1 2481 98 YOGA AS AN ALTERNATIVE AND COMPLEMENTARY TREATMENT FOR CANCER: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW. OBJECTIVES: CANCER IS AN IMPORTANT PUBLIC HEALTH CONCERN, WITH MILLIONS OF PATIENTS AFFECTED WORLDWIDE. GIVEN THE PHYSICAL, PSYCHOLOGICAL, AND PHYSIOLOGIC CHANGES ASSOCIATED WITH CANCER, HOLISTIC THERAPIES ARE NEEDED TO TREAT ALL ASPECT OF THE DISEASE. DESIGN: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW WAS CONDUCTED TO DETERMINE THE EFFICACY OF YOGA AS A TREATMENT OPTION FOR CANCER SINCE 2010. INCLUDED STUDIES WERE PUBLISHED FROM JANUARY 2010 TO JULY 2012 AND WERE INDEXED IN MEDLINE, CINAHL, AND ALT HEALTHWATCH. RESULTS: THIRTEEN STUDIES MET THE INCLUSION CRITERIA. EIGHT OF THESE STUDIES WERE PERFORMED IN THE UNITED STATES, AND ONE EACH WAS CONDUCTED IN SLOVENIA, ITALY, THE UNITED KINGDOM, CANADA, AND TURKEY. CONCLUSIONS: THE EVIDENCE FOR EFFICACY OF YOGA AS AN ALTERNATIVE AND COMPLEMENTARY TREATMENT FOR CANCER IS MIXED, ALTHOUGH GENERALLY POSITIVE. LIMITATIONS OF THE REVIEWED INTERVENTIONS INCLUDED A MIXED USE OF INSTRUMENTS, WEAK QUANTITATIVE DESIGNS, SMALL SAMPLE SIZES, AND A LACK OF THEORY-BASED STUDIES. 2013 2 2035 21 TELE-YOGA FOR CHRONIC PAIN: CURRENT STATUS AND FUTURE DIRECTIONS. PAIN IS A PERVASIVE, DEBILITATING DISORDER THAT IS RESISTANT TO LONG-TERM PHARMACOLOGICAL INTERVENTIONS. ALTHOUGH PSYCHOLOGICAL THERAPIES SUCH AS COGNITIVE BEHAVIOR THERAPY DEMONSTRATE MODERATE EFFICACY, MANY INDIVIDUALS CONTINUE TO HAVE ONGOING DIFFICULTIES FOLLOWING TREATMENT. THERE IS A CURRENT TREND TO ESTABLISH COMPLEMENTARY AND INTEGRATIVE HEALTH INTERVENTIONS FOR CHRONIC PAIN, FOR WHICH YOGA HAS BEEN FOUND TO HAVE EXCITING POTENTIAL. NEVERTHELESS, AN IMPORTANT CONSIDERATION WITHIN THE FIELD IS ACCESSIBILITY TO ADEQUATE CARE. TELEHEALTH CAN BE USED TO PROVIDE REAL-TIME INTERACTIVE VIDEO CONFERENCING LEADING TO INCREASED ACCESS TO HEALTH CARE FOR INDIVIDUALS LOCATED REMOTELY OR WHO OTHERWISE HAVE DIFFICULTY ACCESSING SERVICES, PERHAPS THROUGH ISSUES OF MOBILITY OR PROXIMITY OF ADEQUATE SERVICES. THIS ARTICLE ASSESSES THE CURRENT STATUS AND FEASIBILITY OF IMPLEMENTING TELE-YOGA FOR CHRONIC PAIN. METHODOLOGICAL LIMITATIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS FOR FUTURE RESEARCH ARE DISCUSSED. 2018 3 576 22 DEPRESSION AND ANXIETY DISORDERS: BENEFITS OF EXERCISE, YOGA, AND MEDITATION. MANY PEOPLE WITH DEPRESSION OR ANXIETY TURN TO NONPHARMACOLOGIC AND NONCONVENTIONAL INTERVENTIONS, INCLUDING EXERCISE, YOGA, MEDITATION, TAI CHI, OR QI GONG. META-ANALYSES AND SYSTEMATIC REVIEWS HAVE SHOWN THAT THESE INTERVENTIONS CAN IMPROVE SYMPTOMS OF DEPRESSION AND ANXIETY DISORDERS. AS AN ADJUNCTIVE TREATMENT, EXERCISE SEEMS MOST HELPFUL FOR TREATMENT-RESISTANT DEPRESSION, UNIPOLAR DEPRESSION, AND POSTTRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER. YOGA AS MONOTHERAPY OR ADJUNCTIVE THERAPY SHOWS POSITIVE EFFECTS, PARTICULARLY FOR DEPRESSION. AS AN ADJUNCTIVE THERAPY, IT FACILITATES TREATMENT OF ANXIETY DISORDERS, PARTICULARLY PANIC DISORDER. TAI CHI AND QI GONG MAY BE HELPFUL AS ADJUNCTIVE THERAPIES FOR DEPRESSION, BUT EFFECTS ARE INCONSISTENT. AS MONOTHERAPY OR AN ADJUNCTIVE THERAPY, MINDFULNESS-BASED MEDITATION HAS POSITIVE EFFECTS ON DEPRESSION, AND ITS EFFECTS CAN LAST FOR SIX MONTHS OR MORE. ALTHOUGH POSITIVE FINDINGS ARE LESS COMMON IN PEOPLE WITH ANXIETY DISORDERS, THE EVIDENCE SUPPORTS ADJUNCTIVE USE. THERE ARE NO APPARENT NEGATIVE EFFECTS OF MINDFULNESS-BASED INTERVENTIONS, AND THEIR GENERAL HEALTH BENEFITS JUSTIFY THEIR USE AS ADJUNCTIVE THERAPY FOR PATIENTS WITH DEPRESSION AND ANXIETY DISORDERS. 2019 4 2688 29 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 5 2466 22 YOGA AS A THERAPEUTIC INTERVENTION: A BIBLIOMETRIC ANALYSIS OF PUBLISHED RESEARCH STUDIES. ALTHOUGH YOGA IS HISTORICALLY A SPIRITUAL DISCIPLINE, IT HAS ALSO BEEN USED CLINICALLY AS A THERAPEUTIC INTERVENTION. A BIBLIOMETRIC ANALYSIS ON THE BIOMEDICAL JOURNAL LITERATURE INVOLVING RESEARCH ON THE CLINICAL APPLICATION OF YOGA HAS REVEALED AN INCREASE IN PUBLICATION FREQUENCY OVER THE PAST 3 DECADES WITH A SUBSTANTIAL AND GROWING USE OF RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIALS. TYPES OF MEDICAL CONDITIONS HAVE INCLUDED PSYCHOPATHOLOGICAL (E.G. DEPRESSION, ANXIETY), CARDIOVASCULAR (E.G. HYPERTENSION, HEART DISEASE), RESPIRATORY (E.G. ASTHMA), DIABETES AND A VARIETY OF OTHERS. A MAJORITY OF THIS RESEARCH HAS BEEN CONDUCTED BY INDIAN INVESTIGATORS AND PUBLISHED IN INDIAN JOURNALS, PARTICULARLY YOGA SPECIALTY JOURNALS, ALTHOUGH RECENT TRENDS INDICATE INCREASING CONTRIBUTIONS FROM INVESTIGATORS IN THE U.S. AND ENGLAND. YOGA THERAPY IS A RELATIVELY NOVEL AND EMERGING CLINICAL DISCIPLINE WITHIN THE BROAD CATEGORY OF MIND-BODY MEDICINE, WHOSE GROWTH IS CONSISTENT WITH THE BURGEONING POPULARITY OF YOGA IN THE WEST AND THE INCREASING WORLDWIDE USE OF ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE. 2004 6 2927 25 [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 7 1481 21 INTEGRATING YOGA INTO PSYCHOTHERAPY: THE ETHICS OF MOVING FROM THE MIND TO THE MAT. GIVEN THE RISE IN ATTENTION TO CLIENT PREFERENCES IN MEDICAL TREATMENT AND THE SHIFT IN FOCUS TOWARD HEALTH PROMOTION, IT IS NOT SURPRISING THAT THE USE OF COMPLEMENTARY HEALTH APPROACHES HAVE INCREASED IN THE PAST SEVERAL YEARS. YOGA IS AMONG THE MOST PROMINENT COMPLEMENTARY HEALTH APPROACHES. RECENTLY, BOTH QUALITATIVE AND QUANTITATIVE WORK HAS EMERGED SUPPORTING ITS USE FOR A VARIETY OF MEDICAL AND PSYCHOLOGICAL DISORDERS. HOWEVER, THERE IS A CRITICAL GAP IN KNOWLEDGE REGARDING HOW TO MOST OPTIMALLY AND ETHICALLY INTEGRATE COMPLEMENTARY THERAPIES (I.E., YOGA) INTO CURRENT PSYCHOLOGY PRACTICES. MOREOVER, IT REMAINS UNCLEAR WHICH CLIENTS ARE THE BEST CANDIDATES FOR RECEIVING SUCH COMPLEMENTARY TREATMENTS AND WHICH THERAPISTS SHOULD PROVIDE THEM. THE PURPOSE OF THIS PAPER IS TO PROVIDE AN OVERVIEW OF THE HISTORY OF YOGA, THE SCIENTIFIC EVIDENCE IN SUPPORT OF ITS USE FOR MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES, AND AN ETHICAL FRAMEWORK TO GUIDE PSYCHOLOGISTS INTERESTED IN INTEGRATING YOGA INTO PSYCHOTHERAPY. 2017 8 2706 29 YOGA INTO CANCER CARE: A REVIEW OF THE EVIDENCE-BASED RESEARCH. TO COPE WITH CANCER AND ITS TREATMENT-RELATED SIDE EFFECTS AND TOXICITIES, PEOPLE ARE INCREASINGLY USING COMPLEMENTARY AND ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE (CAM). CONSEQUENTLY, INTEGRATIVE ONCOLOGY, WHICH COMBINES CONVENTIONAL THERAPIES AND EVIDENCE-BASED CAM PRACTICES, IS AN EMERGING DISCIPLINE IN CANCER CARE. THE USE OF YOGA AS A CAM IS PROVING TO BE BENEFICIAL AND INCREASINGLY GAINING POPULARITY. AN ELECTRONIC DATABASE SEARCH (PUBMED), THROUGH DECEMBER 15, 2016, REVEALED 138 RELEVANT CLINICAL TRIALS (SINGLE-ARMED, NONRANDOMIZED, AND RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIALS) ON THE USE OF YOGA IN CANCER PATIENTS. A TOTAL OF 10,660 CANCER PATIENTS FROM 20 COUNTRIES WERE RECRUITED IN THESE STUDIES. REGARDLESS OF SOME METHODOLOGICAL DEFICIENCIES, MOST OF THE STUDIES REPORTED THAT YOGA IMPROVED THE PHYSICAL AND PSYCHOLOGICAL SYMPTOMS, QUALITY OF LIFE, AND MARKERS OF IMMUNITY OF THE PATIENTS, PROVIDING A STRONG SUPPORT FOR YOGA'S INTEGRATION INTO CONVENTIONAL CANCER CARE. THIS REVIEW ARTICLE PRESENTS THE PUBLISHED CLINICAL RESEARCH ON THE PREVALENCE OF YOGA'S USE IN CANCER PATIENTS SO THAT ONCOLOGISTS, RESEARCHERS, AND THE PATIENTS ARE AWARE OF THE EVIDENCE SUPPORTING THE USE OF THIS RELATIVELY SAFE MODALITY IN CANCER CARE. 2018 9 1566 12 LOW BACK PAIN AND YOGA. ABSTRACT QUESTIONS FROM PATIENTS ABOUT PAIN CONDITIONS AND ANALGESIC PHARMACOTHERAPY AND RESPONSES FROM AUTHORS ARE PRESENTED TO HELP EDUCATE PATIENTS AND MAKE THEM MORE EFFECTIVE SELF-ADVOCATES. THE TOPIC ADDRESSED IN THIS ISSUE IS CHRONIC LOW BACK PAIN, ONE OF THE MOST COMMON REASONS TO VISIT ONE'S PRIMARY CARE DOCTOR. COMPLEMENTARY APPROACHES, INCLUDING YOGA, WILL BE ADDRESSED. 2014 10 2445 20 YOGA AND SUBSTANCE USE DISORDERS: A NARRATIVE REVIEW. YOGA HAS BEEN UTILIZED FOR PROMOTION OF HEALTH AND ALLEVIATING DISTRESS. IT HAS ALSO BEEN USED AS A THERAPEUTIC MEASURE IN THE FIELD OF MENTAL HEALTH, INCLUDING SUBSTANCE USE DISORDERS. THIS NARRATIVE REVIEW DISCUSSES THE LITERATURE PERTAINING TO USE OF YOGA IN THE TREATMENT OF SUBSTANCE USE DISORDERS. THE EVIDENCE BASE ESPECIALLY WITH REGARDS TO RANDOMIZED TRIALS IS PRESENTED. THE POSSIBLE MECHANISMS HOW YOGA MIGHT BE HELPFUL IN THE TREATMENT OF SUBSTANCE USE DISORDERS ARE EXPLORED. SUBSEQUENTLY, IMPLICATIONS OF YOGA IN CLINICAL PRACTICE ARE ELABORATED, FOLLOWED BY EXAMINATION OF THE ISSUES IN INTERPRETATION OF THE LITERATURE OF PUBLISHED YOGA RELATED STUDIES. 2017 11 1142 31 EFFICACY, FEASIBILITY, AND ACCEPTABILITY OF PERINATAL YOGA ON WOMEN'S MENTAL HEALTH AND WELL-BEING: A SYSTEMATIC LITERATURE REVIEW. INTRODUCTION: PERINATAL MAJOR DEPRESSIVE DISORDER AFFECTS 20% OF WOMEN, WHILE PERINATAL ANXIETY AFFECTS 10% OF WOMEN. ALTHOUGH PHARMACOLOGICAL TREATMENT HAS SHOWN EFFECTIVENESS, MANY PREGNANT WOMEN ARE CONCERNED ABOUT POTENTIAL ADVERSE EFFECTS ON THE FETUS, MATERNAL-INFANT BONDING, AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT. APPROXIMATELY 38% OF AMERICAN ADULTS USE COMPLEMENTARY AND ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE, INCLUDING YOGA AND OTHER MIND-BODY STRATEGIES. ALTHOUGH COMPLEMENTARY AND ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE HAS BEEN LESS STUDIED IN THE PERINATAL POPULATION, IT POTENTIALLY OFFERS WOMEN AND THEIR PROVIDERS ALTERNATIVES TO TRADITIONAL MEDICATION FOR TREATMENT OF PERINATAL DEPRESSION AND ANXIETY. THUS, THE PURPOSE OF THIS SYSTEMATIC REVIEW WAS TO EXAMINE EXISTING EMPIRICAL LITERATURE ON YOGA AND ITS EFFECTS ON WOMEN'S HEALTH AND WELL-BEING DURING THE PERINATAL PERIOD. METHOD: FOLLOWING PRISMA (PREFERRED REPORTING ITEMS FOR SYSTEMATIC REVIEWS AND META-ANALYSES) GUIDELINES FOR SYSTEMIC LITERATURE REVIEWS, LITERATURE SEARCHES USING RELEVANT SEARCH TERMS WERE PERFORMED IN FOUR MAJOR ELECTRONIC DATABASES: CINAHL, PUBMED, PSYCINFO, AND EMBASE. THIRTEEN PUBLICATIONS MET INCLUSION CRITERIA. RESULTS: RESULTS INDICATED THAT YOGA INTERVENTIONS ARE GENERALLY EFFECTIVE IN REDUCING ANXIETY AND DEPRESSION IN PREGNANT WOMEN. DISCUSSION: THE USE OF YOGA IN THE PERINATAL PERIOD SHOWS PROMISE IN IMPROVING MENTAL HEALTH AND WELL-BEING FOR WOMEN AND INFANTS. THIS REVIEW CAN INFORM FUTURE YOGA INTERVENTION STUDIES AND CLINICAL PRACTICE WITH THE PERINATAL POPULATION. 2016 12 2453 29 YOGA AS A COMPLEMENTARY THERAPY FOR CHILDREN AND ADOLESCENTS: A GUIDE FOR CLINICIANS. YOGA IS BEING USED BY A GROWING NUMBER OF YOUTH AND ADULTS AS A MEANS OF IMPROVING OVERALL HEALTH AND FITNESS. THERE IS ALSO A PROGRESSIVE TREND TOWARD USE OF YOGA AS A MIND-BODY COMPLEMENTARY AND ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE INTERVENTION TO IMPROVE SPECIFIC PHYSICAL AND MENTAL HEALTH CONDITIONS. TO PROVIDE CLINICIANS WITH THERAPEUTICALLY USEFUL INFORMATION ABOUT YOGA, THE EVIDENCE EVALUATING YOGA AS AN EFFECTIVE INTERVENTION FOR CHILDREN AND ADOLESCENTS WITH HEALTH PROBLEMS IS REVIEWED AND SUMMARIZED. A BRIEF OVERVIEW OF YOGA AND YOGA THERAPY IS PRESENTED ALONG WITH YOGA RESOURCES AND PRACTICAL STRATEGIES FOR CLINICAL PRACTITIONERS TO USE WITH THEIR PATIENTS. THE MAJORITY OF AVAILABLE STUDIES WITH CHILDREN AND ADOLESCENTS SUGGEST BENEFITS TO USING YOGA AS A THERAPEUTIC INTERVENTION AND SHOW VERY FEW ADVERSE EFFECTS. THESE RESULTS MUST BE INTERPRETED AS PRELIMINARY FINDINGS BECAUSE MANY OF THE STUDIES HAVE METHODOLOGICAL LIMITATIONS THAT PREVENT STRONG CONCLUSIONS FROM BEING DRAWN. YOGA APPEARS PROMISING AS A COMPLEMENTARY THERAPY FOR CHILDREN AND ADOLESCENTS. FURTHER INFORMATION ABOUT HOW TO APPLY IT MOST EFFECTIVELY AND MORE COORDINATED RESEARCH EFFORTS ARE NEEDED. 2010 13 2126 27 THE EFFECTIVENESS OF YOGA FOR DEPRESSION: A CRITICAL LITERATURE REVIEW. IN THE UNITED STATES, THE PREVALENCE OF DEPRESSION IS QUITE HIGH-9% IN THE GENERAL POPULATION-WITH WOMEN, YOUNG ADULTS, AND SENIORS PARTICULARLY VULNERABLE. IN RECENT YEARS, INCREASING NUMBERS OF PEOPLE ARE TURNING TO COMPLEMENTARY AND ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE (CAM) FOR RELIEF FROM DEPRESSION AND OTHER MENTAL HEALTH PROBLEMS. ONE FORM OF CAM, YOGA, HAS BEEN GROWING IN POPULARITY; THIS RISE IN POPULARITY HAS, IN PART, BEEN DRIVEN BY INTEREST IN HOW THIS PRACTICE, WITH ITS MINDFULNESS AND MEDITATION ASPECTS, MAY DECREASE DEPRESSION. THIS CRITICAL LITERATURE REVIEW EXAMINES SIX RECENT STUDIES ON YOGA AS AN INTERVENTION; SPECIFICALLY, THIS REVIEW FOCUSES ON YOGA STYLES IN WHICH THE PRACTICE OF YOGA POSES, CALLED ASANAS, IS THE CORE COMPONENT. ALTHOUGH THE SIGNIFICANT POSITIVE FINDINGS ARE PROMISING, THE STUDIES HAD METHODOLOGICAL LIMITATIONS; IDENTIFICATION OF THESE LIMITATIONS CAN INFORM FUTURE STUDIES. 2014 14 538 16 COMPLEMENTARY AND ALTERNATIVE TREATMENT FOR NECK PAIN: CHIROPRACTIC, ACUPUNCTURE, TENS, MASSAGE, YOGA, TAI CHI, AND FELDENKRAIS. OF THE MULTITUDE OF TREATMENT OPTIONS FOR THE MANAGEMENT OF NECK PAIN, NO OBVIOUS SINGLE TREATMENT MODALITY HAS BEEN SHOWN TO BE MOST EFFICACIOUS. AS SUCH, THE CLINICIAN SHOULD CONSIDER ALTERNATIVE TREATMENT MODALITIES IF A MODALITY IS ENGAGING, AVAILABLE, FINANCIALLY FEASIBLE, POTENTIALLY EFFICACIOUS, AND IS LOW RISK FOR THE PATIENT. AS EVIDENCE-BASED MEDICINE FOR NECK PAIN DEVELOPS, THE CLINICIAN IS FACED WITH THE CHALLENGE OF WHICH TREATMENTS TO ENCOURAGE PATIENTS TO PURSUE. TREATMENT MODALITIES EXPLORED IN THIS ARTICLE, INCLUDING CHIROPRACTIC, ACUPUNCTURE, TENS, MASSAGE, YOGA, TAI CHI, AND FELDENKRAIS, REPRESENT REASONABLE COMPLEMENTARY AND ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE METHODS FOR PATIENTS WITH NECK PAIN. 2011 15 1300 27 HATHA YOGA FOR DEPRESSION: CRITICAL REVIEW OF THE EVIDENCE FOR EFFICACY, PLAUSIBLE MECHANISMS OF ACTION, AND DIRECTIONS FOR FUTURE RESEARCH. BACKGROUND: THE PURPOSE OF THIS ARTICLE IS TO REVIEW THE EVIDENCE FOR THE EFFICACY OF HATHA YOGA FOR DEPRESSION AND POSSIBLE MECHANISMS BY WHICH YOGA MAY HAVE AN IMPACT ON DEPRESSION, AND TO OUTLINE DIRECTIONS FOR FUTURE RESEARCH. METHODS: LITERATURE REVIEW AND SYNTHESIS. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: A LITERATURE SEARCH FOR CLINICAL TRIALS EXAMINING YOGA FOR DEPRESSION UNCOVERED EIGHT TRIALS: 5 INCLUDING INDIVIDUALS WITH CLINICAL DEPRESSION, AND 3 FOR INDIVIDUALS WITH ELEVATED DEPRESSION SYMPTOMS. ALTHOUGH RESULTS FROM THESE TRIALS ARE ENCOURAGING, THEY SHOULD BE VIEWED AS VERY PRELIMINARY BECAUSE THE TRIALS, AS A GROUP, SUFFERED FROM SUBSTANTIAL METHODOLOGICAL LIMITATIONS. WE WOULD ARGUE, HOWEVER, THAT THERE ARE SEVERAL REASONS TO CONSIDER CONSTRUCTING CAREFUL RESEARCH ON YOGA FOR DEPRESSION. FIRST, CURRENT STRATEGIES FOR TREATING DEPRESSION ARE NOT SUFFICIENT FOR MANY INDIVIDUALS, AND PATIENTS HAVE SEVERAL CONCERNS ABOUT EXISTING TREATMENTS. YOGA MAY BE AN ATTRACTIVE ALTERNATIVE TO OR A GOOD WAY TO AUGMENT CURRENT DEPRESSION TREATMENT STRATEGIES. SECOND, ASPECTS OF YOGA-INCLUDING MINDFULNESS PROMOTION AND EXERCISE-ARE THOUGHT TO BE "ACTIVE INGREDIENTS" OF OTHER SUCCESSFUL TREATMENTS FOR DEPRESSION. THIRD, THERE ARE PLAUSIBLE BIOLOGICAL, PSYCHOLOGICAL, AND BEHAVIORAL MECHANISMS BY WHICH YOGA MAY HAVE AN IMPACT ON DEPRESSION. WE PROVIDE SUGGESTIONS FOR THE NEXT STEPS IN THE STUDY OF YOGA AS A TREATMENT FOR DEPRESSION. 2010 16 2482 45 YOGA AS AN ALTERNATIVE AND COMPLIMENTARY THERAPY FOR CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW. CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE IS A LEADING CAUSE OF DISABILITY AND DEATH WORLDWIDE. YOGA, A MIND-BODY EXERCISE, UTILIZES BREATHING TECHNIQUES WITH LOW-IMPACT PHYSICAL ACTIVITY THAT MAY BE AN ALTERNATIVE TREATMENT FOR CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE. THE PURPOSE OF THIS SYSTEMATIC REVIEW WAS TO EXAMINE YOGA INTERVENTIONS FOR PATIENTS AT-RISK FOR AND/OR SUFFERING FROM CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE. THE INCLUSION CRITERIA FOR INTERVENTIONS WERE ( A) PUBLISHED IN THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE BETWEEN 2005 AND 2015; ( B) INDEXED IN MEDLINE/PUBMED, CINAHL, OR ALT HEALTHWATCH; ( C) EMPLOYED A QUANTITATIVE DESIGN; AND ( D) APPLIED A YOGA INTERVENTION. TWELVE INTERVENTIONS MET THE INCLUSION CRITERIA, OF WHICH, ALL DOCUMENTED SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENTS IN ONE OR MORE FACTORS ASSOCIATED WITH CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE. LIMITATIONS TO THE STUDIES IN THIS REVIEW INCLUDED A LACK OF STUDIES ADHERING TO THE INCLUSION CRITERIA, SMALL SAMPLE SIZES, AND HIGH ATTRITION RATES. DESPITE THE LIMITATIONS, THIS REVIEW DEMONSTRATES THE CLEAR POTENTIAL YOGA HAS AS AN ALTERNATIVE AND COMPLEMENTARY MEANS TO IMPROVE CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE RISK. 2017 17 2632 29 YOGA FOR TRAUMA AND RELATED MENTAL HEALTH PROBLEMS: A META-REVIEW WITH CLINICAL AND SERVICE RECOMMENDATIONS. HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICE PROVIDERS HAVE EXPRESSED GROWING INTEREST IN THE BENEFITS OF YOGA TO HELP INDIVIDUALS COPE WITH THE EFFECTS OF TRAUMA, INCLUDING ANXIETY, DEPRESSION, AND POSTTRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER (PTSD). DESPITE THE GROWING POPULARITY AND STRONG APPEAL OF YOGA, PROVIDERS MUST BE MINDFUL OF THE EVIDENCE REGARDING THE EFFICACY OF YOGA IN TREATING TRAUMA EFFECTS AS WELL AS TRAUMA-RELATED MENTAL HEALTH SYMPTOMS AND ILLNESSES. THEREFORE, OUR RESEARCH TEAM SOUGHT TO ANSWER TWO QUESTIONS: (A) WHAT IS THE EVIDENCE REGARDING YOGA AS A TREATMENT FOR TRAUMA EFFECTS, INCLUDING ANXIETY, DEPRESSION, AND PTSD AND (B) WHAT ARE THE CLINICAL AND SERVICE RECOMMENDATIONS FOR USING YOGA WITH TRAUMA-EXPOSED INDIVIDUALS? OUR INITIAL SCANS IDENTIFIED A SUBSTANTIAL BODY OF RESEARCH, INCLUDING REVIEWS. RATHER THAN REPLICATE EARLIER EFFORTS, WE UNDERTOOK A SYSTEMATIC META-REVIEW OF 13 LITERATURE REVIEWS, ONE OF WHICH INCLUDED A META-ANALYSIS. WE DETERMINED THE 13 REVIEWS EXAMINED 185 DISTINCT STUDIES. FINDINGS SHOW THAT THE EVIDENCE REGARDING YOGA AS AN INTERVENTION FOR THE EFFECTS OF TRAUMA AS WELL AS THE MENTAL HEALTH SYMPTOMS AND ILLNESSES OFTEN ASSOCIATED WITH TRAUMA IS ENCOURAGING BUT PRELIMINARY. OVERALL, THE BODY OF RESEARCH IS LACKING IN RIGOR AS WELL AS SPECIFICITY REGARDING TRAUMA. REVIEW RESULTS ALSO ONLY ALLOW FOR THE RECOMMENDATION OF YOGA AS AN ANCILLARY TREATMENT. FURTHER, THE REVIEWS HAD CONSIDERABLE DIFFERENCES IN THEIR METHODS AND LIMITATIONS. NONETHELESS, THE RESULTS YIELDED FINDINGS CONCERNING HOW CLINICIANS AND SERVICE PROVIDERS CAN USE YOGA IN THEIR OWN PRACTICES, WHICH IS AN IMPORTANT STEP FOR BUILDING AN EVIDENCE BASE IN THIS AREA. 2018 18 440 24 CASE REPORT: THE USE OF MEDICAL YOGA FOR ADOLESCENT MENTAL HEALTH. MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES ARE EPIDEMIC AMONG YOUTH IN THE UNITED STATES TODAY. RECENT STUDIES SUGGEST THAT UP TO 50% OF ALL TEENAGERS HAVE COMPLAINTS RELATED TO STRESS, ANXIETY, AND/OR DEPRESSION. THIS PROBLEM IS ACCOMPANIED BY AN UNPRECEDENTED RISE IN THE RATES OF CHILD AND TEEN SUICIDE IN THE UNITED STATES. IN RESPONSE TO THIS EPIDEMIC, THE AMERICAN ACADEMY OF PEDIATRICS IS RECOMMENDING UNIVERSAL DEPRESSION SCREENING FOR ALL TEENS. MEDICATIONS ARE AVAILABLE TO AMELIORATE MENTAL HEALTH DISORDERS, AND MANY CAN BE SAFELY USED IN THE PRIMARY CARE SETTING. HOWEVER, MANY OF THESE MEDICATIONS HAVE UNWANTED SIDE EFFECTS OR MAY NOT BE FAMILIAR TO THE PRIMARY CARE PHYSICIAN. FOR THESE REASONS AND OTHERS, PRIMARY CARE PHYSICIANS REQUIRE ADDITIONAL APPROACHES TO RESPOND TO THE CHALLENGES IMPOSED BY A GROWING NUMBER OF PATIENTS REQUIRING MENTAL HEALTH SUPPORT. MEDICAL YOGA THERAPY, PRESCRIBED BY A PHYSICIAN WITH SPECIAL YOGA THERAPY TRAINING, OFFERS A SAFE AND EFFECTIVE WAY TO SERVE THE PATIENT WITH PHYSICAL OR MENTAL CHALLENGES DISABILITIES. MEDICAL YOGA THERAPY IS AN INDIVIDUALIZED AND PERSONAL APPROACH TO THE PATIENT, AND IT MAY BE INTEGRATED WITH ANY CURRENT THERAPY OR MEDICAL REGIMEN. HERE, EVIDENCE FOR MEDICAL YOGA IS REVIEWED IN THE CONTEXT OF AN ADOLESCENT PATIENT WITH A COMMON DISORDER. YOGA PRACTICES, WITH PARTICULAR FOCUS ON MINDFULNESS, OFFER A SAFE AND EFFECTIVE INTERVENTION FOR A GROWING NUMBER OF PEDIATRIC PATIENTS. 2019 19 349 31 ASSESSING THE EFFECTIVENESS OF YOGA AS A COMPLEMENTARY AND ALTERNATIVE TREATMENT FOR POST-TRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER: A REVIEW AND SYNTHESIS. OBJECTIVES: POSTTRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER (PTSD) IS A DEBILITATING CONDITION THAT AFFECTS MANY WHO HAVE EXPERIENCED TRAUMA. IN ADDITION TO SKILLS-FOCUSED TREATMENTS, EXPOSURE-BASED TREATMENTS, COGNITIVE THERAPY, COMBINATION TREATMENTS, AND EMDR, A NUMBER OF ALTERNATIVE TREATMENTS FOR PTSD HAVE EMERGED IN RECENT YEARS. THE SEARCH FOR ALTERNATIVE TREATMENTS IS JUSTIFIED BASED ON THE EMPIRICAL OBSERVATION THAT A LARGE PERCENTAGE OF INDIVIDUALS FAIL TO BENEFIT OPTIMALLY FROM EXISTING TREATMENTS (E.G., BETWEEN 30 AND 60). MOREOVER, CURRENT STUDIES OFTEN UTILIZE STRINGENT INCLUSION CRITERIA (E.G., ABSENCE OF COMORBID DISORDERS), RAISING THE LIKELIHOOD THAT RESULTS WILL NOT GENERALIZE TO MANY INDIVIDUALS CURRENTLY EXPERIENCING PTSD. THE PRIMARY OBJECTIVE OF THE CURRENT PAPER WAS TO EXPLORE THE EFFECTS OF ONE TYPE OF ALTERNATIVE TREATMENT: YOGA. DESIGN: A COMPREHENSIVE REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE WAS CONDUCTED TARGETING RESEARCH EXAMINING YOGA POSTURES AND PTSD. SEVEN RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIALS (RCTS) WERE IDENTIFIED AND REVIEWED, AND EFFECT SIZES WERE COMPUTED FOR THE POST-TEST ASSESSMENTS. RESULTS: COHEN'S D FOR EACH STUDY RANGED (IN ABSOLUTE VALUE) FROM A LOW OF -0.06 TO A HIGH OF 1.42 (AVERAGE WEIGHTED D ACROSS STUDIES WAS 0.48; 95% CI: 0.26, 0.69). CONCLUSIONS: PUTATIVE MECHANISMS OF ACTION FOR THE POSSIBLE BENEFICIAL EFFECTS OF YOGA FOR PTSD-RELATED SYMPTOMATOLOGY AND CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS ARE DISCUSSED. 2017 20 588 35 DETERMINING PSYCHONEUROIMMUNOLOGIC MARKERS OF YOGA AS AN INTERVENTION FOR PERSONS DIAGNOSED WITH PTSD: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW. THERE IS A GROWING BODY OF RESEARCH ON YOGA AS A THERAPEUTIC INTERVENTION FOR PSYCHOLOGICAL SYMPTOMS OF POST-TRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER (PTSD) ACCOMPANIED BY SPECULATIONS ON UNDERLYING PHYSIOLOGIC MECHANISMS. THE PURPOSE OF THIS SYSTEMATIC REVIEW IS TO IDENTIFY, QUALITATIVELY EVALUATE, AND SYNTHESIZE STUDIES OF YOGA AS AN INTERVENTION FOR PTSD THAT MEASURED PHYSIOLOGIC OUTCOMES IN ORDER TO GAIN INSIGHTS INTO POTENTIAL MECHANISMS. THE FOCUS IS ON STUDIES EVALUATING YOGA AS A THERAPEUTIC INTERVENTION FOR PTSD RATHER THAN FOR TRAUMA EXPOSURE, PTSD PREVENTION, OR SUBCLINICAL PTSD. MULTIPLE DATABASES WERE SEARCHED FOR PUBLICATIONS FROM THE PAST TWO DECADES USING TERMS DERIVED FROM THE QUESTION, "IN PEOPLE WITH PTSD, WHAT IS THE EFFECT OF YOGA ON OBJECTIVE OUTCOMES?" ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA INCLUDED YOGA-ONLY MODALITIES TESTED AS AN INTERVENTION FOR FORMALLY DIAGNOSED PTSD WITH AT LEAST ONE PHYSIOLOGIC OUTCOME. RESULTS OF THIS REVIEW CONFIRMED THAT, THOUGH MUCH OF THE PUBLISHED LITERATURE PROPOSES PHYSIOLOGICAL MECHANISMS UNDERLYING YOGA'S EFFECTS ON PTSD, VERY FEW STUDIES ( N = 3) HAVE ACTUALLY EVALUATED PHYSIOLOGICAL EVIDENCE. ADDITIONALLY, SEVERAL STUDIES HAD METHODOLOGICAL LIMITATIONS. IN LIGHT OF THE LIMITED DATA SUPPORTING YOGA'S BENEFICIAL EFFECTS ON AUTONOMIC NERVOUS SYSTEM DYSREGULATION, WE PRESENT A THEORETICAL MODEL OF THE PSYCHONEUROIMMUNOLOGIC PROCESSES ASSOCIATED WITH PTSD AND THE EFFECTS YOGA MAY HAVE ON THESE PROCESSES TO GUIDE FUTURE RESEARCH. GAPS IN THE LITERATURE REMAIN FOR MECHANISMS RELATED TO ACTIVATION OF THE HYPOTHALAMIC-PITUITARY-ADRENAL AXIS AND INFLAMMATION. ADDITIONAL RIGOROUS MECHANISTIC STUDIES ARE NEEDED TO GUIDE DEVELOPMENT OF EFFECTIVE YOGA INTERVENTIONS FOR PTSD TO AUGMENT EXISTING EVIDENCE-BASED PTSD TREATMENTS. 2018