1 891 145 EFFECT OF YOGA-BASED INTERVENTION IN PATIENTS WITH INFLAMMATORY BOWEL DISEASE. BACKGROUND: INFLAMMATORY BOWEL DISEASE (IBD) IS A CHRONIC ILLNESS CHARACTERIZED BY GROSS INFLAMMATION IN THE GASTROINTESTINAL TRACT THAT CAN RESULT IN SYMPTOMS SUCH AS ABDOMINAL PAIN, CRAMPING, DIARRHEA, AND BLOODY STOOLS. IBD IS BELIEVED TO BE INFLUENCED BY PSYCHOLOGICAL FACTORS SUCH AS STRESS AND ANXIETY. THEREFORE, A YOGA INTERVENTION THAT REDUCES STRESS AND ANXIETY MAY BE AN EFFECTIVE COMPLEMENTARY TREATMENT FOR THESE DISORDERS. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A TOTAL OF 100 IBD PATIENTS [ULCERATIVE COLITIS (UC) N = 60 AND CROHN'S DISEASE (CD) N = 40] DURING THE CLINICAL REMISSION PHASE OF DISEASE WERE INCLUDED IN THE STUDY. THESE PATIENTS WERE ALLOCATED RANDOMLY TO EITHER THE YOGA GROUP THAT UNDERWENT AN 8-WEEK YOGA INTERVENTION (PHYSICAL POSTURES, PRANAYAMA, AND MEDITATION) 1- HOUR/DAY IN ADDITION TO STANDARD MEDICAL THERAPY (UC, N = 30; CD, N = 20) OR THE CONTROL GROUP (UC, N = 30; CD N = 20), WHICH CONTINUED WITH STANDARD MEDICAL THERAPY ALONE. THE MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES WERE CARDIOVASCULAR AUTONOMIC FUNCTIONS, SERUM EOSINOPHILIC CATIONIC PROTEIN, INTERLEUKIN- 2 SOLUBLE RECEPTORS, SPEILBERGER'S STATE TRAIT ANXIETY INVENTORY (STAI) SCORES, AND CLINICAL SYMPTOMS. RESULTS: BEFORE THE INTERVENTION, ALL THE OUTCOME MEASURES WERE COMPARABLE IN THE TWO GROUPS. AFTER THE 8-WEEK YOGA INTERVENTION, FEWER UC PATIENTS REPORTED ARTHRALGIA. THE NUMBER OF PATIENTS REPORTING INTESTINAL COLIC PAIN IN THE CONTROL GROUP WAS HIGHER. STATE AND TRAIT ANXIETY LEVELS WERE SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCED IN PATIENTS WITH UC. HOWEVER, NO SIGNIFICANT CHANGES WERE OBSERVED IN CARDIOVASCULAR AUTONOMIC FUNCTIONS, EOSINOPHILIC CATIONIC PROTEINS, OR INTERLEUKIN-2 SOLUBLE RECEPTORS. CONCLUSIONS: A SIMPLIFIED YOGA-BASED REGIMEN IS A SAFE AND EFFECTIVE COMPLEMENTARY CLINICAL TREATMENT MODALITY FOR PATIENTS WITH INFLAMMATORY BOWEL DISEASE DURING THE CLINICAL REMISSION PHASE. 2015 2 1531 38 IYENGAR YOGA THERAPY AS AN INTERVENTION FOR CRAMP MANAGEMENT IN INDIVIDUALS WITH AMYOTROPHIC LATERAL SCLEROSIS: THREE CASE REPORTS. OBJECTIVES: PATIENTS WITH AMYOTROPHIC LATERAL SCLEROSIS (ALS), A NEURODEGENERATIVE DISEASE OF MOTOR NEURONS, EXPERIENCE CRAMPS AT ALL STAGES OF THE ILLNESS. THERE IS, AT PRESENT, NO EFFECTIVE MEDICATION TO CONTROL THE CRAMPS AND NO AGREEMENT ON HOW TO TREAT THE SYMPTOM IN ALS PATIENTS. SUBJECTS: THREE INDIVIDUALS WHO WERE DIAGNOSED WITH ALS AND REPORTED SUFFERING CRAMPS IN VARIOUS PARTS OF THE BODY, WHICH LIMITED THEIR ACTIVITIES OR AFFECTED THEIR SLEEP WERE INVITED TO TRY IYENGAR YOGA. INTERVENTION AND OUTCOME: YOGA THERAPY, COMPOSED OF STRETCHING, BREATHING, AND RELAXATION EXERCISES, WAS PRESCRIBED FOR EACH CASE, BASED ON THE SUBJECT'S PHYSICAL DISABILITY AND THE PRESENCE OF OTHER SYMPTOMS. ALTHOUGH TWO SUBJECTS EXPERIENCED CRAMPS DURING THE FIRST THERAPY SESSION, ALL THREE SUBJECTS REPORTED THE COMPLETE CESSATION OF CRAMPING WITHIN 3 WEEKS TO 8 WEEKS OF THERAPY. ONE OF THE SUBJECTS DEVELOPED CRAMPS IN THE HAND AFTER DISCONTINUING YOGA THERAPY FOR 7 MONTHS. HOWEVER, THE SYMPTOM STOPPED WITHIN 2 WEEKS OF RESUMING YOGA THERAPY. CONCLUSION: THE ALLEVIATION OF CRAMPS IN THESE THREE SUBJECTS INDICATES THE POSSIBILITY OF YOGIC INTERVENTION FOR THE MANAGEMENT OF CRAMPS IN INDIVIDUALS WITH ALS, BUT FURTHER RESEARCH IS NECESSARY TO UNDERSTAND THE EFFECTIVENESS OF YOGA THERAPY AND TO DETERMINE THE EXERCISES THAT ARE MORE PRONE TO LEAD TO CRAMPING IN SOME ALS INDIVIDUALS. 2014 3 1532 31 IYENGAR YOGA THERAPY INTERVENTION FOR ISCHIAL PRESSURE ULCERS IN A PATIENT WITH AMYOTROPHIC LATERAL SCLEROSIS: A CASE STUDY. BACKGROUND: ALTHOUGH SOME RESEARCH SUGGESTS THAT THE FORMATION OF PRESSURE ULCERS IS RARE IN PATIENTS WITH AMYOTROPHIC LATERAL SCLEROSIS (ALS), SEVERAL PATIENTS HAVE NONETHELESS DEVELOPED THIS PROBLEM. TO DATE, HOWEVER, NO CASE REPORTS IN THE LITERATURE HAVE DESCRIBED PATIENTS WITH ALS WHO DEVELOP ISCHIAL PRESSURE ULCERS. OUTSIDE OF THE ALS LITERATURE, EVIDENCE SUGGESTS THAT ISCHIAL PRESSURE ULCERS FREQUENTLY DEVELOP IN WHEELCHAIR USERS AND ALSO IN PATIENTS TREATED IN VARIOUS HEALTH CARE SETTINGS. CASE DESCRIPTION: A PATIENT DIAGNOSED WITH ALS REPORTED THE DEVELOPMENT OF ISCHIAL PRESSURE ULCERS AFTER CONSISTENT IMMOBILITY FOR 1 YEAR (32 MONTHS AFTER HER ALS DIAGNOSIS). THIS PATIENT, WHO WAS SITTING ON THE WOUNDS, WAS TREATED WITH OINTMENT AND MORPHINE; THE LATTER WAS INEFFECTIVE IN CONTROLLING THE PAIN. MOVING THE PATIENT FROM SITTING TO SUPINE, LATERAL, OR SEMILATERAL POSITIONS, EITHER ON THE BED OR WHEELCHAIR, TO SEPARATE THE ULCERS FROM THE SURFACE OF THE CHAIR OR BED WAS DEEMED IMPOSSIBLE BECAUSE OF EXAGGERATION OF OTHER SYMPTOMS, INCLUDING SHORTNESS OF BREATH AND PAIN IN OTHER PARTS OF THE BODY. A NEW METHOD OF POSTURAL ALIGNMENT WAS DEVELOPED TO ALLEVIATE THE PAIN ASSOCIATED WITH THE PRESSURE ULCER. THIS METHOD, IYENGAR YOGA THERAPY, WHICH USES PROPS TO REPOSITION A PATIENT, ALLEVIATED PAIN AND HEALING OF TWO PRESSURE ULCERS OF THE PATIENT AFTER 3 WEEKS OF STARTING THIS INTERVENTION. CONCLUSION: ALTHOUGH THE ISCHIAL PRESSURE ULCERS WERE SUCCESSFULLY TREATED IN A PATIENT WITH ALS, FURTHER STUDY IS NECESSARY TO INVESTIGATE THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THIS POSTURAL ALIGNMENT INTERVENTION IN ALS AND OTHER PATIENT POPULATIONS FOR THE MANAGEMENT OF ISCHIAL PRESSURE ULCERS. 2015 4 1035 38 EFFECTS OF YOGA IN INFLAMMATORY BOWEL DISEASES AND ON FREQUENT IBD-ASSOCIATED EXTRAINTESTINAL SYMPTOMS LIKE FATIGUE AND DEPRESSION. QUALITY OF LIFE (QOL) OF PERSONS WITH INFLAMMATORY BOWEL DISEASES (IBD) IS OFTEN IMPAIRED BY SYMPTOMS THAT DO NOT PRIMARILY RELATE TO INTESTINAL INFLAMMATION. AMONG THE MOST CHALLENGING EXTRAINTESTINAL SYMPTOMS ARE DEPRESSION AND FATIGUE, WHICH ARE ALSO FREQUENT IN OTHER CHRONIC DISEASES LIKE MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS, RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS AND CANCER. YOGA AS AN ANCIENT INDIAN TRADITION CONTAINING POSTURES, BREATHING EXERCISES AND MEDITATION MAY POSITIVELY INFLUENCE THOSE SYMPTOMS. THIS REVIEW EVALUATES THE CURRENT LITERATURE WITH REGARD TO THE EFFECT OF YOGA-BASED INTERVENTIONS IN PERSONS WITH IBD AND WITH REGARD TO QOL, DEPRESSION AND FATIGUE IN OTHER SOMATIC DISORDERS. A SYSTEMATIC LITERATURE SEARCH YIELDED THREE TRIALS EXAMINING THE EFFECTS OF YOGA IN PATIENTS WITH IBD AND 37 TRIALS ADDRESSING DEPRESSIVE SYNDROMES OR FATIGUE IN SOMATIC DISORDERS. IN SUMMARY, BOTH IN-PERSON AND VIDEO-BASED YOGA CLASSES ARE FEASIBLE, ACCEPTABLE AND SAFE AS COMPLEMENTARY TREATMENT IN PATIENTS WITH IBD AND SIGNIFICANTLY IMPROVE ANXIETY AND IMPAIRED QUALITY OF LIFE. CURRENT LITERATURE DOES NOT PROVIDE INFORMATION ON THE EFFECT OF YOGA ON DEPRESSION AND FATIGUE IN PATIENTS WITH IBD, BUT RESEARCH FROM OTHER SOMATIC DISORDERS OR PATIENTS WITH DEPRESSIVE DISORDERS IMPLIES THE POTENTIAL OF YOGA IN THIS REGARD FOR PERSONS WITH IBD. THIS SHOULD BE SPECIFICALLY ADDRESSED IN INTERVENTIONAL TRIALS WITH STANDARDIZED YOGA MODULES INCLUDING PATIENTS WITH IBD SUFFERING FROM FATIGUE, DEPRESSION AND/OR IMPAIRED QOL. 2021 5 508 33 COMPARATIVE EFFICACY OF A 12 WEEK YOGA-BASED LIFESTYLE INTERVENTION AND DIETARY INTERVENTION ON ADIPOKINES, INFLAMMATION, AND OXIDATIVE STRESS IN ADULTS WITH METABOLIC SYNDROME: A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL. THE PRESENT RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL (RCT) EVALUATED THE COMPARATIVE EFFICACY OF 12 WEEK YOGA-BASED LIFESTYLE INTERVENTION (YBLI) AND DIETARY INTERVENTION (DI) ALONE ON ADIPOKINES, INFLAMMATION, AND OXIDATIVE STRESS IN INDIAN ADULTS WITH METABOLIC SYNDROME (MET S). A PARALLEL, TWO ARM, RCT WAS CONDUCTED IN INTEGRAL HEALTH CLINIC (IHC), ALL INDIA INSTITUTE OF MEDICAL SCIENCES, INDIA FROM 2012 TO 2014. IHC IS AN OUTPATIENT FACILITY CONDUCTING YBLI PROGRAMS FOR PREVENTION AND MANAGEMENT OF CHRONIC DISEASES. TWO HUNDRED SIXTY MEN AND WOMEN (20-45 YEARS) VISITING THE OUTPATIENT DEPARTMENT OF A TERTIARY CARE HOSPITAL WERE DIAGNOSED WITH MET S AND RANDOMIZED 1:1 TO RECEIVE 12 WEEK YBLI (N = 130) OR DI (N = 130). PRIMARY OUTCOMES WERE CHANGE IN PLASMA LEVELS OF ADIPOKINES (LEPTIN, ADIPONECTIN, AND LEPTIN:ADIPONECTIN RATIO), MARKERS OF INFLAMMATION (TUMOR NECROSIS FACTOR [TNF]-ALPHA, INTERLEUKIN [IL]-6), MARKERS OF OXIDATIVE STRESS (THIOBARBITURIC ACID REACTIVE SUBSTANCES [TBARS], 8-HYDROXY-2'-DEOXYGUANOSINE [8-OHDG], AND SUPEROXIDE DISMUTASE [SOD]) MEASURED AT BASELINE, 2 WEEKS, AND 12 WEEKS. YBLI GROUP SHOWED A SIGNIFICANT DECREASE IN LEPTIN, LEPTIN:ADIPONECTIN RATIO, IL-6, 8-OHDG, AND TBARS LEVELS, WHEREAS THERE WAS A SIGNIFICANT INCREASE IN ADIPONECTIN AND SOD LEVELS. NO SIGNIFICANT CHANGES WERE NOTICED IN DI ALONE GROUP. YBLI SHOWED SIGNIFICANTLY GREATER REDUCTION IN TBARS LEVELS THAN IN DI GROUP, SUGGESTIVE OF REDUCED OXIDATIVE STRESS IN ADULTS WITH MET S. A 12 WEEK YBLI HAD A POSITIVE IMPACT ON OXIDATIVE STRESS VERSUS DI ALONE IN ADULTS WITH MET S. 2019 6 774 38 EFFECT OF YOGA AND NATUROPATHY ON DISEASE ACTIVITY AND SYMPTOM BURDENS IN A PATIENT WITH ACTIVE ULCERATIVE COLITIS: A CASE REPORT. OBJECTIVES: ULCERATIVE COLITIS (UC) IS A CHRONIC IDIOPATHIC INFLAMMATORY DISEASE THAT AFFECTS THE LARGE BOWEL. THE OBJECTIVE OF THIS STUDY IS TO FIND THE EFFECT OF YOGA AND NATUROPATHY (YN) IN A PATIENT WITH ACTIVE MODERATE PANCOLITIS. CASE PRESENTATION: AN 18-YEAR OLD UNMARRIED FEMALE DIAGNOSED WITH UC IN 2017. PATIENT'S SYMPTOMS BEGAN WITH ABDOMINAL PAIN, NAUSEA, VOMITING AND DIARRHEA WITH/WITHOUT BLOOD STAINS MORE THAN SEVEN TIMES A DAY, DAILY. THE SYMPTOMS REDUCED AFTER TAKING REGULAR CONVENTIONAL MEDICATION FOR A PERIOD OF ONE-YEAR. HOWEVER, IN FEBRUARY-2019, THE PATIENT VISITED OUR HOSPITAL WITH THE SAME COMPLAINTS AND RECEIVED 21-DAYS OF YN TREATMENTS. RESULTS SHOWED A BETTER REDUCTION IN THE ABDOMINAL PAIN, DISEASE ACTIVITY, STRESS AND DEPRESSION AND A BETTER IMPROVEMENT IN HEMOGLOBIN LEVELS, QUALITY OF SLEEP, AND QUALITY OF LIFE WITH NO ADVERSE EFFECTS. CONCLUSIONS: YN COULD BE CONSIDERED AS AN ALTERNATIVE THERAPY IN THE MANAGEMENT OF UC. HOWEVER, FURTHER STUDIES ARE REQUIRED TO WARRANT THIS EFFECT. 2021 7 2472 50 YOGA AS ADJUNCT THERAPY FOR ADOLESCENTS WITH INFLAMMATORY BOWEL DISEASE: A PILOT CLINICAL TRIAL. OBJECTIVES: TO DETERMINE WHETHER UTILIZING YOGA AS AN ADJUNCTIVE THERAPY TO THE MEDICAL STANDARD OF CARE FOR ADOLESCENTS WITH INFLAMMATORY BOWEL DISEASE (IBD) IS: (1) FEASIBLE AND ACCEPTABLE, (2) EFFECTIVE IN REDUCING DISEASE SEVERITY, INTESTINAL INFLAMMATION AND IMPROVING WELLNESS. DESIGN: PROSPECTIVE, NON-RANDOMIZED, 8-WEEK PILOT STUDY FOR ADOLESCENTS WITH A DIAGNOSIS OF IBD. FEASIBILITY AND ACCEPTABILITY OF THE INTERVENTION WERE ASSESSED WEEKLY AND POST-INTERVENTION VIA SURVEYS AND A FOCUS GROUP (WEEK 8). DISEASE SEVERITY, INTESTINAL INFLAMMATION, AND WELLNESS MEASURES WERE ASSESSED AT BASELINE AND POST-INTERVENTION (WEEK 8). INTERVENTION: OVER THE 8-WEEK STUDY PERIOD, PATIENTS WERE ASSIGNED THREE 60-MINUTE, IN-PERSON YOGA CLASSES AT WEEKS 1, 3 AND 8, AND THREE 30-MINUTE, ONLINE YOGA VIDEOS PER WEEK. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: PRIMARY OUTCOME MEASURES WERE FEASIBILITY AND ACCEPTABILITY. SECONDARY OUTCOME MEASURES ASSESSED PRELIMINARY CLINICAL EFFICACY BY EXAMINING PRE- AND POST-INTERVENTION CHANGE IN DISEASE SEVERITY (PUCAI), INTESTINAL INFLAMMATION (FECAL CALPROTECTIN), AND SIX WELLNESS MEASURES (PROMIS-37). RESULTS: NINE ADOLESCENTS WITH IBD PARTICIPATED. EIGHT PARTICIPATED IN ONE OR MORE YOGA VIDEOS PER WEEK AND ALL NINE ATTENDED AT LEAST TWO IN-PERSON YOGA CLASSES. FOCUS GROUP THEMES REVEALED THAT THE INTERVENTION WAS WELL LIKED, WITH ALL PARTICIPANTS REPORTING REDUCED STRESS, IMPROVED EMOTIONAL SELF-AWARENESS, AND INCREASED ABILITY TO IDENTIFY AND MANAGE THE PHYSICAL SYMPTOMS OF IBD. PARTICIPANTS HAD DIFFICULTY, HOWEVER, COMPLETING THE YOGA VIDEOS DUE TO TIME LIMITATIONS AND COMPETING PRIORITIES. WE LACKED POWER TO DETECT ANY STATISTICALLY SIGNIFICANT CHANGES IN PUCAI, CALPROTECTIN, OR ANY OF THE SIX PROMIS-37 DOMAINS. CONCLUSIONS: A COMBINATION OF IN-PERSON INSTRUCTOR LED YOGA WITH VIDEO-BASED YOGA IS A FEASIBLE AND ACCEPTABLE ADJUNCT THERAPY FOR ADOLESCENTS WITH IBD. PARTICIPANTS REPORTED REDUCED STRESS AND IMPROVED ABILITY TO IDENTIFY AND MANAGE PHYSICAL SYMPTOMS. A LARGER, RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL IS NECESSARY TO DETERMINE IF THE YOGA PROTOCOL RESULTS IN CLINICALLY AND STATISTICALLY SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENTS IN INFLAMMATORY BIOMARKERS AND PATIENT REPORTED OUTCOMES. 2018 8 1597 32 MEDITATION WITH YOGA, GROUP THERAPY WITH HYPNOSIS, AND PSYCHOEDUCATION FOR LONG-TERM DEPRESSED MOOD: A RANDOMIZED PILOT TRIAL. THIS RANDOMIZED PILOT STUDY INVESTIGATED THE EFFECTS OF MEDITATION WITH YOGA (AND PSYCHOEDUCATION) VERSUS GROUP THERAPY WITH HYPNOSIS (AND PSYCHOEDUCATION) VERSUS PSYCHOEDUCATION ALONE ON DIAGNOSTIC STATUS AND SYMPTOM LEVELS AMONG 46 INDIVIDUALS WITH LONG-TERM DEPRESSIVE DISORDERS. RESULTS INDICATE THAT SIGNIFICANTLY MORE MEDITATION GROUP PARTICIPANTS EXPERIENCED A REMISSION THAN DID CONTROLS AT 9-MONTH FOLLOW-UP. EIGHT HYPNOSIS GROUP PARTICIPANTS ALSO EXPERIENCED A REMISSION, BUT THE DIFFERENCE FROM CONTROLS WAS NOT STATISTICALLY SIGNIFICANT. THREE CONTROL PARTICIPANTS, BUT NO MEDITATION OR HYPNOSIS PARTICIPANTS, DEVELOPED A NEW DEPRESSIVE EPISODE DURING THE STUDY, THOUGH THIS DIFFERENCE DID NOT REACH STATISTICAL SIGNIFICANCE IN ANY CASE. ALTHOUGH ALL GROUPS REPORTED SOME REDUCTION IN SYMPTOM LEVELS, THEY DID NOT DIFFER SIGNIFICANTLY IN THAT OUTCOME. OVERALL, THESE RESULTS SUGGEST THAT THESE TWO INTERVENTIONS SHOW PROMISE FOR TREATING LOW- TO MODERATE-LEVEL DEPRESSION. 2008 9 783 43 EFFECT OF YOGA BASED LIFESTYLE INTERVENTION ON STATE AND TRAIT ANXIETY. CONSIDERABLE EVIDENCE EXISTS FOR THE PLACE OF MIND BODY MEDICINE IN THE TREATMENT OF ANXIETY DISORDERS. EXCESSIVE ANXIETY IS MALADAPTIVE. IT IS OFTEN CONSIDERED TO BE THE MAJOR COMPONENT OF UNHEALTHY LIFESTYLE THAT CONTRIBUTES SIGNIFICANTLY TO THE PATHOGENESIS OF NOT ONLY PSYCHIATRIC BUT ALSO MANY OTHER SYSTEMIC DISORDERS. AMONG THE APPROACHES TO REDUCE THE LEVEL OF ANXIETY HAS BEEN THE SEARCH FOR HEALTHY LIFESTYLES. THE AIM OF THE STUDY WAS TO STUDY THE SHORT-TERM IMPACT OF A COMPREHENSIVE BUT BRIEF LIFESTYLE INTERVENTION, BASED ON YOGA, ON ANXIETY LEVELS IN NORMAL AND DISEASED SUBJECTS. THE STUDY WAS THE RESULT OF OPERATIONAL RESEARCH CARRIED OUT IN THE INTEGRAL HEALTH CLINIC (IHC) AT THE DEPARTMENT OF PHYSIOLOGY OF ALL INDIA INSTITUTE OF MEDICAL SCIENCES. THE SUBJECTS HAD HISTORY OF HYPERTENSION, CORONARY ARTERY DISEASE, DIABETES MELLITUS, OBESITY, PSYCHIATRIC DISORDERS (DEPRESSION, ANXIETY, 'STRESS'), GASTROINTESTINAL PROBLEMS (NON ULCER DYSPEPSIA, DUODENAL ULCERS, IRRITABLE BOWEL DISEASE, CROHN'S DISEASE, CHRONIC CONSTIPATION) AND THYROID DISORDERS (HYPERTHYROIDISM AND HYPOTHYROIDISM). THE INTERVENTION CONSISTED OF ASANAS, PRANAYAMA, RELAXATION TECHNIQUES, GROUP SUPPORT, INDIVIDUALIZED ADVICE, AND LECTURES AND FILMS ON PHILOSOPHY OF YOGA, THE PLACE OF YOGA IN DAILY LIFE, MEDITATION, STRESS MANAGEMENT, NUTRITION, AND KNOWLEDGE ABOUT THE ILLNESS. THE OUTCOME MEASURES WERE ANXIETY SCORES, TAKEN ON THE FIRST AND LAST DAY OF THE COURSE. ANXIETY SCORES, BOTH STATE AND TRAIT ANXIETY WERE SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCED. AMONG THE DISEASED SUBJECTS SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENT WAS SEEN IN THE ANXIETY LEVELS OF PATIENTS OF HYPERTENSION, CORONARY ARTERY DISEASE, OBESITY, CERVICAL SPONDYLITIS AND THOSE WITH PSYCHIATRIC DISORDERS. THE OBSERVATIONS SUGGEST THAT A SHORT EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMME FOR LIFESTYLE MODIFICATION AND STRESS MANAGEMENT LEADS TO REMARKABLE REDUCTION IN THE ANXIETY SCORES WITHIN A PERIOD OF 10 DAYS. 2006 10 526 49 COMPARISON OF LAUGHTER YOGA AND ANTI-ANXIETY MEDICATION ON ANXIETY AND GASTROINTESTINAL SYMPTOMS OF PATIENTS WITH IRRITABLE BOWEL SYNDROME. BACKGROUND IRRITABLE BOWEL SYNDROME (IBS) IS THE MOST COMMON CHRONIC GASTROINTESTINAL (GI) DISORDER. PATIENTS WITH IBS USUALLY SUFFER FROM ANXIETY AND DEPRESSION. A COMBINATION OF PSYCHOLOGICAL APPROACHES AND PHARMACOLOGICAL TREATMENTS CAN BE A SIGNIFICANTLY EFFECTIVE TREATMENT FOR IBS. THE MAIN OBJECTIVE OF THE PRESENT STUDY WAS TO PROVIDE A THERAPEUTIC PLAN BASED ON LAUGHTER YOGA AND ANTI-ANXIETY MEDICATION, EMPLOYED FOR THE VERY FIRST TIME, AND TO DETERMINE THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THESE TREATMENTS ON THE ANXIETY AND GI SYMPTOMS OF PATIENTS WITH IBS. METHODS IN THIS RANDOMIZED, CONTROLLED, CLINICAL TRIAL, THE PARTICIPANTS WERE 60 PATIENTS SELECTED FROM THOSE WHO REFERRED TO THE GI CLINIC OF VALI-ASR HOSPITAL (BIRJAND, IRAN) DURING THE STUDY PERIOD (APRIL 2017 TO MARCH 2017) AND WERE DIAGNOSED AS HAVING IBS BASED ON ROME III CRITERIA. THE PARTICIPANTS WERE RANDOMLY ASSIGNED TO EITHER THE LAUGHTER YOGA GROUP, THE ANTI-ANXIETY MEDICATION GROUP, OR THE SYMPTOMATIC TREATMENT (CONTROL) GROUP. SEVERITY LEVELS OF ANXIETY AND GI SYMPTOMS BEFORE AND AFTER INTERVENTION WERE DETERMINED AND COMPARED AMONG THESE THREE GROUPS ACCORDING TO APPROVED PROTOCOLS. RESULTS THE SEVERITY OF IBS SYMPTOMS AFTER THE INTERVENTIONS WAS MORE GREATLY REDUCED IN THE LAUGHTER YOGA GROUP THAN IN THE ANTI-ANXIETY MEDICATION AND CONTROL GROUPS (P = 0.006). THE SEVERITY OF ANXIETY AFTER INTERVENTIONS DECREASED IN ALL THREE GROUPS, ESPECIALLY IN THE YOGA TREATMENT GROUP, BUT THE DIFFERENCE WAS NOT STATISTICALLY SIGNIFICANT (P = 0.1). CONCLUSION LAUGHTER YOGA IS MORE EFFECTIVE THAN ANTI-ANXIETY MEDICATION IN REDUCING THE GI SYMPTOMS OF PATIENTS WITH IBS. THEREFORE, APPLYING LAUGHTER YOGA ALONG WITH COMMON PHARMACOLOGICAL THERAPIES FOR PATIENTS WITH IBS MIGHT BE STRONGLY ADVISED. 2019 11 683 49 EFFECT OF AN 8-WEEK YOGA-BASED LIFESTYLE INTERVENTION ON PSYCHO-NEURO-IMMUNE AXIS, DISEASE ACTIVITY, AND PERCEIVED QUALITY OF LIFE IN RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS PATIENTS: A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL. VARIOUS EXTERNAL STRESSORS AND ENVIRONMENTAL CHALLENGES LEAD TO THE PROVOCATION OF THE IMMUNE SYSTEM IN AUTOIMMUNE DISEASES LIKE RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS (RA). THE INAPPROPRIATE IMMUNE RESPONSE FURTHER TRIGGERS THE CASCADE OF INFLAMMATORY CHANGES RESULTING IN PRECIPITATION OF SYMPTOMS AND HAMPERS QUALITY OF LIFE (QOL). THE UNDERLYING PSYCHO-SOMATIC COMPONENT OF THE DISEASE REQUIRES A HOLISTIC APPROACH TO ITS TREATMENT DIMENSION RATHER THAN THE USE OF PHARMACOTHERAPY. THE APPLICABILITY OF MIND-BODY INTERVENTIONS HAS BECOME ESSENTIAL IN TODAY'S FAST-PACED LIFE. YOGA, A MIND-BODY TECHNIQUE, ALTERS THE MIND'S CAPACITY TO FACILITATE SYSTEMIC FUNCTIONING AT MULTIPLE ORGAN SYSTEM LEVELS. HENCE, WE CONDUCTED THIS STUDY TO EVALUATE THE IMPACT OF 8 WEEKS OF A YOGA-BASED LIFESTYLE INTERVENTION (YBLI) ON PSYCHO-NEURO-IMMUNE MARKERS, GENE EXPRESSION PATTERNS, AND QOL IN RA PATIENTS ON ROUTINE MEDICAL THERAPY. A TOTAL OF 66 PATIENTS WERE RANDOMIZED INTO TWO GROUPS: YOGA GROUP OR NON-YOGA GROUP AND WERE ASSESSED FOR A PANEL OF INFLAMMATORY CYTOKINES (IL-6, IL-17A, TNF-ALPHA, AND TGF-BETA), MIND-BODY COMMUNICATIVE MARKERS (BDNF, DHEAS, BETA-ENDORPHIN, AND SIRTUIN) AND TRANSCRIPT LEVELS OF VARIOUS GENES (IL-6, TNF-ALPHA, NFKB1, TGF-BETA, AND CTLA4). WE ASSESSED DISEASE ACTIVITY AND QOL USING THE DAS28-ESR AND WHOQOL-BREF QUESTIONNAIRE, RESPECTIVELY. YOGA GROUP OBSERVED SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENTS IN THE LEVELS OF MARKERS, WHICH INFLUENCED THE PSYCHO-NEURO-IMMUNE AXIS (P < 0.001) WITH AN ESTIMATED EFFECT SIZE FROM SMALL TO MEDIUM RANGE. IN THE YOGA GROUP, THERE WAS A SIGNIFICANT REDUCTION IN DAS28-ESR (P < 0.001) AND IMPROVEMENT SEEN IN THE PHYSICAL HEALTH, PSYCHOLOGICAL, SOCIAL RELATIONSHIPS DOMAINS (P < 0.001) OF QOL, EXCEPT ENVIRONMENTAL (P > 0.05). THE YOGA GROUP SHOWED DOWNREGULATION OF IL-6, TNF-ALPHA, AND CTLA4 AND UPREGULATION OF TGF-BETA. THESE RESULTS SUGGEST THAT A DECREASE IN DISEASE ACTIVITY AFTER YOGA PRACTICE IS ASSOCIATED WITH A SIGNIFICANT REDUCTION IN INFLAMMATORY CYTOKINES, THE ELEVATION OF MIND-BODY COMMUNICATIVE MARKERS, AND NORMALIZATION OF VARIOUS TRANSCRIPT LEVELS, WHICH IMPROVED QOL. THUS THE ADOPTION OF YBLI IMPROVES CLINICAL OUTCOME IN RA, AND DECREASES SYSTEMIC INFLAMMATION BY ITS BENEFICIAL EFFECTS ON PSYCHO-NEURO-IMMUNE AXIS AND NORMALIZATION OF DYSREGULATED TRANSCRIPTS. THUS YBLI MAY BE USED FOR RA PATIENTS AS AN ADJUNCTIVE THERAPY. 2020 12 2412 29 YOGA AND ITS IMPACT ON CHRONIC INFLAMMATORY AUTOIMMUNE ARTHRITIS. RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS (RA) IS ONE OF THE MOST COMMON CHRONIC INFLAMMATORY AUTOIMMUNE DISEASES, WHICH ADVERSELY AFFECTS THE QUALITY OF LIFE. RA IS A DISEASE OF UNKNOWN ETIOLOGY, HOWEVER, BOTH GENETIC AND ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS APPEAR TO CONTRIBUTE TO THE SUSCEPTIBILITY TO THIS DISEASE. THE SEVERITY AND PROGRESSION OF THE DISEASE ARE ATTRIBUTABLE TO THE RELEASE OF A HOST OF INFLAMMATORY CYTOKINES, CYTOTOXIC AND IMMUNE REGULATORY FACTORS. THE TREATMENTS OF RA ARE PRIMARILY LIMITED TO SYMPTOMATIC ALLEVIATION OF PAIN OR OTHER SYMPTOMS OR TO THE USE OF CYTOTOXIC DRUG TREATMENT IN SEVERE FORMS OF THE DISEASE WHICH IS COMMONLY ASSOCIATED WITH SIGNIFICANT SIDE EFFECTS. DESPITE LACK OF A CURE, THE DISEASE MAY BE CONTROLLED BY MIND-BODY INTERVENTIONS. HOLISTIC TREATMENTS SUCH AS YOGA SIGNIFICANTLY IMPROVE AND REDUCE THE PSYCHO-SOMATIC SYMPTOMS, PAIN PERCEPTION, DISABILITY QUOTIENT, JOINT FLEXIBILITY, RANGE OF MOTION, POSTURE, MUSCLE STRENGTH, COORDINATION, AND DISEASE ACTIVITY. HERE, WE DISCUSS THE FEATURES OF RA AND ADDRESS HOW YOGA CAN BE USED AS A THERAPEUTIC REGIMEN TO IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF LIFE OF PATIENTS WITH RA. 2021 13 874 49 EFFECT OF YOGA THERAPY ON PHYSICAL AND PSYCHOLOGICAL QUALITY OF LIFE OF PERIMENOPAUSAL WOMEN IN SELECTED COASTAL AREAS OF KARNATAKA, INDIA. BACKGROUND: PERIMENOPAUSAL PERIOD IS CHARACTERIZED BY A CONTINUOUS DECLINE IN OVARIAN FUNCTION DUE TO WHICH WOMEN ARE VULNERABLE TO VARIOUS PHYSICAL AND PSYCHOLOGICAL SYMPTOMS AFFECTING THEIR QUALITY OF LIFE. CURRENTLY THESE SYMPTOMS ARE MANAGED BY HORMONE REPLACEMENT THERAPY. HOWEVER, HORMONAL THERAPY CAN CAUSE COMPLICATIONS INCLUDING MALIGNANCY WHICH HAS RESULTED IN SEARCH FOR VARIOUS ALTERNATIVE THERAPIES TO IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF LIFE (QOL). YOGA IS ONE SUCH ALTERNATIVE THERAPY SHOWN TO ENHANCE THE QOL AT ALL STAGES OF HUMAN LIFE ASSOCIATED WITH THE CHRONIC ILLNESS. THERE ARE VERY FEW SCIENTIFIC STUDIES REGARDING THE EFFECT OF YOGA ON PERIMENOPAUSE AND IN THIS STUDY WE INVESTIGATED THE EFFECTS OF YOGA THERAPY ON PHYSICAL AND PSYCHOLOGICAL SYMPTOMS USING THE STANDARDIZED QUESTIONNAIRE. OBJECTIVE: TO STUDY THE EFFECT OF YOGA THERAPY ON PHYSICAL, PSYCHOLOGICAL, VASOMOTOR AND SEXUAL SYMPTOMS OF PERIMENOPAUSE. MATERIALS AND METHODS: IT IS A PROSPECTIVE NON-RANDOMIZED CONTROL STUDY OF 216 PERIMENOPAUSAL WOMEN WITH 12 WEEKS OF INTERVENTION. THE SUBJECTS WERE DIVIDED IN TWO GROUPS WITH EITHER YOGA THERAPY [N = 111] OR EXERCISE [N = 105] AS THE INTERVENTIONAL TOOL. THE SYMPTOMS CONTROL AND QOL BEFORE AND AFTER INTERVENTION IN BOTH THE GROUPS WERE ASSESSED BY USING THE MENOPAUSAL QOL QUESTIONNAIRE. RESULTS: THE PERIMENOPAUSAL SYMPTOMS IN ALL THE FOUR DOMAINS WERE IMPROVED BY YOGA THERAPY, THUS SIGNIFICANTLY IMPROVING THE OVERALL QOL COMPARED TO THE CONTROL GROUP. CONCLUSION: THIS STUDY CLEARLY DEMONSTRATES THE EFFECTIVENESS OF YOGA THERAPY IN MANAGING THE DISTRESSING PERIMENOPAUSAL SYMPTOMS. IT IS EASY, SAFE, NON-EXPENSIVE ALTERNATIVE THERAPY HELPING THE WELL-BEING OF PERIMENOPAUSAL WOMEN AND MUST BE ENCOURAGED IN THE REGULAR MANAGEMENT OF PERIMENOPAUSAL SYMPTOMS. 2014 14 517 40 COMPARING HATHA YOGA WITH DYNAMIC GROUP PSYCHOTHERAPY FOR ENHANCING METHADONE MAINTENANCE TREATMENT: A RANDOMIZED CLINICAL TRIAL. BACKGROUND: AS MORE METHADONE TREATMENT PROGRAMS ARE FUNDED IN AN ATTEMPT TO CURB SUBSTANCE ABUSE AND HIV INFECTION AMONG I.V. DRUG USERS, MORE COST EFFECTIVE TREATMENT APPROACHES ARE BEING SOUGHT. OBJECTIVES: TO INVESTIGATE WHETHER CLIENTS IN OUTPATIENT METHADONE MAINTENANCE TREATMENT WHO PRACTICE WEEKLY HATHA YOGA IN A GROUP SETTING EXPERIENCE MORE FAVORABLE TREATMENT OUTCOMES THAN THOSE WHO RECEIVE CONVENTIONAL GROUP PSYCHODYNAMIC THERAPY. METHODS: AFTER A 5-DAY ASSESSMENT PERIOD, 61 PATIENTS WERE RANDOMLY ASSIGNED TO METHADONE MAINTENANCE ENHANCED BY TRADITIONAL GROUP PSYCHOTHERAPY (IE, CONVENTIONAL METHADONE TREATMENT) OR AN ALTERNATIVE HATHA YOGA THERAPY (IE, ALTERNATIVE METHADONE TREATMENT). PATIENTS WERE FOLLOWED FOR 6 MONTHS AND EVALUATED ON A VARIETY OF PSYCHOLOGICAL, SOCIOLOGICAL, AND BIOLOGICAL MEASURES. THE REVISED SYMPTOM CHECK LIST PROVIDED THE PRIMARY PSYCHOLOGICAL MEASURES; THE ADDICTION SEVERITY INDEX PROVIDED VARIOUS INDICES OF ADDICTIVE BEHAVIORS. RESULTS: THE EVIDENCE REVEALED THAT THERE WERE NO MEANINGFUL DIFFERENCES BETWEEN TRADITIONAL PSYCHODYNAMIC GROUP THERAPY AND HATHA YOGA PRESENTED IN A GROUP SETTING. BOTH TREATMENTS CONTRIBUTED TO A TREATMENT REGIMEN THAT SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCED DRUG USE AND CRIMINAL ACTIVITIES. PSYCHOPATHOLOGY AT ADMISSION WAS SIGNIFICANTLY RELATED TO PROGRAM PARTICIPATION REGARDLESS OF TREATMENT GROUP. DISCUSSION: IN ADDITION TO EXAMINING THE CHARACTERISTICS OF PATIENTS WHO PRESENT FOR TREATMENT, THIS STUDY IDENTIFIES UNEXPECTED STAFF ISSUES THAT COMPLICATE THE INTEGRATION OF ALTERNATIVE AND TRADITIONAL TREATMENT STRATEGIES. CONCLUSION: ALTERNATIVE METHADONE TREATMENT IS NOT MORE EFFECTIVE THAN CONVENTIONAL METHADONE TREATMENT, AS ORIGINALLY HYPOTHESIZED. HOWEVER, SOME PATIENTS MAY BENEFIT MORE FROM ALTERNATIVE METHADONE TREATMENT THAN CONVENTIONAL METHADONE TREATMENT. ADDITIONAL RESEARCH IS NECESSARY TO DETERMINE CHARACTERISTICS THAT IDENTIFY PATIENTS WHO MIGHT BENEFIT FROM ALTERNATIVE METHADONE TREATMENT. 1997 15 2783 30 YOGA THERAPY AS AN ADJUNCT TO CONVENTIONAL MANAGEMENT OF SYSTEMIC SCLEROSIS: A CASE SERIES. SYSTEMIC SCLEROSIS (SSC) IS AN AUTOIMMUNE DISORDER LEADING TO SIGNIFICANT DISABILITY AND LOSS OF QUALITY OF LIFE (QOL). YOGA HAS BECOME POPULAR IN RECENT TIMES FOR ITS POTENTIAL THERAPEUTIC BENEFITS. SINCE THERE ARE NO SCIENTIFIC REPORTS ON THE USE OF YOGA FOR SSC, WE PRESENT TWO FEMALE CASES (AGED 49 AND 29 RESPECTIVELY) OF LIMITED SSC (DURATION OF ILLNESS 4 AND 3 YEARS RESPECTIVELY) WHO UNDERWENT YOGA THERAPY AS AN ADJUNCT TO CONVENTIONAL MANAGEMENT IN A RESIDENTIAL SETTING FOR A PERIOD OF FIVE AND FOUR WEEKS, RESPECTIVELY. DURING THEIR STAY, THEY UNDERWENT A SPECIFICALLY DESIGNED YOGA MODULE. AFTER THEIR DISCHARGE, THEY WERE FOLLOWED-UP FOR FOUR WEEKS, DURING WHICH THEY WERE ASKED TO CONTINUE PRACTICING YOGA FOR 1 H EVERY DAY. BOTH OF THEM REPORTED A REDUCTION IN PAIN, STIFFNESS, SYMPTOM SCORES, AND IMPROVED QOL ON DISCHARGE AND AT THE FOLLOW-UP COMPARED TO THE VALUES ON ADMISSION. ERYTHROCYTE SEDIMENTATION RATE (ESR) AND C-REACTIVE PROTEIN (CRP), AS BIOMARKERS OF INFLAMMATION, REDUCED ON THE DISCHARGE WHEN COMPARED TO THE BASELINE. NO ADVERSE EVENTS WERE NOTED DURING THE STAY AND THE FOLLOW-UP. THUS, THE PRESENT CASE SERIES INDICATE A POSSIBLE BENEFICIAL ROLE OF YOGA AS AN ADJUNCT THERAPY TO CONVENTIONAL MANAGEMENT OF SSC. FURTHER STUDIES IN THE AREA ARE WARRANTED TO ASCERTAIN THE EFFICACY OF YOGA FOR SSC. 2021 16 745 36 EFFECT OF SAHAJ YOGA ON DEPRESSIVE DISORDERS. SAHAJ YOGA IS A MEDITATIVE TECHNIQUE THAT HAS BEEN FOUND TO HAVE BENEFICIAL EFFECTS IN SOME PSYCHO-SOMATIC ILLNESSES. THE STUDY WAS CARRIED OUT ON 30 CASES (19 MALES, 11 FEMALES, AGE 18-45 YEARS) OF MAJOR DEPRESSION DIAGNOSED ON THE BASIS OF DSM IV CRITERIA. THE PATIENTS WERE THEN RANDOMLY DIVIDED INTO TWO GROUPS: GROUP 1: (10 MALES & 5 FEMALES) PATIENTS WHO WERE PRACTISING SAHAJ YOGA AND ALSO RECEIVED CONVENTIONAL ANTI-DEPRESSANTS. GROUP 2: (9 MALES & 6 FEMALES) PATIENTS WHO WERE ONLY RECEIVING CONVENTIONAL ANTI-DEPRESSANTS. TRAINING IN SAHAJ YOGA WAS CONDUCTED UNDER THE SUPERVISION OF A TRAINED SAHAJ YOGI FOR 8 WEEKS. AT START OF THE STUDY, ALL THE PATIENTS WERE SUBJECTED TO HAMILTON RATING SCALE FOR DEPRESSION (HAM-D) AND HAMILTON RATING SCALE FOR ANXIETY (HAM-A). ABOVE SCALES WERE AGAIN ASSESSED AFTER TWO MONTHS OF TREATMENT. THERE WAS SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENT IN HAM-D AS WELL AS HAM-A SCORES IN BOTH GROUP 1 AND GROUP 2 PATIENTS (P<0.001). HOWEVER, PERCENTAGE IMPROVEMENT IN HAM-D SCORES AND HAM-A SCORES IN PATIENTS RECEIVING SAHAJ YOGA WAS SIGNIFICANTLY HIGHER THAN IN GROUP 2 PATIENTS. THE NUMBER OF PATIENTS WHO WENT INTO REMISSION AFTER TWO MONTHS OF INTERVENTION WERE ALSO SIGNIFICANTLY HIGHER IN GROUP 1 PATIENTS (P=0.02). THE PRESENT STUDY DEMONSTRATES THAT SAHAJ YOGA HAS GOT A POTENTIAL ROLE AS A COMPONENT IN THE MANAGEMENT OF DEPRESSIVE DISORDERS. 2005 17 867 45 EFFECT OF YOGA REGIMEN ON LUNG FUNCTIONS INCLUDING DIFFUSION CAPACITY IN CORONARY ARTERY DISEASE PATIENTS: A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED STUDY. BACKGROUND: LUNG FUNCTIONS ARE FOUND TO BE IMPAIRED IN CORONARY ARTERY DISEASE (CAD), CONGESTIVE HEART FAILURE, LEFT VENTRICULAR DYSFUNCTION, AND AFTER CARDIAC SURGERY. DIFFUSION CAPACITY PROGRESSIVELY WORSENS AS THE SEVERITY OF CAD INCREASES DUE TO REDUCTION IN LUNG TISSUE PARTICIPATING IN GAS EXCHANGE. AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: PRANAYAMA BREATHING EXERCISES AND YOGIC POSTURES MAY PLAY AN IMPRESSIVE ROLE IN IMPROVING CARDIO-RESPIRATORY EFFICIENCY AND FACILITATING GAS DIFFUSION AT THE ALVEOLO-CAPILLARY MEMBRANE. THIS STUDY WAS DONE TO SEE THE EFFECT OF YOGA REGIMEN ON LUNG FUNCTIONS PARTICULARLY DIFFUSION CAPACITY IN CAD PATIENTS. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A TOTAL OF 80 STABLE CAD PATIENTS BELOW 65 YEARS OF AGE OF BOTH SEXES WERE SELECTED AND RANDOMIZED INTO TWO GROUPS OF 40 EACH. GROUP I CAD PATIENTS WERE GIVEN YOGA REGIMEN FOR 3 MONTHS WHICH CONSISTED OF YOGIC POSTURES, PRANAYAMA BREATHING EXERCISES, DIETARY MODIFICATION, AND HOLISTIC TEACHING ALONG WITH THEIR CONVENTIONAL MEDICINE WHILE GROUP II CAD PATIENTS WERE PUT ONLY ON CONVENTIONAL MEDICINE. LUNG FUNCTIONS INCLUDING DIFFUSION CAPACITY WERE RECORDED THRICE IN BOTH THE GROUPS: 0 DAY AS BASELINE, 22(ND) DAY AND ON 90(TH) DAY BY USING COMPUTERIZED MS MEDISOFT CARDIO-RESPIRATORY INSTRUMENT, HYP'AIR COMPACT MODEL OF CARDIO-RESPIRATORY TESTING MACHINE WAS MANUFACTURED BY P K MORGAN, INDIA. THE RECORDED PARAMETERS WERE STATISTICALLY ANALYZED BY REPEATED MEASURES ANOVA FOLLOWED BY TUKEY'S TEST IN BOTH THE GROUPS. CARDIOVASCULAR PARAMETERS WERE ALSO COMPARED BEFORE AND AFTER INTERVENTION IN BOTH THE GROUPS. RESULTS: STATISTICALLY SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENTS WERE SEEN IN SLOW VITAL CAPACITY, FORCED VITAL CAPACITY, PEAK EXPIRATORY FLOW RATE, MAXIMUM VOLUNTARY VENTILATION, AND DIFFUSION FACTOR/ TRANSFER FACTOR OF LUNG FOR CARBON MONOXIDE AFTER 3 MONTHS OF YOGA REGIMEN IN GROUP I. FORCED EXPIRATORY VOLUME IN 1(ST) SEC (FEV1), AND FEV1 % ALSO SHOWED A TREND TOWARD IMPROVEMENT ALTHOUGH NOT STATISTICALLY SIGNIFICANT. HR, SBP AND DBP ALSO SHOWED SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENT IN GROUP-I PATIENTS WHO FOLLOWED YOGA REGIMEN. CONCLUSIONS: YOGA REGIMEN WAS FOUND TO IMPROVE LUNG FUNCTIONS AND DIFFUSION CAPACITY IN CAD PATIENTS BESIDES IMPROVING CARDIOVASCULAR FUNCTIONS. THUS, IT CAN BE USED AS A COMPLIMENTARY OR ADJUNCT THERAPY ALONG WITH THE CONVENTIONAL MEDICINE FOR THEIR TREATMENT AND REHABILITATION. 2015 18 1853 42 RANDOMISED CLINICAL TRIAL: YOGA VS WRITTEN SELF-CARE ADVICE FOR ULCERATIVE COLITIS. BACKGROUND: PERCEIVED STRESS SEEMS TO BE A RISK FACTOR FOR EXACERBATION OF ULCERATIVE COLITIS. YOGA HAS BEEN SHOWN TO REDUCE PERCEIVED STRESS. AIMS: TO ASSESS THE EFFICACY AND SAFETY OF YOGA FOR IMPROVING QUALITY OF LIFE IN PATIENTS WITH ULCERATIVE COLITIS. METHODS: A TOTAL OF 77 PATIENTS (75% WOMEN; 45.5 +/- 11.9 YEARS) WITH ULCERATIVE COLITIS IN CLINICAL REMISSION BUT IMPAIRED QUALITY OF LIFE WERE RANDOMLY ASSIGNED TO YOGA (12 SUPERVISED WEEKLY SESSIONS OF 90 MIN; N = 39) OR WRITTEN SELF-CARE ADVICE (N = 38). PRIMARY OUTCOME WAS DISEASE-SPECIFIC QUALITY OF LIFE (INFLAMMATORY BOWEL DISEASE QUESTIONNAIRE). SECONDARY OUTCOMES INCLUDED DISEASE ACTIVITY (RACHMILEWITZ CLINICAL ACTIVITY INDEX) AND SAFETY. OUTCOMES WERE ASSESSED AT WEEKS 12 AND 24 BY BLINDED OUTCOME ASSESSORS. RESULTS: THE YOGA GROUP HAD SIGNIFICANTLY HIGHER DISEASE-SPECIFIC QUALITY OF LIFE COMPARED TO THE SELF-CARE GROUP AFTER 12 WEEKS (DELTA = 14.6; 95% CONFIDENCE INTERVAL=2.6-26.7; P = 0.018) AND AFTER 24 WEEKS (DELTA = 16.4; 95% CONFIDENCE INTERVAL=2.5-30.3; P = 0.022). TWENTY-ONE AND 12 PATIENTS IN THE YOGA GROUP AND IN THE SELF-CARE GROUP, RESPECTIVELY, REACHED A CLINICAL RELEVANT INCREASE IN QUALITY OF LIFE AT WEEK 12 (P = 0.048); AND 27 AND 17 PATIENTS AT WEEK 24 (P = 0.030). DISEASE ACTIVITY WAS LOWER IN THE YOGA GROUP COMPARED TO THE SELF-CARE GROUP AFTER 24 WEEKS (DELTA = -1.2; 95% CONFIDENCE INTERVAL=-0.1-[-2.3]; P = 0.029). THREE AND ONE PATIENT IN THE YOGA GROUP AND IN THE SELF-CARE GROUP, RESPECTIVELY, EXPERIENCED SERIOUS ADVERSE EVENTS (P = 0.317); AND SEVEN AND EIGHT PATIENTS EXPERIENCED NONSERIOUS ADVERSE EVENTS (P = 0.731). CONCLUSIONS: YOGA CAN BE CONSIDERED AS A SAFE AND EFFECTIVE ANCILLARY INTERVENTION FOR PATIENTS WITH ULCERATIVE COLITIS AND IMPAIRED QUALITY OF LIFE. TRIAL REGISTRATION: CLINICALTRIALS.GOV IDENTIFIER: NCT02043600. 2017 19 1977 46 SIX-MONTH TRIAL OF YOGA NIDRA IN MENSTRUAL DISORDER PATIENTS: EFFECTS ON SOMATOFORM SYMPTOMS. BACKGROUND: YOGA NIDRA IS A SUCCESSFUL THERAPY FOR BOTH RECENT AND LONG-STANDING PSYCHOLOGICAL DISTURBANCES OF ALL KINDS ESPECIALLY DEPRESSION AND HIGH ANXIETY LEVEL AND NEUROTIC PATTERNS. OBJECTIVE: THE PURPOSE OF THE PRESENT WORK, THEREFORE, WAS TO CONDUCT A PRELIMINARY RANDOMIZED STUDY OF YOGA NIDRA AS A TREATMENT IN THE PATIENTS OF MENSTRUAL DISORDERS WITH SOMATOFORM SYMPTOMS. MATERIALS AND METHODS: PATIENTS WERE RECRUITED FROM DEPARTMENT OF OBSTETRICS AND GYNECOLOGY, CSM MEDICAL UNIVERSITY (ERSTWHILE KGMU) LUCKNOW, UTTAR PRADESH, INDIA. ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTY FEMALE PATIENTS WITH MENSTRUAL DISORDERS WERE RANDOMLY DIVIDED IN TO TWO GROUPS 1- INTERVENTION GROUP: 75 SUBJECTS (YOGA NIDRA INTERVENTION AND MEDICATION) 2- CONTROL GROUP: 75 SUBJECTS (WITHOUT YOGA NIDRA INTERVENTION ONLY MEDICATION). SCHEDULE FOR CLINICAL ASSESSMENT IN NEUROPSYCHIATRY TOOL WAS USED. RESULTS: THERE WAS SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENT IN PAIN SYMPTOMS (P<0.006), GASTROINTESTINAL SYMPTOMS (P<0.04), CARDIOVASCULAR SYMPTOMS (P<0.02) AND UROGENITAL SYMPTOMS (P<0.005) AFTER 6 MONTHS OF YOGA NIDRA THERAPY IN INTERVENTION GROUP IN COMPARISON TO CONTROL GROUP. CONCLUSION: YOGA NIDRA APPEARS TO BE A PROMISING INTERVENTION FOR PSYCHOSOMATIC PROBLEMS. IT IS COST-EFFECTIVE AND EASY TO IMPLEMENT. THE RESULTS INDICATE THAT SOMATOFORM SYMPTOMS IN PATIENTS WITH MENSTRUAL DISORDER CAN BE DECREASED BY LEARNING AND APPLYING A PROGRAM BASED ON YOGIC INTERVENTION (YOGA NIDRA). 2011 20 2796 30 YOGA THERAPY FOR OBSESSIVE COMPULSIVE DISORDER (OCD): A CASE SERIES FROM INDIA. YOGA IS AN ANCIENT SCIENCE WHICH HAS BEEN FOUND TO BE HELPFUL IN THE MANAGEMENT OF SEVERAL PSYCHIATRIC DISORDERS INCLUDING OBSESSIVE COMPULSIVE DISORDER (OCD). YOGA AS ADD-ON TREATMENT IN OCD MAY HELP ADDRESS ISSUES LIKE PARTIAL RESPONSE AND ADVERSE EFFECTS OF MEDICATIONS. HOWEVER, RESEARCH IN THIS AREA IS SPARSE, WHICH LED US TO EXPLORE IT THROUGH THIS CASE SERIES. IN THIS CASE SERIES WE HAVE DESCRIBED THE BENEFITS OF 1 MONTH OF YOGA AS ADD-ON TREATMENT IN PATIENTS WITH OCD. ALL PATIENTS WERE ON STABLE DOSES OF MEDICATIONS PRIOR TO AND DURING YOGA PRACTICE. PRE-POST ASSESSMENTS FOR THE CORE SYMPTOMS OF OBSESSION/COMPULSIONS AS WELL AS DEPRESSIVE AND ANXIETY SYMPTOMS WERE DONE. THE ASSESSMENTS SHOWED SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENT IN Y-BOCS AND HAM-D SCORES AFTER 1 MONTH OF YOGA. YOGA THERAPY COULD BE AN EFFECTIVE ADD-ON THERAPY FOR THE TREATMENT OF OCD. 2021