QUALITY OF LIFE IN HONG KONG CHINESE ADULTS WITH AND WITHOUT METABOLIC SYNDROME. OBJECTIVE: TO DETERMINE THE EFFICACY OF A 12-WEEK HATHA YOGA INTERVENTION TO IMPROVE METABOLIC RISK PROFILES AND HEALTH-RELATED QUALITY OF LIFE (HRQOL) IN CHINESE ADULTS WITH AND WITHOUT METABOLIC SYNDROME (METS). METHODS: WE CONDUCTED A CONTROLLED TRIAL WITHIN AN UNIVERSITY-AFFILIATED HOSPITAL. 173 CHINESE MEN AND WOMEN AGED 18 OR ABOVE WERE ASSIGNED TO EITHER THE YOGA INTERVENTION GROUP (N = 87) OR THE CONTROL GROUP (N = 86). PRIMARY OUTCOMES INCLUDED 12-WEEK CHANGE IN METABOLIC RISK FACTORS AND METS Z SCORE. SECONDARY OUTCOME WAS HRQOL (MEDICAL OUTCOMES SHORT FORM SURVEY AT 12 WEEKS). RESULTS: THE MEAN AGE OF PARTICIPANTS WAS 52.0 (SD 7.4, RANGE 31-71) YEARS. ANALYSIS INVOLVING THE ENTIRE STUDY POPULATION REVEALED THAT THE YOGA GROUP ACHIEVED GREATER DECLINE IN WAIST CIRCUMFERENCE (P<0.001), FASTING GLUCOSE (P<0.01), TRIGLYCERIDES (P<0.05), AND METS Z SCORE (P<0.01). YOGA TRAINING ALSO IMPROVED GENERAL HEALTH PERCEPTIONS (P<0.01), PHYSICAL COMPONENT SCORE (P<0.01), AND SOCIAL FUNCTIONING (P<0.01) DOMAINS SCORE OF HRQOL. HOWEVER, NO SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCES BETWEEN GROUPS WERE OBSERVED IN THE MEAN CHANGE OF SYSTOLIC/DIASTOLIC BLOOD PRESSURES OR HIGH-DENSITY LIPID PROTEIN CHOLESTEROL (ALL P>0.05). THERE WERE NO SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCES IN THE INTERVENTION EFFECTS ON WAIST CIRCUMFERENCE AND METS Z SCORE BETWEEN THE METS SUBGROUPS (BOTH P>0.05). CONCLUSION: A 12-WEEK HATHA YOGA INTERVENTION IMPROVES METABOLIC RISK PROFILES AND HRQOL IN CHINESE ADULTS WITH AND WITHOUT METS. TRIAL REGISTRATION: AUSTRALIAN NEW ZEALAND CLINICAL TRIALS REGISTRY ACTRN12613000816752. 2015