1 2628 134 YOGA FOR THE MANAGEMENT OF PAIN AND SLEEP IN RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS: A PILOT RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL. OBJECTIVE: THE AIM OF THE PRESENT STUDY WAS TO DETERMINE THE FEASIBILITY OF A RELAXATION-BASED YOGA INTERVENTION FOR RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS, DESIGNED AND REPORTED IN ACCORDANCE WITH DELPHI RECOMMENDATIONS FOR YOGA INTERVENTIONS FOR MUSCULOSKELETAL CONDITIONS. METHODS: PARTICIPANTS WERE RECRUITED FROM A HOSPITAL DATABASE, AND RANDOMIZED TO EITHER EIGHT WEEKLY 75-MIN YOGA CLASSES OR A USUAL CARE CONTROL. FEASIBILITY WAS DETERMINED BY RECRUITMENT RATES, RETENTION, PROTOCOL ADHERENCE, PARTICIPANT SATISFACTION AND ADVERSE EVENTS. SECONDARY PHYSICAL AND PSYCHOSOCIAL OUTCOMES WERE ASSESSED USING SELF-REPORTED QUESTIONNAIRES AT BASELINE (WEEK 0), WEEK 9 (PRIMARY TIME POINT) AND WEEK 12 (FOLLOW-UP). RESULTS: OVER A 3-MONTH PERIOD, 26 PARTICIPANTS WITH MILD PAIN, MILD TO MODERATE FUNCTIONAL DISABILITY AND MODERATE DISEASE ACTIVITY WERE RECRUITED INTO THE STUDY (25% RECRUITMENT RATE). RETENTION RATES WERE 100% FOR YOGA PARTICIPANTS AND 92% FOR USUAL CARE PARTICIPANTS AT BOTH WEEKS 9 AND 12. PROTOCOL ADHERENCE AND PARTICIPANT SATISFACTION WERE HIGH. YOGA PARTICIPANTS ATTENDED A MEDIAN OF SEVEN CLASSES; ADDITIONALLY, SEVEN OF THE YOGA PARTICIPANTS (54%) REPORTED CONTINUING YOGA AT HOME DURING THE FOLLOW-UP PERIOD. NO SERIOUS ADVERSE EVENTS WERE RELATED TO THE STUDY. SECONDARY OUTCOMES SHOWED NO GROUP EFFECTS OF YOGA COMPARED WITH USUAL CARE. CONCLUSIONS: A RELAXATION-BASED YOGA PROGRAMME WAS FOUND TO BE FEASIBLE AND SAFE FOR PARTICIPANTS WITH RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS-RELATED PAIN AND FUNCTIONAL DISABILITY. ADVERSE EVENTS WERE MINOR, AND NOT UNEXPECTED FROM AN INTERVENTION INCLUDING PHYSICAL COMPONENTS. THIS PILOT PROVIDES A FRAMEWORK FOR LARGER INTERVENTION STUDIES, AND SUPPORTS FURTHER EXPLORATION OF YOGA AS A COMPLEX INTERVENTION TO ASSIST WITH THE MANAGEMENT OF RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS. 2018 2 2639 42 YOGA FOR VETERANS WITH CHRONIC LOW-BACK PAIN. OBJECTIVES: CHRONIC BACK PAIN AFFECTS A LARGE PROPORTION OF BOTH THE GENERAL POPULATION AND OF MILITARY VETERANS. ALTHOUGH NUMEROUS THERAPIES EXIST FOR TREATING CHRONIC BACK PAIN, THEY CAN BE COSTLY AND TEND TO HAVE LIMITED EFFECTIVENESS. THUS, DEMONSTRATING THE EFFICACY AND COST-EFFECTIVENESS OF ADDITIONAL TREATMENT ALTERNATIVES IS IMPORTANT. THE PURPOSE OF OUR STUDY WAS TO EXAMINE THE BENEFITS OF A YOGA INTERVENTION FOR VETERANS ADMINISTRATION (VA) PATIENTS. SUBJECTS/INTERVENTION: VA PATIENTS WITH CHRONIC BACK PAIN WERE REFERRED BY THEIR PRIMARY CARE PROVIDERS TO A YOGA PROGRAM AS PART OF CLINICAL CARE. BEFORE STARTING YOGA, A VA PHYSICIAN TRAINED IN YOGA EVALUATED EACH PATIENT TO ENSURE THAT THEY COULD PARTICIPATE SAFELY. DESIGN: THE RESEARCH STUDY CONSISTED OF COMPLETING A SHORT BATTERY OF QUESTIONNAIRES AT BASELINE AND AGAIN 10 WEEKS LATER. OUTCOME MEASURES: QUESTIONNAIRES INCLUDED MEASURES OF PAIN, DEPRESSION, ENERGY/FATIGUE, HEALTH-RELATED QUALITY OF LIFE, AND PROGRAM SATISFACTION. PAIRED T-TESTS WERE USED TO COMPARE BASELINE SCORES TO THOSE AT THE 10-WEEK FOLLOW-UP FOR THE SINGLE GROUP, PRE-POST DESIGN. CORRELATIONS WERE USED TO EXAMINE WHETHER YOGA ATTENDANCE AND HOME PRACTICE WERE ASSOCIATED WITH BETTER OUTCOMES. RESULTS: BASELINE AND FOLLOW-UP DATA WERE AVAILABLE FOR 33 PARTICIPANTS. PARTICIPANTS WERE VA PATIENTS WITH A MEAN AGE OF 55 YEARS. THEY WERE 21% FEMALE, 70% WHITE, 52% MARRIED, 68% COLLEGE GRADUATES, AND 44% WERE RETIRED. SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENTS WERE FOUND FOR PAIN, DEPRESSION, ENERGY/FATIGUE, AND THE SHORT FORM-12 MENTAL HEALTH SCALE. THE NUMBER OF YOGA SESSIONS ATTENDED AND THE FREQUENCY OF HOME PRACTICE WERE ASSOCIATED WITH IMPROVED OUTCOMES. PARTICIPANTS APPEARED HIGHLY SATISFIED WITH THE YOGA INSTRUCTOR AND MODERATELY SATISFIED WITH THE EASE OF PARTICIPATION AND HEALTH BENEFITS OF THE YOGA PROGRAM. CONCLUSIONS: PRELIMINARY DATA SUGGEST THAT A YOGA INTERVENTION FOR VA PATIENTS WITH CHRONIC BACK PAIN MAY IMPROVE THE HEALTH OF VETERANS. HOWEVER, THE LIMITATIONS OF A PRE-POST STUDY DESIGN MAKE CONCLUSIONS TENTATIVE. A LARGER RANDOMIZED, CONTROLLED TRIAL OF THE YOGA PROGRAM IS PLANNED. 2008 3 584 46 DESIGNING, VALIDATION, AND FEASIBILITY OF A YOGA MODULE FOR PATIENTS WITH ANKYLOSING SPONDYLITIS. BACKGROUND: ANKYLOSING SPONDYLITIS (AS) IS A CHRONIC INFLAMMATORY DISEASE THAT CAUSES SIGNIFICANT DISABILITY AND REDUCED QUALITY OF LIFE. SCIENTIFIC STUDIES ON YOGA HAVE REVEALED ITS VARIOUS HEALTH BENEFITS IN CHRONIC CONDITIONS, INCLUDING AUTOIMMUNE DISEASES. HOWEVER, WHETHER YOGA IS FEASIBLE FOR AS PATIENTS OR NOT IS NOT STUDIED. FURTHER, NO VALIDATED YOGA MODULE IS AVAILABLE FOR AS PATIENTS. OBJECTIVE(S): THIS STUDY INTENDED TO DEVELOP A YOGA MODULE FOR AS PATIENTS AND INVESTIGATED ITS FEASIBILITY OF USE. MATERIALS AND METHODS: THE STUDY WAS COMPLETED IN THREE STAGES. IN STAGE I, SIX YOGA EXPERTS PREPARED A LIST OF 64 YOGA PRACTICES BASED ON THE CLASSICAL AND CONTEMPORARY YOGIC LITERATURE REVIEW. OF THESE PRACTICES, 41 WERE INCLUDED IN THE DESIGNED YOGA MODULE. IN STAGE II, 41 EXPERTS WITH A MINIMUM OF FIVE YEARS OF EXPERIENCE IN YOGA THERAPY WERE INVITED FOR YOGA MODULE VALIDATION. THE USEFULNESS OF THE PRACTICES WAS RATED BY EXPERTS ON A 3-POINT SCALE (1: NOT AT ALL USEFUL, 2: MODERATELY USEFUL, AND 3: VERY MUCH USEFUL). THE LAWSHE CONTENT VALIDITY RATIO (CVR) METHOD WAS USED FOR THE CONTENT VALIDITY OF THE YOGA MODULE. PRACTICES WITH A CVR SCORE OF > 0.3 WERE RETAINED IN THE FINAL YOGA MODULE. IN STAGE III, A CERTIFIED YOGA INSTRUCTOR ADMINISTERED THE VALIDATED YOGA MODULE TO 19 AS PATIENTS (AVERAGE AGE: 35.5 +/- 10.7 YEARS) THRICE WEEKLY FOR A MONTH. FEASIBILITY WAS ASSESSED ON THE BASIS OF THE ATTRITION RATE, RETENTION RATE, ATTENDANCE OF THE PARTICIPANTS, AND THE SUBJECTIVE RESPONSE ON PRACTICAL SESSIONS USING A STRUCTURED CHECKLIST. RESULTS: OF THE 41 PRACTICES IN THE MODULE, 31 HAD A CVR SCORE OF > 0.3 AND WERE INCLUDED IN THE FINAL YOGA MODULE. OF THE 25 PARTICIPANTS, 19 (76%) COMPLETED THE STUDY WHILE SIX DROPPED OUT (24%). NINETEEN PATIENTS REPORTED GREATER IMPROVEMENT IN PAIN AND FLEXIBILITY. THEY FOUND YOGA RELAXING AND EASY TO PRACTICE. MOST PARTICIPANTS (65%) WERE ABLE TO PRACTICE A MINIMUM OF 30 MIN/DAY. CONCLUSION: THE PRESENT STUDY OFFERS A VALIDATED YOGA MODULE CONSISTING OF 31 PRACTICES FOR AS PATIENTS. THE RESULTS OF THE PILOT SUGGESTED THAT THE MODULE IS FEASIBLE, ACCEPTABLE, AND EASY TO PRACTICE FOR AS PATIENTS. WE RECOMMEND THAT AS PATIENTS SHOULD PRACTICE THIS YOGA MODULE FOR A MINIMUM OF 30 MIN EVERY DAY UNDER THE SUPERVISION OF A YOGA EXPERT. 2022 4 608 44 DEVELOPMENT OF A FALLS REDUCTION YOGA PROGRAM FOR OLDER ADULTS-A PILOT STUDY. OBJECTIVES: WORK WITH LOCAL RURAL ORGANIZATIONS TO DEVELOP AN EVIDENCE-BASED HATHA YOGA PROGRAM INTENDED TO IMPROVE CORE STRENGTH AND BALANCE TO REDUCE FALLS RISK. FEASIBILITY DETERMINED BY SUCCESSFUL RECRUITING, INTERVENTION AND EVALUATION OF PARTICIPANTS AND ACCEPTABLE FREQUENCY OF ADVERSE EVENTS. DESIGN: SINGLE-ARM PILOT STUDY. SETTING: RURAL WISCONSIN TOWN OF 4200 PEOPLE. INTERVENTION: EIGHT WEEK YOGA PROGRAM WITH WEEKLY GROUP CLASSES AND HOME YOGA PRACTICE THREE TIMES PER WEEK. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: THE PRIMARY OUTCOMES WERE (1) ABILITY TO ENROLL AT LEAST 20 PARTICIPANTS, (2) PARTICIPANT COMPLETION OF INTERVENTION AND POST-INTERVENTION EVALUATION, AND (3) ADVERSE EVENT DESCRIPTION AND FREQUENCY. RESULTS: A CONVENIENCE SAMPLE OF 20 ADULTS OVER AGE 59 WAS ENROLLED AND STARTED THE PROGRAM WITH ONE DROP OUT. PARTICIPANTS ATTENDED A MEAN OF 7.1 (SD 1.47) OF THE 8 CLASSES AND A TOTAL OF 141 OUT OF 160 (88.1%) CLASSES. NINETEEN (95%) COMPLETED FOLLOW UP EVALUATION. PARTICIPANTS REPORTED 4 FALLS IN THE MONTH BEFORE THE INTERVENTION AND 1 FALL THE MONTH BEFORE THE POST-INTERVENTION EVALUATION (P=0.34). NO OTHER SERIOUS ADVERSE EVENTS OCCURRED. CONCLUSIONS: THIS PROJECT SUGGESTS AN EVIDENCE-BASED YOGA PROGRAM DESIGNED TO IMPROVE CORE STRENGTH AND BALANCE IS FEASIBLE AND ACCEPTABLE TO PARTICIPANTS. FUTURE RESEARCH WILL INCLUDE A RANDOMIZED TRIAL TO ASSESS IMPACT ON FALLS RISK. 2017 5 2367 31 WEEKLY ASSESSMENT OF NUMBER OF YOGA CLASSES AND AMOUNT OF YOGA HOME PRACTICE: AGREEMENT WITH DAILY DIARIES. OBJECTIVE: TO EVALUATE A WEEKLY YOGA PRACTICE ASSESSMENT INSTRUMENT DESIGNED TO ASSESS NUMBER OF CLASSES ATTENDED IN THE PREVIOUS WEEK, NUMBER OF TIMES ENGAGED IN FORMAL HOME YOGA PRACTICE, TOTAL NUMBER OF MINUTES ENGAGED IN FORMAL HOME YOGA PRACTICE IN THE PAST WEEK, AND NUMBER OF TIMES ENGAGED IN INFORMAL HOME YOGA PRACTICE. "INFORMAL" PRACTICE WAS DEFINED AS "IN THE MIDDLE OF OTHER ACTIVITIES, YOU SPENT A FEW MOMENTS ENGAGED IN ASANAS/POSTURES, FOCUS ON BREATH, BODY AWARENESS, OR VERY BRIEF MEDITATION, FOR LESS THAN 5 MIN AT A TIME." WE ASSESSED AGREEMENT BETWEEN THIS WEEKLY ASSESSMENT AND A DAILY HOME PRACTICE LOG. DESIGN AND SETTING: SEVENTY-TWO COMMUNITY YOGA PRACTITIONERS COMPLETED ONLINE DAILY YOGA LOGS FOR 28 DAYS AS WELL AS THE WEEKLY YOGA PRACTICE ASSESSMENT FOUR TIMES OVER THE 28 DAY PERIOD. RESULTS: WE EXAMINED AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE TWO METHODS ON THE FOUR INDICES OF AMOUNT OF WEEKLY YOGA PRACTICE. WE FOUND ACCEPTABLE AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE TWO METHODS FOR NUMBER OF CLASSES, NUMBER OF TIMES ENGAGED IN FORMAL HOME PRACTICE, AND TOTAL NUMBER OF MINUTES ENGAGED IN FORMAL HOME PRACTICE. AGREEMENT WAS LOWER FOR NUMBER OF TIMES ENGAGED IN INFORMAL PRACTICE. CONCLUSIONS: THESE DATA PROVIDE SUPPORT FOR USE OF A WEEKLY YOGA PRACTICE ASSESSMENT TO ASSESS NUMBER OF CLASSES ATTENDED AND AMOUNT OF FORMAL BUT NOT INFORMAL HOME PRACTICE. 2019 6 1224 46 FEASIBILITY AND ASSESSMENT OF OUTCOME MEASURES FOR YOGA AS SELF-CARE FOR MINORITIES WITH ARTHRITIS: A PILOT STUDY. BACKGROUND: WHILE THERE IS A GROWING INTEREST IN THE THERAPEUTIC BENEFITS OF YOGA, MINORITY POPULATIONS WITH ARTHRITIS TEND TO BE UNDER-REPRESENTED IN THE RESEARCH. ADDITIONALLY, THERE IS AN ABSENCE OF GUIDANCE IN THE LITERATURE REGARDING THE USE OF MULTICULTURAL TEAMS AND SOCIOCULTURAL HEALTH BELIEFS, WHEN DESIGNING YOGA STUDIES FOR A RACIALLY DIVERSE POPULATION WITH ARTHRITIS. THIS PILOT STUDY EXAMINED THE FEASIBILITY OF OFFERING YOGA AS A SELF-CARE MODALITY TO AN URBAN, BILINGUAL, MINORITY POPULATION WITH OSTEOARTHRITIS (OA) OR RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS (RA), IN THE WASHINGTON, DC AREA. METHODS: THE PRIMARY OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY WAS TO ASSESS THE FEASIBILITY OF OFFERING AN 8-WEEK, BILINGUAL YOGA INTERVENTION ADAPTED FOR ARTHRITIS TO A CONVENIENCE SAMPLE OF PRIMARILY HISPANIC AND BLACK/AFRICAN-AMERICAN ADULTS. A RACIALLY DIVERSE INTERDISCIPLINARY RESEARCH TEAM WAS ASSEMBLED TO DESIGN A STUDY TO FACILITATE RECRUITMENT AND RETENTION. THE SECOND OBJECTIVE IDENTIFIED OUTCOME MEASURES TO OPERATIONALIZE POTENTIAL FACILITATORS AND BARRIERS TO SELF-CARE AND SELF-EFFICACY. THE THIRD OBJECTIVE DETERMINED THE FEASIBILITY OF USING COMPUTER-ASSISTED SELF-INTERVIEW (CASI) FOR DATA COLLECTION. RESULTS: ENROLLED PARTICIPANTS (N = 30) WERE MOSTLY FEMALE (93%), SPANISH SPEAKING (69%), AND DIAGNOSED WITH RA (88.5%). FEASIBILITY WAS EVALUATED USING PRACTICALITY, ACCEPTABILITY, ADAPTATION, AND EXPANSION OF AN ARTHRITIS-ADAPTED YOGA INTERVENTION, MODIFIED FOR THIS POPULATION. RECRUITMENT (51%) AND PARTICIPATION (60%) RATES WERE SIMILAR TO PREVIOUS RESEARCH AND CLINICAL EXPERIENCE WITH THE STUDY POPULATION. OF THOSE ENROLLED, 18 STARTED THE INTERVENTION. FOR ADHERENCE, 12 OUT OF 18 (67%) PARTICIPANTS COMPLETED THE INTERVENTION. ALL (100%), WHO COMPLETED THE INTERVENTION, CONTINUED TO PRACTICE YOGA 3 MONTHS AFTER COMPLETING THE STUDY. USING NONPARAMETRIC TESTS, SELECTED OUTCOME MEASURES SHOWED A MEASURABLE CHANGE POST-INTERVENTION SUGGESTING APPROPRIATE USE IN FUTURE STUDIES. AN IN-PERSON COMPUTERIZED QUESTIONNAIRE WAS DETERMINED TO BE A FEASIBLE METHOD OF DATA COLLECTION. CONCLUSIONS: FINDINGS FROM THIS PILOT STUDY CONFIRM THE FEASIBILITY OF OFFERING YOGA TO THIS RACIALLY/ETHNICALLY DIVERSE POPULATION WITH ARTHRITIS. THIS ARTICLE PROVIDES RECRUITMENT/RETENTION RATES, OUTCOME MEASURES WITH ERROR RATES, AND DATA COLLECTION RECOMMENDATIONS FOR A PREVIOUSLY UNDER-REPRESENTED POPULATION. SUGGESTIONS INCLUDE ALLOCATING RESOURCES FOR TRANSLATION AND USING A MULTICULTURAL DESIGN TO FACILITATE RECRUITMENT AND RETENTION. TRIAL REGISTRATION: CLINICALTRIALS.GOV, NCT01617421. 2018 7 2222 56 THE IMPACT OF MODIFIED HATHA YOGA ON CHRONIC LOW BACK PAIN: A PILOT STUDY. PURPOSE: THE PURPOSE OF THIS RANDOMIZED PILOT STUDY WAS TO EVALUATE A POSSIBLE DESIGN FOR A 6-WEEK MODIFIED HATHA YOGA PROTOCOL TO STUDY THE EFFECTS ON PARTICIPANTS WITH CHRONIC LOW BACK PAIN. PARTICIPANTS: TWENTY-TWO PARTICIPANTS (M = 4; F = 17), BETWEEN THE AGES OF 30 AND 65, WITH CHRONIC LOW BACK PAIN (CLBP) WERE RANDOMIZED TO EITHER AN IMMEDIATE YOGA BASED INTERVENTION, OR TO A CONTROL GROUP WITH NO TREATMENT DURING THE OBSERVATION PERIOD BUT RECEIVED LATER YOGA TRAINING. METHODS: A SPECIFIC CLBP YOGA PROTOCOL DESIGNED AND MODIFIED FOR THIS POPULATION BY A CERTIFIED YOGA INSTRUCTOR WAS ADMINISTERED FOR ONE HOUR, TWICE A WEEK FOR 6 WEEKS. PRIMARY FUNCTIONAL OUTCOME MEASURES INCLUDED THE FORWARD REACH (FR) AND SIT AND REACH (SR) TESTS. ALL PARTICIPANTS COMPLETED OSWESTRY DISABILITY INDEX (ODI) AND BECK DEPRESSION INVENTORY (BDI) QUESTIONNAIRES. GUIDING QUESTIONS WERE USED FOR QUALITATIVE DATA ANALYSIS TO ASCERTAIN HOW YOGA PARTICIPANTS PERCEIVED THE INSTRUCTOR, GROUP DYNAMICS, AND THE IMPACT OF YOGA ON THEIR LIFE. ANALYSIS: TO ACCOUNT FOR DROP OUTS, THE DATA WERE DIVIDED INTO BETTER OR NOT CATEGORIES, AND ANALYZED USING CHI-SQUARE TO EXAMINE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE GROUPS. QUALITATIVE DATA WERE ANALYZED THROUGH FREQUENCY OF POSITIVE RESPONSES. RESULTS: POTENTIALLY IMPORTANT TRENDS IN THE FUNCTIONAL MEASUREMENT SCORES SHOWED IMPROVED BALANCE AND FLEXIBILITY AND DECREASED DISABILITY AND DEPRESSION FOR THE YOGA GROUP BUT THIS PILOT WAS NOT POWERED TO REACH STATISTICAL SIGNIFICANCE. SIGNIFICANT LIMITATIONS INCLUDED A HIGH DROPOUT RATE IN THE CONTROL GROUP AND LARGE BASELINE DIFFERENCES IN THE SECONDARY MEASURES. IN ADDITION, ANALYSIS OF THE QUALITATIVE DATA REVEALED THE FOLLOWING FREQUENCY OF RESPONSES (1) GROUP INTERVENTION MOTIVATED THE PARTICIPANTS AND (2) YOGA FOSTERED RELAXATION AND NEW AWARENESS/LEARNING. CONCLUSION: A MODIFIED YOGA-BASED INTERVENTION MAY BENEFIT INDIVIDUALS WITH CLB, BUT A LARGER STUDY IS NECESSARY TO PROVIDE DEFINITIVE EVIDENCE. ALSO, THE IMPACT ON DEPRESSION AND DISABILITY COULD BE CONSIDERED AS IMPORTANT OUTCOMES FOR FURTHER STUDY. ADDITIONAL FUNCTIONAL OUTCOME MEASURES SHOULD BE EXPLORED. THIS PILOT STUDY SUPPORTS THE NEED FOR MORE RESEARCH INVESTIGATING THE EFFECT OF YOGA FOR THIS POPULATION. 2004 8 445 27 CHAIR YOGA: FEASIBILITY AND SUSTAINABILITY STUDY WITH OLDER COMMUNITY-DWELLING ADULTS WITH OSTEOARTHRITIS. THIS STUDY MEASURED THE FEASIBILITY OF COMPLETING A RANDOMIZED CONTROL TRIAL ON AN 8-WEEK SEATED YOGA PROGRAM FOR OLDER ADULTS WITH OSTEOARTHRITIS. PART OF THE FEASIBILITY OF THIS PROGRAM WAS TO DETERMINE WHETHER PARTICIPANTS WOULD CONTINUE THE YOGA PRACTICE AT HOME USING A GUIDE BOOK AFTER THE 8-WEEK PROGRAM. FINDINGS DEMONSTRATED THAT ONCE PARTICIPANTS WERE NOT IN A GROUP SETTING FOR THE YOGA, THEY DID NOT CONTINUE WITH YOGA PRACTICE. THIS OUTCOME DEMONSTRATES THE NEED FOR GROUP PROGRAMS FOR OLDER ADULTS TO PROMOTE ADHERENCE TO MOVEMENT-BASED PROGRAMS. (TRIAL REGISTRATION: CLINICALTRIALS.GOV: NCT02113410). 2017 9 2060 39 THE BENEFITS OF YOGA FOR WOMEN VETERANS WITH CHRONIC LOW BACK PAIN. OBJECTIVES: CHRONIC LOW BACK (CLBP) PAIN IS PREVALENT AMONG MILITARY VETERANS AND OFTEN LEADS TO FUNCTIONAL LIMITATIONS, PSYCHOLOGIC SYMPTOMS, LOWER QUALITY OF LIFE, AND HIGHER HEALTH CARE COSTS. AN INCREASING PROPORTION OF U.S. VETERANS ARE WOMEN, AND WOMEN VETERANS MAY HAVE DIFFERENT HEALTH CARE NEEDS THAN MEN VETERANS. THE PURPOSE OF THIS STUDY WAS TO ASSESS THE IMPACT OF A YOGA INTERVENTION ON WOMEN AND MEN WITH CLBP. SUBJECTS/SETTING/INTERVENTION: VA PATIENTS WITH CLBP WERE REFERRED BY PRIMARY CARE PROVIDERS TO A CLINICAL YOGA PROGRAM. DESIGN: RESEARCH PARTICIPANTS COMPLETED A BRIEF BATTERY OF QUESTIONNAIRES BEFORE THEIR FIRST YOGA CLASS AND AGAIN 10 WEEKS LATER IN A SINGLE-GROUP, PRE-POST STUDY DESIGN. OUTCOME MEASURES: QUESTIONNAIRES INCLUDED MEASURES OF PAIN (PAIN SEVERITY SCALE), DEPRESSION (CESD-10), ENERGY/FATIGUE, AND HEALTH-RELATED QUALITY OF LIFE (SF-12). YOGA ATTENDANCE AND HOME PRACTICE OF YOGA WERE ALSO MEASURED. REPEATED-MEASURES ANALYSIS OF VARIANCE WAS USED TO ANALYZE GROUP DIFFERENCES OVER TIME WHILE CONTROLLING FOR BASELINE DIFFERENCES. RESULTS: THE 53 PARTICIPANTS WHO COMPLETED BOTH ASSESSMENTS HAD A MEAN AGE OF 53 YEARS, AND WERE WELL EDUCATED, 41% NONWHITE, 49% MARRIED, AND HAD VARYING EMPLOYMENT STATUS. WOMEN PARTICIPANTS HAD SIGNIFICANTLY LARGER DECREASES IN DEPRESSION (P=0.046) AND PAIN "ON AVERAGE" (P=0.050), AND LARGER INCREASES IN ENERGY (P=0.034) AND SF-12 MENTAL HEALTH (P=0.044) THAN MEN WHO PARTICIPATED. THE GROUPS DID NOT DIFFER SIGNIFICANTLY ON YOGA ATTENDANCE OR HOME PRACTICE OF YOGA. CONCLUSIONS: THESE RESULTS SUGGEST THAT WOMEN VETERANS MAY BENEFIT MORE THAN MEN VETERANS FROM YOGA INTERVENTIONS FOR CHRONIC BACK PAIN. CONCLUSIONS ARE TENTATIVE BECAUSE OF THE SMALL SAMPLE SIZE AND QUASI-EXPERIMENTAL STUDY DESIGN. A MORE RIGOROUS STUDY IS BEING DESIGNED TO ANSWER THESE RESEARCH QUESTIONS MORE DEFINITIVELY. 2012 10 119 42 A PILOT STUDY OF THE ACCEPTABILITY, FEASIBILITY AND SAFETY OF YOGA FOR CHRONIC PAIN IN SICKLE CELL DISEASE. OBJECTIVES: TO DETERMINE THE ACCEPTABILITY, FEASIBILITY AND SAFETY OF YOGA FOR CHRONIC PAIN IN SICKLE CELL DISEASE. DESIGN AND SETTING: IN PART A OF THIS TWO-PART STUDY, ADOLESCENTS WITH SCD AND CHRONIC PAIN (GROUP 1) AND THEIR PARENT (GROUP 2) COMPLETED A SURVEY DESIGNED TO CAPTURE PAIN CHARACTERISTICS, ATTITUDES AND PRACTICES RELATED TO YOGA, AND POTENTIAL ACCEPTABILITY OF A YOGA PROGRAM. IN PART B, THE STUDY ASSESSED THE FEASIBILITY AND SAFETY OF AN INSTRUCTOR-LED GROUP YOGA PROGRAM. THE STUDY WAS REGISTERED ON CLINICALTRIALS.GOV (NCT03694548). INTERVENTION: EIGHT INSTRUCTOR-LED GROUP YOGA SESSIONS. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: FEASIBILITY AND SAFETY OUTCOMES WERE CHOSEN A PRIORI, AS FOLLOWS: 1) PROPORTION OF ADOLESCENT PATIENTS WITH SCD AND CHRONIC PAIN APPROACHED THAT CONSENT TO PARTICIPATE IN PART A, 2) PROPORTION OF ADOLESCENT PARTICIPANTS ENROLLED IN PART A THAT CONSENT TO PARTICIPATE IN PART B, 3) PROPORTION OF PARTICIPANTS ENROLLED IN PART B THAT ATTEND AT LEAST 6 OF 8 YOGA SESSIONS, 4) PROPORTION OF PARTICIPANTS ENROLLED IN PART B WITH AN ED VISIT OR A HOSPITALIZATION FOR PAIN WITHIN 24 H OF COMPLETION OF EACH YOGA SESSION, 5) PROPORTION OF PARTICIPANTS IN PART B WHO COMPLETE ALL STUDY ASSESSMENTS BEFORE, AND AT THE END OF THE YOGA PROGRAM, 6) ADHERENCE TO SUBMISSION OF PAIN DIARY. RESULTS: THE MEDIAN AGE OF 15 PATIENT PARTICIPANTS IN PART A WAS 16 (IQR 14-17), AND 14 PARENTS WAS 43.5 (IQR 42-51). MOST PARTICIPANTS WERE FEMALE. MOST PARTICIPANT RESPONSES INDICATED A POSITIVE OPINION OF YOGA. NINE ADOLESCENTS (60 %) FROM PART A PARTICIPATED IN PART B OF THE STUDY. THE MEDIAN AGE OF 9 PARTICIPANTS IN PART B WAS 17 (IQR 15-18), AND 5 OF THE 9 PARTICIPANTS WERE FEMALE (53.3 %). ONLY ONE PARTICIPANT WAS ABLE TO ATTEND 3 OF THE 8 YOGA SESSIONS OFFERED, AND DID NOT EXPERIENCE ANY ED VISITS OR HOSPITALIZATIONS FOLLOWING THE YOGA SESSIONS. NONE OF THE OTHER FEASIBILITY ENDPOINTS WERE MET IN THIS STUDY. CONCLUSIONS: PATIENTS WITH SCD AND CHRONIC PAIN OVERALL HAVE A POSITIVE OPINION OF YOGA, BUT THERE ARE CHALLENGES WITH RECRUITMENT AND RETENTION OF PARTICIPANTS IN A CLINICAL TRIAL OF YOGA, AND BARRIERS TO FEASIBILITY OF AN IN-PERSON GROUP YOGA INTERVENTION. 2021 11 1688 48 OUTCOMES FROM A WHOLE-SYSTEMS AYURVEDIC MEDICINE AND YOGA THERAPY TREATMENT FOR OBESITY PILOT STUDY. OBJECTIVES: TO DETERMINE THE FEASIBILITY AND ACCEPTABILITY OF AN AYURVEDA/YOGA INTERVENTION FOR WEIGHT LOSS, USING DUAL-DIAGNOSIS INCLUSION CRITERIA, DUAL-PARADIGM OUTCOMES, AND A SEMISTANDARDIZED PROTOCOL WITH TAILORING ACCORDING TO THE AYURVEDIC CONSTITUTION/IMBALANCE PROFILE OF EACH PARTICIPANT. DESIGN: SEVENTEEN PARTICIPANTS ENROLLED IN A WEEKLY INTERVENTION FOR 3 MONTHS. OUTCOME MEASUREMENTS WERE PERFORMED AT BASELINE, POSTINTERVENTION, AND 3 AND 6 MONTHS FOLLOW-UP. SETTING: THE INTERVENTION WAS CONDUCTED THROUGH THE UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA, DEPARTMENT OF FAMILY AND COMMUNITY MEDICINE FROM APRIL THROUGH DECEMBER 2012. SUBJECTS: PARTICIPANTS INCLUDED 2 MEN AND 15 WOMEN RECRUITED FROM THE COMMUNITY OF TUCSON, AZ USING FLYERS AND HOSPITAL MESSAGE BOARDS. SEVENTEEN ENROLLED AND 12 PARTICIPANTS PROVIDED COMPLETE FOLLOW-UP DATA. INTERVENTION: PARTICIPANTS MET WITH AN AYURVEDIC PRACTITIONER TWICE MONTHLY (SIX TIMES) AND FOLLOWED SEMISTANDARDIZED DIETARY GUIDELINES WITH INDIVIDUAL TAILORING TO ADDRESS RELEVANT PSYCHOPHYSIOLOGICAL IMBALANCES OBSTRUCTING WEIGHT LOSS AND A STANDARDIZED PROTOCOL OF THERAPEUTIC YOGA CLASSES THREE TIMES WEEKLY WITH RECOMMENDED HOME PRACTICE OF TWO TO FOUR ADDITIONAL SESSIONS. OUTCOME MEASURES: PRIMARY OUTCOME WAS WEIGHT LOSS. OTHER BIOMEDICAL OUTCOMES INCLUDED BODY MASS INDEX, BODY FAT PERCENTAGE, WAIST AND HIP CIRCUMFERENCE, WAIST TO HIP RATIO, AND BLOOD PRESSURE. UNIQUE INSTRUMENTS WERE DESIGNED TO COLLECT DATA ON OUTCOMES ASSOCIATED WITH THE AYURVEDIC MEDICAL PARADIGM, INCLUDING DIETARY CHANGES BY FOOD QUALITIES, MOOD/AFFECT, RELATIONSHIPS, AND CHANGES IN AYURVEDIC IMBALANCE PROFILES. RESULTS: PARTICIPANTS LOST AN AVERAGE OF 3.5 KG DURING THE 3-MONTH INTERVENTION. WEIGHT LOSS AT 3 AND 6 MONTHS POSTINTERVENTION INCREASED TO AN AVERAGE OF 5.6 KG AND 5.9 KG, RESPECTIVELY. PARTICIPANTS WHO LOST 3% OF THEIR BODY WEIGHT DURING THE 12 WEEK INTERVENTION, LOST ON AVERAGE AN ADDITIONAL 3% DURING THE FOLLOW-UP PERIOD. PSYCHOSOCIAL OUTCOMES ALSO IMPROVED. NO ADDITIONAL SERVICES WERE PROVIDED TO PARTICIPANTS DURING THE FOLLOW-UP PERIOD. CONCLUSIONS: A WHOLE-SYSTEMS AYURVEDIC MEDICINE AND YOGA THERAPY APPROACH PROVIDES A FEASIBLE PROMISING NONINVASIVE LOW-COST ALTERNATIVE TO TRADITIONAL WEIGHT LOSS INTERVENTIONS WITH POTENTIAL ADDED BENEFITS ASSOCIATED WITH SUSTAINABLE HOLISTIC LIFESTYLE MODIFICATION AND POSITIVE PSYCHOSOCIAL CHANGES. 2019 12 583 34 DESIGNING, VALIDATION AND FEASIBILITY OF A YOGA-BASED INTERVENTION FOR ELDERLY. CONTEXT: AGEING IS AN UNAVOIDABLE FACET OF LIFE. YOGIC PRACTICES HAVE BEEN REPORTED TO PROMOTE HEALTHY AGING. PREVIOUS STUDIES HAVE USED EITHER YOGA THERAPY INTERVENTIONS DERIVED FROM A PARTICULAR SCHOOL OF YOGA OR HAVE TESTED SPECIFIC YOGIC PRACTICES LIKE MEDITATION. AIMS: THIS STUDY REPORTS THE DEVELOPMENT, VALIDATION AND FEASIBILITY OF A YOGA-BASED INTERVENTION FOR ELDERLY WITH OR WITHOUT MILD COGNITIVE IMPAIRMENT. SETTINGS AND DESIGN: THE STUDY WAS CONDUCTED AT THE ADVANCED CENTRE FOR YOGA, NATIONAL INSTITUTE FOR MENTAL HEALTH AND NEUROSCIENCES, BANGALORE. THE MODULE WAS DEVELOPED, VALIDATED, AND THEN PILOT-TESTED ON VOLUNTEERS. MATERIALS AND METHODS: THE FIRST PART OF THE STUDY CONSISTED OF DESIGNING OF A YOGA MODULE BASED ON TRADITIONAL AND CONTEMPORARY YOGIC LITERATURE. THIS YOGA MODULE ALONG WITH THE THREE CASE VIGNETTES OF ELDERLY WITH COGNITIVE IMPAIRMENT WERE SENT TO 10 YOGA EXPERTS TO HELP DEVELOP THE INTENDED YOGA-BASED INTERVENTION. IN THE SECOND PART, THE FEASIBILITY OF THE DEVELOPED YOGA-BASED INTERVENTION WAS TESTED. RESULTS: EXPERTS (N=10) OPINED THE YOGA-BASED INTERVENTION WILL BE USEFUL IN IMPROVING COGNITION IN ELDERLY, BUT WITH SOME MODIFICATIONS. FREQUENT SUPERVISED YOGA SESSIONS, REGULAR FOLLOW-UPS, ADDITION/DELETION/MODIFICATIONS OF YOGA POSTURES WERE SOME OF THE SUGGESTIONS. TEN ELDERLY CONSENTED AND EIGHT COMPLETED THE PILOT TESTING OF THE INTERVENTION. ALL OF THEM WERE ABLE TO PERFORM MOST OF THE SUKSMAVYAYAMA, PRANAYAMA AND NADANUSANDHANA (MEDITATION) TECHNIQUE WITHOUT DIFFICULTY. SOME OF THE PARTICIPANTS (N=3) EXPERIENCED DIFFICULTY IN PERFORMING POSTURES SEATED ON THE GROUND. MOST OF THE OLDER ADULTS EXPERIENCED DIFFICULTY IN REMEMBERING AND COMPLETING ENTIRE SEQUENCE OF YOGA-BASED INTERVENTION INDEPENDENTLY. CONCLUSIONS: THE YOGA BASED INTERVENTION IS FEASIBLE IN THE ELDERLY WITH COGNITIVE IMPAIRMENT. TESTING WITH A LARGER SAMPLE OF OLDER ADULTS IS WARRANTED. 2013 13 1942 44 SAFETY AND FEASIBILITY OF MODIFIED CHAIR-YOGA ON FUNCTIONAL OUTCOME AMONG ELDERLY AT RISK FOR FALLS. FALLS ARE AMONG THE MOST COMMON PROBLEMS AFFECTING OLDER ADULTS. AT LEAST 50% OF THOSE OVER THE AGE OF 80 FALL ANNUALLY. THE GOAL OF THIS PILOT STUDY WAS TO ASSESS THE SAFETY AND FEASIBILITY OF STRUCTURED YOGA IN AN ELDERLY POPULATION WITH FALL RISK. SENIORS AT RISK FOR FALLS WERE IDENTIFIED AND ENROLLED IN A SINGLE ARM PILOT TRIAL. A CHAIR BASED YOGA PROGRAM WAS PROVIDED TWICE A WEEK FOR 8 WEEKS. THE PROGRAM WAS DESIGNED FROM PREVIOUSLY PUBLISHED PILOT DATA. A BATTERY OF VALIDATED INSTRUMENTS WAS ADMINISTERED AT BASELINE AND WEEK EIGHT AND WAS USED TO IDENTIFY WHICH INSTRUMENTS MAY BE SENSITIVE TO CHANGE AS A RESULT OF A YOGA PROGRAM. AMONG SIXTEEN SENIORS (MEDIAN AGE OF 88) WITH A PREVIOUS HISTORY OF FALLS, 87% PROVIDED DATA FOR ASSESSMENT AT THE END OF THE INTERVENTION. TWO PATIENTS WITHDREW, ONE DUE TO A FALL OUTSIDE THE INSTITUTION AND THE OTHER DUE TO LACK OF TIME AND INTEREST. THERE WERE NO ADVERSE EVENTS DURING THE YOGA SESSIONS. PAIRED-T TESTS COMPARED PRE-POST CHANGES AND GAINS WERE NOTED IN FEAR OF FALLING (5.27 TO 2.60; P = 0.029) AND SPPB SIT TO STAND SUBSCALE (0.31 TO 1.00; P =.022). IMPROVED TRENDS WERE NOTED IN ANXIETY AND THE TIMED UP AND GO ASSESSMENTS. WE FOUND THE MODIFIED CHAIR-YOGA PROGRAM IS SAFE AND RECRUITMENT IS FEASIBLE. OUR DATA SUGGESTS THAT YOGA MAY BE BENEFICIAL IN IMPROVING MOBILITY AND REDUCING FEAR OF FALLING WHICH WARRANTS ADDITIONAL RESEARCH VIA RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL. 2012 14 105 40 A PILOT FEASIBILITY STUDY OF WHOLE-SYSTEMS AYURVEDIC MEDICINE AND YOGA THERAPY FOR WEIGHT LOSS. OBJECTIVE: TO DEVELOP AND TEST THE FEASIBILITY OF A WHOLE-SYSTEMS LIFESTYLE INTERVENTION FOR OBESITY TREATMENT BASED ON THE PRACTICES OF AYURVEDIC MEDICINE/ YOGA THERAPY. DESIGN: A PRE-POST WEIGHT LOSS INTERVENTION PILOT STUDY USING CONVENTIONAL AND AYURVEDIC DIAGNOSIS INCLUSION CRITERIA, TAILORED TREATMENT WITHIN A STANDARDIZED TREATMENT ALGORITHM, AND STANDARDIZED DATA COLLECTION INSTRUMENTS FOR COLLECTING AYURVEDIC OUTCOMES. PARTICIPANTS: A CONVENIENCE SAMPLE OF OVERWEIGHT/OBESE ADULT COMMUNITY MEMBERS FROM TUCSON, ARIZONA INTERESTED IN A "HOLISTIC WEIGHT LOSS PROGRAM" AND MEETING PREDETERMINED INCLUSION/EXCLUSION CRITERIA. INTERVENTION: A COMPREHENSIVE DIET, ACTIVITY, AND LIFESTYLE MODIFICATION PROGRAM BASED ON PRINCIPLES OF AYURVEDIC MEDICINE/YOGA THERAPY WITH SIGNIFICANT SELF-MONITORING OF LIFESTYLE BEHAVIORS. THE 3-MONTH PROGRAM WAS DESIGNED TO CHANGE EATING AND ACTIVITY PATTERNS AND TO IMPROVE SELF-EFFICACY, QUALITY OF LIFE, WELL-BEING, VITALITY, AND SELF-AWARENESS AROUND FOOD CHOICES, STRESS MANAGEMENT, AND BARRIERS TO WEIGHT LOSS. PRIMARY OUTCOME MEASURES: CHANGES IN BODY WEIGHT, BODY MASS INDEX; BODY FAT PERCENTAGE, FAT/LEAN MASS, WAIST/HIP CIRCUMFERENCE AND RATIO, AND BLOOD PRESSURE. SECONDARY OUTCOME MEASURES: DIET AND EXERCISE SELF-EFFICACY SCALES; PERCEIVED STRESS SCALE; VISUAL ANALOG SCALES (VAS) OF ENERGY, APPETITE, STRESS, QUALITY OF LIFE, WELL-BEING, AND PROGRAM SATISFACTION AT ALL TIME POINTS. RESULTS: TWENTY-TWO ADULTS ATTENDED AN IN-PERSON AYURVEDIC SCREENING; 17 INITIATED THE INTERVENTION, AND 12 COMPLETED THE 3-MONTH INTERVENTION. TWELVE COMPLETED FOLLOW-UP AT 6 MONTHS AND 11 COMPLETED FOLLOW-UP AT 9 MONTHS. MEAN WEIGHT LOSS AT 3 MONTHS WAS 3.54 KG (SD 4.76); 6 MONTHS: 4.63 KG, (SD 6.23) AND 9 MONTHS: 5.9 KG (SD 8.52). SELF-REPORT OF PROGRAM SATISFACTION WAS MORE THAN 90% AT ALL TIME POINTS. CONCLUSIONS: AN AYURVEDA-/YOGA-BASED LIFESTYLE MODIFICATION PROGRAM IS AN ACCEPTABLE AND FEASIBLE APPROACH TO WEIGHT MANAGEMENT. DATA COLLECTION, INCLUDING SELF-MONITORING AND CONVENTIONAL AND AYURVEDIC OUTCOMES, DID NOT UNDULY BURDEN PARTICIPANTS, WITH ATTRITION SIMILAR TO THAT OF OTHER WEIGHT LOSS STUDIES. 2014 15 2830 41 YOGA VS STRETCHING IN VETERANS WITH CHRONIC LOWER BACK PAIN AND THE ROLE OF MINDFULNESS: A PILOT RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL. OBJECTIVE: THE PURPOSE OF THIS STUDY WAS TO INVESTIGATE THE FEASIBILITY OF RECRUITING, RANDOMIZING, ENROLLING, AND COLLECTING OUTCOME DATA ON VETERAN PATIENTS WITH CHRONIC LOW BACK PAIN (CLBP) WHO UNDERGO AN 8-WEEK, ACTIVE EXERCISE CLASS WITH MINDFULNESS (YOGA CLASS) AND WITHOUT (STRETCHING CLASS). METHODS: UNITED STATES VETERANS WITH CLBP BASED ON INCLUSION/EXCLUSION CRITERIA WERE RANDOMIZED TO 1 OF 2 GROUPS. THE STUDY DESIGN WAS A PILOT RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL. TWENTY CLBP PATIENTS ATTENDED A YOGA CLASS OR STRETCHING CLASS ONCE PER WEEK FOR 8 WEEKS AT THE VETERANS AFFAIRS ROCHESTER OUTPATIENT CENTER, ROCHESTER, NEW YORK. THE FOLLOWING MEASUREMENTS WERE OBTAINED: RECRUITMENT OR ENROLLMENT DATA, COMPLIANCE DATA TO INCLUDE CLASS ATTENDANCE AND HOME EXERCISE, AND COMPLIANCE DATA REGARDING ABILITY TO COLLECT OUTCOME MEASURES AT BASELINE AND AT COMPLETION. OUTCOME MEASURES INCLUDED PAIN (PEG), QUALITY OF LIFE (PROMIS GLOBAL HEALTH SURVEY), SELF-EFFICACY (2-ITEM QUESTIONNAIRE), FEAR AVOIDANCE BELIEF, CATASTROPHIZING, AND SOCIAL ENGAGEMENT IN ADDITION TO QUALITATIVE CLINICIAN OPEN-ENDED QUESTIONS POSTINTERVENTION. RESULTS: FORTY-FIVE VETERANS WERE QUERIED REGARDING INTEREST IN PARTICIPATION. OF THESE, 34 (76%) MET THE STUDY'S CRITERIA. TWENTY (44%) AGREED TO PARTICIPATE AND WERE CONSENTED, RANDOMIZED, AND ENROLLED IN THE STUDY. INITIAL AND FINAL OUTCOME MEASURES WERE OBTAINED FOR EACH PARTICIPANT (100%). FORTY PERCENT ATTENDED MORE THAN 80% OF THE SESSIONS FOR BOTH YOGA AND STRETCHING GROUPS. CONCLUSION: THIS PILOT STUDY DEMONSTRATED FEASIBILITY OF RECRUITING, ENROLLING, AND COLLECTING OUTCOME DATA ON CLBP VETERAN PATIENTS PARTICIPATING IN YOGA AND STRETCHING CLASS. THE DATA FROM THIS PILOT WILL INFORM THE DEVELOPMENT OF A RANDOMIZED, COMPARATIVE EFFECTIVENESS STUDY OF YOGA WITH AND WITHOUT MINDFULNESS IN THE MANAGEMENT OF CLBP. 2020 16 1180 48 EVALUATION OF THE EFFECTIVENESS AND EFFICACY OF IYENGAR YOGA THERAPY ON CHRONIC LOW BACK PAIN. STUDY DESIGN: THE EFFECTIVENESS AND EFFICACY OF IYENGAR YOGA FOR CHRONIC LOW BACK PAIN (CLBP) WERE ASSESSED WITH INTENTION-TO-TREAT AND PER-PROTOCOL ANALYSIS. NINETY SUBJECTS WERE RANDOMIZED TO A YOGA (N = 43) OR CONTROL GROUP (N = 47) RECEIVING STANDARD MEDICAL CARE. PARTICIPANTS WERE FOLLOWED 6 MONTHS AFTER COMPLETION OF THE INTERVENTION. OBJECTIVE: THIS STUDY AIMED TO EVALUATE IYENGAR YOGA THERAPY ON CHRONIC LOW BACK PAIN. YOGA SUBJECTS WERE HYPOTHESIZED TO REPORT GREATER REDUCTIONS IN FUNCTIONAL DISABILITY, PAIN INTENSITY, DEPRESSION, AND PAIN MEDICATION USAGE THAN CONTROLS. SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA: CLBP IS A MUSCULOSKELETAL DISORDER WITH PUBLIC HEALTH AND ECONOMIC IMPACT. PILOT STUDIES OF YOGA AND BACK PAIN HAVE REPORTED SIGNIFICANT CHANGES IN CLINICALLY IMPORTANT OUTCOMES. METHODS: SUBJECTS WERE RECRUITED THROUGH SELF-REFERRAL AND HEALTH PROFESSIONAL REFERRALS ACCORDING TO EXPLICIT INCLUSION/EXCLUSION CRITERIA. YOGA SUBJECTS PARTICIPATED IN 24 WEEKS OF BIWEEKLY YOGA CLASSES DESIGNED FOR CLBP. OUTCOMES WERE ASSESSED AT 12 (MIDWAY), 24 (IMMEDIATELY AFTER), AND 48 WEEKS (6-MONTH FOLLOW-UP) AFTER THE START OF THE INTERVENTION USING THE OSWESTRY DISABILITY QUESTIONNAIRE, A VISUAL ANALOG SCALE, THE BECK DEPRESSION INVENTORY, AND A PAIN MEDICATION-USAGE QUESTIONNAIRE. RESULTS: USING INTENTION-TO-TREAT ANALYSIS WITH REPEATED MEASURES ANOVA (GROUP X TIME), SIGNIFICANTLY GREATER REDUCTIONS IN FUNCTIONAL DISABILITY AND PAIN INTENSITY WERE OBSERVED IN THE YOGA GROUP WHEN COMPARED TO THE CONTROL GROUP AT 24 WEEKS. A SIGNIFICANTLY GREATER PROPORTION OF YOGA SUBJECTS ALSO REPORTED CLINICAL IMPROVEMENTS AT BOTH 12 AND 24 WEEKS. IN ADDITION, DEPRESSION WAS SIGNIFICANTLY LOWER IN YOGA SUBJECTS. FURTHERMORE, WHILE A REDUCTION IN PAIN MEDICATION OCCURRED, THIS WAS COMPARABLE IN BOTH GROUPS. WHEN RESULTS WERE ANALYZED USING PER-PROTOCOL ANALYSIS, IMPROVEMENTS WERE OBSERVED FOR ALL OUTCOMES IN THE YOGA GROUP, INCLUDING AGREATER TREND FOR REDUCED PAIN MEDICATION USAGE. ALTHOUGH SLIGHTLY LESS THAN AT 24 WEEKS, THE YOGA GROUP HAD STATISTICALLY SIGNIFICANT REDUCTIONS IN FUNCTIONAL DISABILITY, PAIN INTENSITY, AND DEPRESSION COMPARED TO STANDARD MEDICAL CARE 6-MONTHS POSTINTERVENTION. CONCLUSION: YOGA IMPROVES FUNCTIONAL DISABILITY, PAIN INTENSITY, AND DEPRESSION IN ADULTS WITH CLBP. THERE WAS ALSO A CLINICALLY IMPORTANT TREND FOR THE YOGA GROUP TO REDUCE THEIR PAIN MEDICATION USAGE COMPARED TO THE CONTROL GROUP. 2009 17 1413 30 IMPLEMENTING YOGA INTO THE MANAGEMENT OF PATIENTS WITH REFRACTORY LOW BACK PAIN IN AN OUTPATIENT CLINIC SETTING. PURPOSE: TO EVALUATE THE EFFECTIVENESS OF IMPLEMENTING YOGA INTO THE TREATMENT OF PATIENTS WITH CHRONIC LOW BACK PAIN. DESIGN: QUANTITATIVE ANALYSIS WITH OPPORTUNITY FOR QUALITATIVE FEEDBACK. METHOD: EFFECTIVENESS OF THIS COMPLEMENTARY TREATMENT WAS ASSESSED USING A PRETEST/POSTTEST DESIGN OF PATIENTS WHO VOLUNTEERED TO PARTICIPATE IN YOGA CLASSES AS PART OF THEIR BACK PAIN MANAGEMENT. MEASUREMENTS INCLUDED LOW BACK PAIN RATING, PERCEPTION OF BACK PAIN INTERFERENCE WITH DAILY ACTIVITIES, AND SELF-EFFICACY IN DEALING WITH CHRONIC LOW BACK PAIN. FINDINGS: ALTHOUGH NO STATISTICALLY SIGNIFICANT FINDINGS WERE FOUND DUE TO THE SMALL SAMPLE SIZE, MOST PARTICIPANTS DEMONSTRATED IMPROVED INDIVIDUAL SCORES ON ALL MEASUREMENT SURVEYS INCLUDING QUALITATIVE COMMENTS. CONCLUSION: BASED ON THE FINDINGS OF THIS PILOT STUDY, FURTHER STUDIES ON IMPLEMENTING YOGA INTO THE TREATMENT OF CHRONIC LOW BACK PAIN ARE ENCOURAGED. 2019 18 388 47 BENEFITS OF THE RESTORATIVE EXERCISE AND STRENGTH TRAINING FOR OPERATIONAL RESILIENCE AND EXCELLENCE YOGA PROGRAM FOR CHRONIC LOW BACK PAIN IN SERVICE MEMBERS: A PILOT RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL. OBJECTIVE: TO EXAMINE THE FEASIBILITY AND PRELIMINARY EFFECTIVENESS OF AN INDIVIDUALIZED YOGA PROGRAM. DESIGN: PILOT RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL. SETTING: MILITARY MEDICAL CENTER. PARTICIPANTS: PATIENTS (N=68) WITH CHRONIC LOW BACK PAIN. INTERVENTIONS: RESTORATIVE EXERCISE AND STRENGTH TRAINING FOR OPERATIONAL RESILIENCE AND EXCELLENCE (RESTORE) PROGRAM (9-12 INDIVIDUAL YOGA SESSIONS) OR TREATMENT AS USUAL (CONTROL) FOR AN 8-WEEK PERIOD. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: THE PRIMARY OUTCOME WAS PAST 24-HOUR PAIN (DEFENSE & VETERANS PAIN RATING SCALE 2.0). SECONDARY OUTCOMES INCLUDED DISABILITY (ROLAND-MORRIS DISABILITY QUESTIONNAIRE) AND PHYSICAL FUNCTIONING AND SYMPTOM BURDEN (PATIENT-REPORTED OUTCOMES MEASUREMENT INFORMATION SYSTEM-29 SUBSCALES). ASSESSMENT OCCURRED AT BASELINE, WEEK 4, WEEK 8, 3-MONTH FOLLOW-UP, AND 6-MONTH FOLLOW-UP. EXPLORATORY OUTCOMES INCLUDED THE PROPORTION OF PARTICIPANTS IN EACH GROUP REPORTING CLINICALLY MEANINGFUL CHANGES AT 3- AND 6-MONTH FOLLOW-UPS. RESULTS: GENERALIZED LINEAR MIXED MODELS WITH SEQUENTIAL BONFERRONI-ADJUSTED PAIRWISE SIGNIFICANCE TESTS AND CHI-SQUARE ANALYSES EXAMINED LONGITUDINAL OUTCOMES. SECONDARY OUTCOME SIGNIFICANCE TESTS WERE BONFERRONI ADJUSTED FOR MULTIPLE OUTCOMES. THE RESTORE GROUP REPORTED IMPROVED PAIN COMPARED WITH THE CONTROL GROUP. SECONDARY OUTCOMES DID NOT RETAIN SIGNIFICANCE AFTER BONFERRONI ADJUSTMENTS FOR MULTIPLE OUTCOMES, ALTHOUGH A HIGHER PROPORTION OF RESTORE PARTICIPANTS REPORTED CLINICALLY MEANINGFULLY CHANGES IN ALL OUTCOMES AT 3-MONTH FOLLOW-UP AND IN SYMPTOM BURDEN AT 6-MONTH FOLLOW-UP. CONCLUSIONS: RESTORE MAY BE A VIABLE NONPHARMACOLOGICAL TREATMENT FOR LOW BACK PAIN WITH MINIMAL SIDE EFFECTS, AND RESEARCH EFFORTS ARE NEEDED TO COMPARE THE EFFECTIVENESS OF RESTORE DELIVERY FORMATS (EG, GROUP VS INDIVIDUAL) WITH THAT OF OTHER TREATMENT MODALITIES. 2018 19 596 41 DEVELOPMENT AND FEASIBILITY OF YOGA THERAPY MODULE FOR OUT-PATIENTS WITH DEPRESSION IN INDIA. CONTEXT: EVIDENCE SUGGESTS THAT CERTAIN YOGA PRACTICES ARE USEFUL IN THE MANAGEMENT OF DEPRESSION. TO THE BEST OF OUR KNOWLEDGE, THERE HAS BEEN NO STUDY THAT DEALS WITH THE FORMULATION OF A YOGA MODULE FOR THE PARTICULAR CLINICAL FEATURES OF DEPRESSION. AIM: THE MAIN AIM OF OUR STUDY WAS TO DEVELOP A COMPREHENSIVE YOGA THERAPY MODULE TARGETING SPECIFIC CLINICAL FEATURES OF DEPRESSION. SETTINGS AND DESIGN: SPECIFIC YOGA PRACTICES WERE MATCHED FOR CLINICAL FEATURES OF DEPRESSION BASED ON A THOROUGH LITERATURE REVIEW. A YOGA PROGRAM WAS DEVELOPED, WHICH CONSISTED OF SUKSMAVYAYAMA, (LOOSENING EXERCISES), ASANAS (POSTURES), RELAXATION TECHNIQUES, PRANAYAMA (BREATHING EXERCISES) AND CHANTING MEDITATION TO BE TAUGHT IN A 2 WEEK PERIOD. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A STRUCTURED QUESTIONNAIRE WAS DEVELOPED FOR VALIDATION FROM NINE EXPERIENCED YOGA PROFESSIONALS. THE FINAL VERSION OF YOGA THERAPY MODULE WAS PILOT-TESTED ON SEVEN PATIENTS (FIVE FEMALES) WITH DEPRESSION RECRUITED FROM OUTPATIENT SERVICE OF NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF MENTAL HEALTH AND NEURO SCIENCES, BANGALORE. RESULTS: THE FINAL YOGA THERAPY MODULE HAD THOSE PRACTICES THAT RECEIVED A SCORE OF THREE OR MORE (MODERATELY/VERY MUCH/EXTREMELY USEFUL) FROM ALL RESPONDERS. SIX OUT OF NINE (>65%) EXPERTS SUGGESTED SUKSMAVYAYAMA SHOULD BE INCLUDED. FIVE OUT OF NINE EXPERTS OPINED THAT TRAINING WITH 10 SESSIONS (OVER 2 WEEKS) IS RATHER SHORT. ALL EXPERTS OPINED THAT THE MODULE IS EASY TO TEACH, LEARN AND PRACTICE. AT THE PILOT STAGE, THE FIVE PATIENTS WHO COMPLETED THE MODULE REPORTED MORE THAN 80% SATISFACTION ABOUT THE YOGA PRACTICES AND HOW THE YOGA WAS TAUGHT. SEVERITY OF DEPRESSION SUBSTANTIALLY REDUCED AT BOTH 1 AND 3 MONTHS FOLLOW-UP. CONCLUSION: THE DEVELOPED COMPREHENSIVE YOGA THERAPY MODULE WAS VALIDATED BY EXPERTS IN THE FIELD AND WAS FOUND TO BE FEASIBLE AND USEFUL IN PATIENTS WITH DEPRESSION. 2013 20 1242 58 FEASIBILITY OF A YOGA INTERVENTION TO DECREASE PAIN IN OLDER WOMEN: A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED PILOT STUDY. BACKGROUND: A SIGNIFICANT PROPORTION OF OLDER WOMEN SUFFER FROM CHRONIC PAIN, WHICH CAN DECREASE QUALITY OF LIFE. THE OBJECTIVE OF THIS PILOT RANDOMIZED STUDY WAS TO EVALUATE THE FEASIBILITY OF A FLOW-RESTORATIVE YOGA INTERVENTION DESIGNED TO DECREASE PAIN AND RELATED OUTCOMES AMONG WOMEN AGED 60 OR OLDER. METHODS: FLOW-RESTORATIVE YOGA CLASSES WERE HELD TWICE WEEKLY FOR 1 HOUR AND LED BY A CERTIFIED YOGA INSTRUCTOR. PARTICIPANTS RANDOMIZED TO THE INTERVENTION GROUP ATTENDED THE YOGA CLASSES FOR 12 WEEKS AND RECEIVED SUPPLEMENTAL MATERIALS FOR AT-HOME PRACTICE. THOSE RANDOMIZED TO THE CONTROL GROUP WERE ASKED TO MAINTAIN THEIR NORMAL DAILY ROUTINE. FEASIBILITY WAS EVALUATED USING RECRUITMENT AND RETENTION RATES, CLASS AND HOME PRACTICE ADHERENCE RATES, AND PARTICIPANT SATISFACTION SURVEYS. OUTCOME MEASURES (SELF-REPORTED PAIN, INFLAMMATORY MARKERS, FUNCTIONAL FITNESS, QUALITY OF LIFE, RESILIENCE, AND SELF-REPORTED PHYSICAL ACTIVITY) WERE ASSESSED AT BASELINE AND POST-INTERVENTION. PAIRED T-TESTS OR WILCOXON SIGNED-RANK TESTS WERE USED TO EXAMINE CHANGES IN OUTCOME MEASURES WITHIN TREATMENT GROUPS. RESULTS: THIRTY-EIGHT PARTICIPANTS WERE RECRUITED AND RANDOMIZED. PARTICIPANTS WERE PRIMARILY WHITE, COLLEGE-EDUCATED, AND HIGHER FUNCTIONING, DESPITE EXPERIENCING VARIOUS FORMS OF CHRONIC PAIN. ATTENDANCE AND RETENTION RATES WERE HIGH (91 AND 97%, RESPECTIVELY) AND THE MAJORITY OF PARTICIPANTS WERE SATISFIED WITH THE YOGA PROGRAM (89%) AND WOULD RECOMMEND IT TO OTHERS (87%). INTERVENTION PARTICIPANTS ALSO EXPERIENCED REDUCTIONS IN PAIN INTERFERENCE AND IMPROVEMENTS IN ENERGY AND SOCIAL FUNCTIONING. CONCLUSIONS: THIS PILOT STUDY PROVIDES ESSENTIAL DATA TO INFORM A FULL SCALE RANDOMIZED TRIAL OF FLOW-RESTORATIVE YOGA FOR OLDER WOMEN WITH CHRONIC PAIN. FUTURE STUDIES SHOULD EMPHASIZE STRATEGIES TO RECRUIT A MORE DIVERSE STUDY POPULATION, PARTICULARLY OLDER WOMEN AT HIGHER RISK OF DISABILITY AND FUNCTIONAL DECLINE. TRIAL REGISTRATION: CLINICALTRIALS.GOV , NCT03790098 . REGISTERED 31 DECEMBER 2018 - RETROSPECTIVELY REGISTERED. 2020