1 322 87 ANKLE MOTION IN COMMON YOGA POSES. BACKGROUND: MOTION OF THE ANKLE IS ESSENTIAL FOR MANY YOGA POSES. AN UNDERSTANDING OF RANGE OF ANKLE MOTION DURING TYPICAL YOGA POSES MAY HELP THE CLINICIAN TO UNDERSTAND EXPECTED OUTCOMES OF PATIENTS WHEN RETURNING FROM ANKLE SURGERY OR INJURY TO YOGA. METHODS: THE BIOMECHANICS OF TWENTY HEALTHY ACTIVE YOGIS WERE COLLECTED DURING SEVEN YOGA POSES THAT ARE COMMON WITHIN THEIR PRACTICES. MOTION CAPTURE AND FORCE PLATES WERE USED TO ASSESS THE RANGE OF MOTION AND JOINT MOMENTS OF THE ANKLE FOR EACH POSE. RESULTS: ALL POSES RESULTED IN PLANTARFLEXION AND EXTERNAL ROTATION MOMENTS AT THE ANKLE JOINTS. JOINT LOADING WAS HIGHEST IN SINGLE LEG POSES. THE ARC OF MOTION USED BY THE STUDY PARTICIPANTS IN THE POSES WAS 29 DEGREES OF SAGITTAL MOTION, 20 DEGREES OF FRONTAL MOTION AND 35 DEGREES OF TRANSVERSE MOTION. DISCUSSION: ANKLE MOTION WAS EVALUATED WHEN HEALTHY YOGIS PERFORM STANDARD POSES. THESE RESULTS MAY HELP IN DISCUSSION WITH PATIENTS REGARDING EXPECTED OUTCOMES AFTER ANKLE INJURY OR SURGERY. 2019 2 408 34 BIOMECHANICAL CHARACTERISTICS ON THE LOWER EXTREMITY OF THREE TYPICAL YOGA MANOEUVRES. THIS STUDY WAS AIMED AT EXPLORING THE BIOMECHANICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF THE LOWER EXTREMITY AMONGST THREE TYPICAL YOGA MANOEUVRES. A TOTAL OF THIRTEEN EXPERIENCED FEMALE YOGA PRACTITIONERS WERE RECRUITED IN THE CURRENT STUDY; THEY WERE ALL CERTIFIED WITH THE YOGA ALLIANCE. A THREE-DIMENSIONAL MOTION CAPTURE SYSTEM WITH 10 CAMERAS COMBINED WITH FOUR SYNCHRONISED FORCE PLATES WAS USED TO COLLECT KINEMATICS OF THE LOWER EXTREMITY AND GROUND REACTIVE FORCE WHILST THE PARTICIPANTS PERFORMED THE CRESCENT LUNGE POSE, WARRIOR II POSE, AND TRIANGLE POSE. ONE-WAY REPEATED ANOVA WAS USED IN EXPLORING THE DIFFERENCES AMONGST THE THREE YOGA MOVEMENTS, AND THE SIGNIFICANCE WAS SET TO ALPHA < 0.05. THE TRIANGLE POSE PERFORMED THE LARGEST RANGE OF MOTION (ROM) OF THE HIP (90.5 DEGREES +/- 22.9 DEGREES ), KNEE (68.8 DEGREES +/- 23.1 DEGREES ), AND ANKLE (46.4 DEGREES +/- 11.3 DEGREES ) IN THE SAGITTAL PLANE AND THE HIP (54.8 DEGREES +/- 6.5 DEGREES ), KNEE (42.4 DEGREES +/- 12.8 DEGREES ), AND ANKLE (4.8 DEGREES +/- 1.7 DEGREES ) IN THE FRONTAL PLANE AMONGST THE THREE MANOEUVRES (P < 0.05). NO SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCE WAS FOUND FOR THE HIP AND ANKLE JOINT MOMENT AMONGST THE THREE MANOEUVRES (P > 0.05). KNEE JOINT TRAVELLED INTO 9.5 DEGREES OF EXTENSION AND SLIGHT ADDUCTION OF 1.94 DEGREES WHILST EXPRESSING THE LARGEST KNEE JOINT ADDUCTION MOMENTS (0.30 +/- 0.22 NM/KG) IN THE TRIANGLE POSE. THE DISTRIBUTION OF THE ANGULAR IMPULSE OF THE LOWER LIMB JOINTS INDICATED THAT THE HIP JOINT CONTRIBUTED SIGNIFICANTLY THE MOST IN THE SAGITTAL AND FRONTAL PLANES OF THE THREE YOGA MANOEUVRES (P < 0.05), RANGING FROM 51.67% TO 70.56%. RESULTS INDICATED THAT TRIANGLE POSE MAY BE SUPERIOR TO THE OTHER TWO MANOEUVRES, WHICH IMPROVED HIP JOINT ROM, STRENGTH, AND DYNAMIC STABILITY. HOWEVER, KNEE INJURIES SUCH AS OSTEOARTHRITIS (OA) SHOULD BE CONSIDERED BECAUSE OF THE LARGE KNEE EXTENSOR ANGLE AND ADDUCTOR MOMENTS. 2021 3 1741 30 PHYSICAL DEMAND PROFILES OF HATHA YOGA POSTURES PERFORMED BY OLDER ADULTS. UNDERSTANDING THE PHYSICAL DEMANDS PLACED UPON THE MUSCULOSKELETAL SYSTEM BY INDIVIDUAL POSTURES MAY ALLOW EXPERIENCED INSTRUCTORS AND THERAPISTS TO DEVELOP SAFE AND EFFECTIVE YOGA PROGRAMS WHICH REDUCE UNDESIRABLE SIDE EFFECTS. THUS, WE USED BIOMECHANICAL METHODS TO QUANTIFY THE LOWER EXTREMITY JOINT ANGLES, JOINT MOMENTS OF FORCE, AND MUSCLE ACTIVITIES OF 21 HATHA YOGA POSTURES, COMMONLY USED IN SENIOR YOGA PROGRAMS. TWENTY OLDER ADULTS, 70.7 YEARS +/- 3.8 YEARS, PARTICIPATED IN A 32-WK YOGA CLASS (2 D/WK) WHERE THEY LEARNED INTRODUCTORY AND INTERMEDIATE POSTURES (ASANAS). THEY THEN PERFORMED THE ASANAS IN A MOTION ANALYSIS LABORATORY. KINEMATIC, KINETIC, AND ELECTROMYOGRAPHIC DATA WAS COLLECTED OVER THREE SECONDS WHILE THE PARTICIPANTS HELD THE POSES STATICALLY. PROFILES ILLUSTRATING THE POSTURES AND INCLUDING THE BIOMECHANICAL DATA WERE THEN GENERATED FOR EACH ASANA. OUR FINDINGS DEMONSTRATED THAT HATHA YOGA POSTURES ENGENDERED A RANGE OF APPRECIABLE JOINT ANGLES, JMOFS, AND MUSCLE ACTIVITIES ABOUT THE ANKLE, KNEE, AND HIP, AND THAT DEMANDS ASSOCIATED WITH SOME POSTURES AND POSTURE MODIFICATIONS WERE NOT ALWAYS INTUITIVE. THEY ALSO DEMONSTRATED THAT ALL OF THE POSTURES ELICITED APPRECIABLE RECTUS ABDOMINIS ACTIVITY, WHICH WAS UP TO 70% OF THAT INDUCED DURING WALKING. 2013 4 2712 24 YOGA LEADS TO MULTIPLE PHYSICAL IMPROVEMENTS AFTER STROKE, A PILOT STUDY. OBJECTIVE: TO ASSESS CHANGE IN PHYSICAL FUNCTIONING (PAIN, RANGE OF MOTION (ROM), STRENGTH, AND ENDURANCE) AFTER 8 WEEKS OF THERAPEUTIC-YOGA. DESIGN: PLANNED ANALYSES OF DATA FROM A RANDOMIZED PILOT STUDY OF YOGA AFTER STROKE. SETTING: UNIVERSITY-BASED RESEARCH LABORATORY. PARTICIPANTS: PEOPLE WITH CHRONIC STROKE (N=47) RANDOMIZED TO THERAPEUTIC-YOGA (N=37) OR WAIT-LIST CONTROL (N=10). INTERVENTIONS: 16 SESSIONS OF THERAPEUTIC YOGA (TWICE A WEEK/8 WEEKS). YOGA WAS DELIVERED IN A STANDARDIZED AND PROGRESSIVE FORMAT WITH POSTURES, BREATHING, AND MEDITATION, AND RELAXATION IN SITTING, STANDING, AND SUPINE. MAIN MEASURES: PAIN WAS ASSESSED WITH THE PEG, A 3-ITEM FUNCTIONAL MEASURE OF THE INTERFERENCE OF PAIN. ROM INCLUDED NECK AND HIP ACTIVE AND PASSIVE ROM MEASUREMENTS). UPPER AND LOWER EXTREMITY STRENGTH WERE ASSESSED WITH THE ARM CURL TEST AND CHAIR-TO-STAND TEST, RESPECTIVELY. ENDURANCE WAS ASSESSED WITH THE 6-MINUTE WALK AND MODIFIED 2-MIN STEP TEST. RESULTS: AFTER A BONFERRONI CORRECTION, PAIN, NECK ROM, HIP PASSIVE ROM, UPPER EXTREMITY STRENGTH, AND THE 6-MIN WALK SCORES ALL SIGNIFICANTLY IMPROVED AFTER 8 WEEKS OF ENGAGING IN YOGA. NO CHANGES OCCURRED IN THE WAIT-LIST CONTROL GROUP. CONCLUSIONS: A GROUP THERAPEUTIC-YOGA INTERVENTION MAY IMPROVE MULTIPLE ASPECTS OF PHYSICAL FUNCTIONING AFTER STROKE. SUCH AN INTERVENTION MAY BE COMPLEMENTARY TO TRADITIONAL REHABILITATION. 2014 5 987 27 EFFECTS OF HATHA YOGA EXERCISES ON SPINE FLEXIBILITY IN WOMEN OVER 50 YEARS OLD. [PURPOSE] THE AIM OF THIS STUDY WAS TO ACCESS THE FLEXIBILITY OF THE SPINE IN WOMEN PRACTICING YOGA AS A PART OF THE "UNIVERSITY FOR HEALTH" PROJECT. [SUBJECTS AND METHODS] THE STUDY INCLUDED 56 WOMEN RANGING IN AGE BETWEEN 50-79 AND ATTENDING 90 MINUTES HATHA YOGA SESSIONS ONCE A WEEK. THE MEASUREMENTS WERE PERFORMED TWICE-AT THE BEGINNING OF THE PROJECT AND AFTER ITS COMPLETION, I.E., AFTER 20 WEEKS OF CLASSES. THE RANGE OF SPINE MOBILITY IN THREE PLANES WAS MEASURED USING A RIPPSTEIN PLURIMETER. THE RANGE OF MOTION IN THE SAGITTAL AND FRONTAL PLANES WAS MEASURED IN A STANDING POSITION WITH THE FEET HIP-WIDTH APART. THE TORSIONAL RANGE OF MOTION OF THE SUBJECTS WAS MEASURED WITH THE TRUNK BENT AT A RIGHT ANGLE AND THE LEGS APART. THE FLEXIBILITY RANGES OF THE SPINE AND HAMSTRINGS WERE ALSO MEASURED BY THE TOE-TOUCH TEST IN A STANDING POSITION. [RESULTS] THIS STUDY SHOWED THAT THE APPLIED YOGA EXERCISES INCREASED SPINAL MOBILITY AND FLEXIBILITY OF THE HAMSTRING MUSCLES REGARDLESS OF AGE. [CONCLUSION] YOGA EXERCISES SHOULD BE RECOMMENDED TO THE ELDERLY TO MAKE THEIR MUSCLES MORE FLEXIBLE AND TO INCREASE THE RANGE OF MOTION IN THE JOINTS, WHICH IS PARTICULARLY IMPORTANT FOR IMPROVING THEIR LIFE QUALITY. 2015 6 2185 25 THE EFFECTS OF YOGA ON SHOULDER AND SPINAL ACTIONS FOR WOMEN WITH BREAST CANCER-RELATED LYMPHOEDEMA OF THE ARM: A RANDOMISED CONTROLLED PILOT STUDY. BACKGROUND: WE AIMED TO EVALUATE THE EFFECT OF AN 8-WEEK YOGA INTERVENTION ON THE SHOULDER AND SPINAL ACTIONS OF WOMEN WITH BREAST CANCER-RELATED ARM LYMPHOEDEMA. METHOD: A RANDOMISED CONTROLLED PILOT TRIAL. THE INTERVENTION GROUP (N = 12) COMPLETED EIGHT WEEKS OF DAILY YOGA SESSIONS WHILE THE CONTROL GROUP (N = 11) CONTINUED WITH BEST CURRENT CARE INCLUDING INFORMATION ON COMPRESSION SLEEVES, SKIN CARE, RISKS OF TEMPERATURE VARIATIONS AND RECOMMENDED SAFE USE OF AFFECTED ARM. LUMBO-PELVIC POSTURE, RANGE OF MOTION (ROM) IN THE SHOULDER AND SPINE, AND STRENGTH IN SHOULDER AND PECTORAL MAJOR AND MINOR, AND SERRATUS ANTERIOR WERE TAKEN AT BASELINE, WEEK 8 AND AFTER A 4-WEEK FOLLOW-UP. OUTCOME ASSESSORS WERE BLINDED TO ALLOCATION. RESULTS: AT WEEK EIGHT THE INTERVENTION GROUP HAD AN IMPROVEMENT IN LUMBO-PELVIC POSTURE, AS INDICATED BY A REDUCTION IN PELVIC OBLIQUITY COMPARED TO THE CONTROL GROUP (MEAN DIFFERENCE = -8.39 DEGREES , 95 % CI: -15.64 TO -1.13 DEGREES , P = 0.023). A SECONDARY FINDING WAS THAT STRENGTH IN SHOULDER ABDUCTION SIGNIFICANTLY INCREASED FOLLOWING THE YOGA INTERVENTION IN BOTH THE AFFECTED (9.5 KG; CI: 0.34 TO 18.66, P = 0.042) AND NON-AFFECTED ARM (11.58 KG; CI: 0.25 TO 22.91; P = 0.045). THERE WERE NO SIGNIFICANT BETWEEN GROUP CHANGES IN ANY ROM MEASURES AS A RESULT OF THE YOGA INTERVENTION. CONCLUSION: THIS PILOT STUDY DEMONSTRATES THAT PARTICIPATION IN YOGA MAY PROVIDE BENEFITS FOR POSTURE AND STRENGTH IN WOMEN WITH BREAST CANCER RELATED LYMPHOEDEMA. THE IMPROVEMENTS MAY BE ATTRIBUTED TO THE FOCUS OF YOGA ON OVERALL POSTURAL AND FUNCTIONAL MOVEMENT PATTERNS. FURTHER TRIALS WITH LONGER INTERVENTION THAT FOLLOW THIS METHODOLOGY ARE WARRANTED. TRIAL REGISTRATION: THE AUSTRALIAN NEW ZEALAND CLINICAL TRIALS REGISTRY ACTRN12611000202965 . 2016 7 2100 34 THE EFFECT OF YOGA ON ARM VOLUME, STRENGTH, AND RANGE OF MOTION IN WOMEN AT RISK FOR BREAST CANCER-RELATED LYMPHEDEMA. OBJECTIVES: TO ASSESS THE FEASIBILITY, SAFETY, AND INITIAL ESTIMATES OF EFFICACY OF A YOGA PROGRAM IN POSTOPERATIVE CARE FOR WOMEN AT HIGH RISK FOR BREAST CANCER-RELATED LYMPHEDEMA (BCRL). DESIGN: SINGLE-GROUP PRETEST-POST-TEST DESIGN. SETTINGS/LOCATION: PATIENTS WERE RECRUITED FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SAN FRANCISCO CAROL FRANC BUCK BREAST CARE CENTER. SUBJECTS: TWENTY-ONE WOMEN WERE ENROLLED IN THE STUDY. WOMEN WERE >18 YEARS OF AGE, HAD UNDERGONE SURGICAL TREATMENT FOR BREAST CANCER, AND WERE AT HIGH RISK FOR BCRL. INTERVENTION: THE WOMEN PARTICIPATED IN AN ASHTANGA YOGA INTERVENTION FOR 8 WEEKS. SESSIONS CONSISTED OF ONCE/WEEK INSTRUCTOR-LED PRACTICE AND ONCE/WEEK HOME PRACTICE. PARTICULAR ATTENTION WAS GIVEN TO POSES THAT EMPHASIZED UPPER BODY STRENGTH AND FLEXIBILITY, WHILE AVOIDING SIGNIFICANT TIME WITH THE UPPER EXTREMITY (UE) IN A DEPENDENT POSITION. OUTCOME MEASURES: UE VOLUME WAS ASSESSED THROUGH CIRCUMFERENTIAL FOREARM MEASUREMENT, WHICH WAS CONVERTED TO VOLUME USING THE FORMULA FOR A TRUNCATED CONE. RANGE OF MOTION (ROM) WAS ASSESSED FOR THE SHOULDERS, ELBOWS, AND WRISTS, USING A STANDARD GONIOMETER. UE STRENGTH WAS ASSESSED FOR SHOULDER ABDUCTION, ELBOW FLEXION, WRIST FLEXION, AND GRIP USING A DYNAMOMETER. RESULTS: TWENTY WOMEN COMPLETED THE YOGA INTERVENTION, WITH 17 RETURNING FOR FINAL ASSESSMENT. MEAN AGE WAS 52 (+/-9.1) YEARS AND BODY MASS INDEX WAS 24.8 (+/-5.1) KG/M(2). POSTINTERVENTION, MEAN VOLUME IN THE AT-RISK UE WAS SLIGHTLY REDUCED (P = 0.397). ROM FOR SHOULDER FLEXION (P < 0.01) AND EXTERNAL ROTATION (P < 0.05) SIGNIFICANTLY INCREASED BILATERALLY. SHOULDER ABDUCTION ROM SIGNIFICANTLY IMPROVED FOR THE UNAFFECTED LIMB (P = 0.001). FOLLOWING INTERVENTION, STRENGTH IMPROVED ON THE AFFECTED SIDE FOR SHOULDER ABDUCTION AND GRIP STRENGTH, AND BILATERALLY FOR ELBOW FLEXION (P < 0.05 FOR ALL). CONCLUSIONS: THESE PRELIMINARY FINDINGS SUGGEST THAT YOGA IS FEASIBLE AND SAFE FOR WOMEN WHO ARE AT RISK FOR BCRL AND MAY RESULT IN SMALL IMPROVEMENTS IN SHOULDER ROM AND UE STRENGTH. 2018 8 253 25 A YOGA STRENGTHENING PROGRAM DESIGNED TO MINIMIZE THE KNEE ADDUCTION MOMENT FOR WOMEN WITH KNEE OSTEOARTHRITIS: A PROOF-OF-PRINCIPLE COHORT STUDY. UNLABELLED: PEOPLE WITH KNEE OSTEOARTHRITIS MAY BENEFIT FROM EXERCISE PRESCRIPTIONS THAT MINIMIZE KNEE LOADS IN THE FRONTAL PLANE. THE PRIMARY OBJECTIVE OF THIS STUDY WAS TO DETERMINE WHETHER A NOVEL 12-WEEK STRENGTHENING PROGRAM DESIGNED TO MINIMIZE EXPOSURE TO THE KNEE ADDUCTION MOMENT (KAM) COULD IMPROVE SYMPTOMS AND KNEE STRENGTH IN WOMEN WITH SYMPTOMATIC KNEE OSTEOARTHRITIS. A SECONDARY OBJECTIVE WAS TO DETERMINE WHETHER THE PROGRAM COULD IMPROVE MOBILITY AND FITNESS, AND DECREASE PEAK KAM DURING GAIT. THE TERTIARY OBJECTIVE WAS TO EVALUATE THE BIOMECHANICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF THIS YOGA PROGRAM. IN PARTICULAR, WE COMPARED THE PEAK KAM DURING GAIT WITH THAT DURING YOGA POSTURES AT BASELINE. WE ALSO COMPARED LOWER LIMB NORMALIZED MEAN ELECTROMYOGRAPHY (EMG) AMPLITUDES DURING YOGA POSTURES BETWEEN BASELINE AND FOLLOW-UP. PRIMARY MEASURES INCLUDED SELF-REPORTED PAIN AND PHYSICAL FUNCTION (KNEE INJURY AND OSTEOARTHRITIS OUTCOME SCORE) AND KNEE STRENGTH (EXTENSOR AND FLEXOR TORQUES). SECONDARY MEASURES INCLUDED MOBILITY (SIX-MINUTE WALK, 30-SECOND CHAIR STAND, STAIR CLIMBING), FITNESS (SUBMAXIMAL CYCLE ERGOMETER TEST), AND CLINICAL GAIT ANALYSIS USING MOTION CAPTURE SYNCHRONIZED WITH ELECTROMYOGRAPHY AND FORCE MEASUREMENT. ALSO, KAM AND NORMALIZED MEAN EMG AMPLITUDES WERE COLLECTED DURING YOGA POSTURES. FORTY-FIVE WOMEN OVER AGE 50 WITH SYMPTOMATIC KNEE OSTEOARTHRITIS, CONSISTENT WITH THE AMERICAN COLLEGE OF RHEUMATOLOGY CRITERIA, ENROLLED IN OUR 12-WEEK (3 SESSIONS PER WEEK) PROGRAM. DATA FROM 38 WERE ANALYZED (SIX DROP-OUTS; ONE LOST TO CO-INTERVENTION). PARTICIPANTS EXPERIENCED REDUCED PAIN (MEAN IMPROVEMENT 10.1-20.1 NORMALIZED TO 100; P<0.001), INCREASED KNEE EXTENSOR STRENGTH (MEAN IMPROVEMENT 0.01 NM/KG; P = 0.004), AND INCREASED FLEXOR STRENGTH (MEAN IMPROVEMENT 0.01 NM/KG; P = 0.001) AT FOLLOW-UP COMPARED TO BASELINE. PARTICIPANTS IMPROVED MOBILITY ON THE SIX-MINUTE WALK (MEAN IMPROVEMENT 37.7 M; P<0.001) AND 30-SECOND CHAIR STAND (MEAN IMPROVEMENT 1.3; P = 0.006) AT FOLLOW-UP COMPARED TO BASELINE. FITNESS AND PEAK KAM DURING GAIT WERE UNCHANGED BETWEEN BASELINE AND FOLLOW-UP. AVERAGE KAM DURING THE YOGA POSTURES WERE LOWER THAN THAT OF NORMAL GAIT. NORMALIZED MEAN EMG AMPLITUDES DURING YOGA POSTURES WERE UP TO 31.0% OF MAXIMUM BUT DID NOT CHANGE BETWEEN BASELINE AND FOLLOW-UP. IN THIS COHORT STUDY, THE YOGA-BASED STRENGTHENING POSTURES THAT ELICIT LOW KAMS IMPROVED KNEE SYMPTOMS AND STRENGTH IN WOMEN WITH KNEE OA FOLLOWING A 12 WEEK PROGRAM (3 SESSIONS PER WEEK). THE PROGRAM ALSO IMPROVED MOBILITY, BUT DID NOT IMPROVE FITNESS OR REDUCE PEAK KAM DURING GAIT. THE KAM DURING THE YOGA POSTURES WERE LOWER THAN THAT OF NORMAL GAIT. OVERALL, THE PROPOSED PROGRAM MAY BE USEFUL IN IMPROVING PAIN, STRENGTH, AND MOBILITY IN WOMEN WITH KNEE OSTEOARTHRITIS. CLINICAL EFFICACY NEEDS TO BE ASSESSED USING A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL DESIGN. TRIAL REGISTRATION: CLINICALTRIALS.GOV NCT02146105. 2015 9 1752 19 PILOT-TESTING THE EFFECTS OF A NEWLY-DEVELOPED SILVER YOGA EXERCISE PROGRAM FOR FEMALE SENIORS. THIS STUDY AIMED TO PILOT-TEST THE HEALTH PROMOTION EFFECTS OF A SILVER YOGA EXERCISE PROGRAM FOR FEMALE SENIORS. USING A ONE-GROUP, PRE-POST TEST DESIGN, A CONVENIENCE SAMPLE OF 16 COMMUNITY-DWELLING FEMALE SENIORS WAS RECRUITED. THE SILVER YOGA EXERCISE INTERVENTION WAS ADMINISTERED THREE TIMES A WEEK, 70 MINUTES PER SESSION, FOR FOUR WEEKS. DATA WERE COLLECTED AT BASELINE AND AFTER COMPLETION OF THE FOUR-WEEK INTERVENTION. RESULTS INDICATED THAT PARTICIPANTS' BODY FAT PERCENTAGE AND SYSTOLIC BLOOD PRESSURE DECREASED, BALANCE AND RANGE OF MOTION ON SHOULDER FLEXION AND ABDUCTION IMPROVED, AND SLEEP DISTURBANCE WAS MINIMIZED (ALL P < .05). PRELIMINARY EVIDENCE SUPPORTS THAT THE SILVER YOGA EXERCISE PROGRAM PROVIDES POSITIVE EFFECTS ON THE PROMOTION OF GOOD HEALTH IN FEMALE SENIORS LIVING IN THE COMMUNITIES. 2008 10 2306 32 TRAINING BENEFITS AND INJURY RISKS OF STANDING YOGA APPLIED IN MUSCULOSKELETAL PROBLEMS: LOWER LIMB BIOMECHANICAL ANALYSIS. STANDING YOGA POSES STRENGTHEN A PERSON'S LEGS AND HELPS TO ACHIEVE THE GOAL OF MUSCULOSKELETAL REHABILITATION, BUT INADEQUATE EXERCISE PLANNING CAN CAUSE INJURIES. THIS STUDY INVESTIGATED CHANGES IN THE ELECTROMYOGRAM AND JOINT MOMENTS OF FORCE (JMOFS) OF LOWER EXTREMITIES DURING COMMON STANDING YOGA POSES IN ORDER TO EXPLORE THE FEASIBILITY AND POSSIBLE INJURY RISK IN DEALING WITH MUSCULOSKELETAL PROBLEMS. ELEVEN YOGA INSTRUCTORS WERE RECRUITED TO EXECUTE FIVE YOGA POSES (CHAIR, TREE, WARRIOR 1, 2, AND 3). THE RESULTS REVEALED SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCES IN HIP, KNEE, AND ANKLE JMOFS AND VARYING DEGREES OF MUSCLE ACTIVATION AMONG THE POSES. AMONG THESE POSES, RECTUS FEMORIS MUSCLE ACTIVATION DURING THE CHAIR POSE WAS THE HIGHEST, WARRIOR 2 PRODUCED THE HIGHEST MUSCLE ACTIVATION IN THE VASTUS LATERALIS OF THE FRONT LIMB, WHILE WARRIOR 1 HAD THE HIGHEST MUSCLE ACTIVATION IN THE VASTUS MEDIALIS OF THE BACK LIMB. THEREFORE, ALL THREE POSES CAN POSSIBLY BE SUGGESTED AS A THERAPEUTIC INTERVENTION FOR QUADRICEPS STRENGTHENING. WARRIOR 1 WAS POSSIBLY SUGGESTED AS A THERAPEUTIC INTERVENTION IN ORDER TO REDUCE EXCESSIVE LATERAL OVERLOAD OF THE PATELLA, BUT THE POSSIBLE ADVERSE EFFECTS OF WARRIOR 2 WITH THE HIGHEST KNEE ADDUCTOR JMOF IN THE BACK LIMB COULD RAISE JOINT REACTION FORCES ACROSS THE MEDIAL CONDYLES. IN SINGLE-LEG BALANCE POSTURES, WARRIOR 3 HAD UNIQUE TRAINING EFFECTS ON THE HAMSTRING, AND IS THEREFORE SUGGESTED AS A PART OF HAMSTRING REHABILITATION EXERCISES. THE TREE POSE INDUCED LOW LOWER-EXTREMITY JMOFS AND A LOW LEVEL OF THIGH MUSCLE ACTIVATIONS WHEN IT WAS PERFORMED BY SENIOR INSTRUCTORS WITH EXCELLENT BALANCE CONTROL; HOWEVER, FOR YOGA BEGINNERS WITH INSUFFICIENT STABILITY, IT WILL BE A USEFUL TRAINING MODE FOR STRENGTHENING THE MUSCLES THAT HELP TO KEEP ONE UPRIGHT. THIS STUDY QUANTIFIED THE PHYSICAL DEMANDS OF YOGA POSES USING BIOMECHANICAL DATA AND ELUCIDATED THE STRUCTURES AND PRINCIPLES UNDERLYING EACH YOGA MOVEMENT. THIS IS CRUCIAL FOR YOGA PRACTITIONERS. 2021 11 2083 20 THE EFFECT OF IYENGAR YOGA AND STRENGTHENING EXERCISES FOR PEOPLE LIVING WITH OSTEOARTHRITIS OF THE KNEE: A CASE SERIES. THIS CASE SERIES DESCRIBES THE IMPACT OF VARIOUS FORMS OF EXERCISE ON SYMPTOMS ASSOCIATED WITH OSTEOARTHRITIS OF THE KNEE. A GROUP OF 15 WOMEN AND MEN PERFORMED ONE OF THE FOLLOWING: TRADITIONAL STRETCHING AND STRENGTHENING EXERCISES, IYENGAR YOGA, OR NO STRUCTURED GROUP EXERCISE. LOW BACK AND HAMSTRING FLEXIBILITY AND QUADRICEPS STRENGTH AND FUNCTION WERE MONITORED BEFORE AND AFTER THE PROGRAM. THE WESTERN ONTARIO AND MCMASTER UNIVERSITIES OSTEOARTHRITIS INDEX (WOMAC) WAS USED TO ASSESS SUBJECTIVE CHANGE AFTER THE SIX-WEEK INTERVENTION PERIOD. A GLOBAL ASSESSMENT QUESTIONNAIRE WAS ALSO COMPLETED BY EACH PARTICIPANT AND EACH INSTRUCTOR AT THE EXIT SESSIONS TO MEASURE PERCEIVED CHANGES IN IMPROVEMENTS SINCE THE INITIATION OF THE INTERVENTION. THIS STUDY FOUND FUNCTIONAL CHANGES AND IMPROVEMENT IN QUALITY OF LIFE IN TRADITIONAL EXERCISE AND A YOGA BASED APPROACH THAT SHOULD ENCOURAGE FURTHER COMPREHENSIVE AND CAREFULLY DESIGNED STUDIES OF YOGA IN OSTEOARTHRITIS. 2006 12 1870 23 RANDOMIZED-CONTROLLED TRIAL COMPARING YOGA AND HOME-BASED EXERCISE FOR CHRONIC NECK PAIN. OBJECTIVES: CHRONIC NECK PAIN IS A SIGNIFICANT PUBLIC HEALTH PROBLEM WITH ONLY VERY FEW EVIDENCE-BASED TREATMENT OPTIONS. THERE IS GROWING EVIDENCE FOR THE EFFECTIVENESS OF YOGA FOR RELIEVING MUSCULOSKELETAL DISORDERS. THE AIM OF THIS STUDY WAS TO EVALUATE THE EFFECT OF IYENGAR YOGA COMPARED WITH EXERCISE ON CHRONIC NONSPECIFIC NECK PAIN. METHODS: PATIENTS WERE RANDOMLY ASSIGNED TO EITHER YOGA OR EXERCISE. THE YOGA GROUP ATTENDED A 9-WEEK YOGA COURSE AND THE EXERCISE GROUP RECEIVED A SELF-CARE MANUAL ON HOME-BASED EXERCISES FOR NECK PAIN RELIEF. THE MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE WAS THE PRESENT NECK PAIN INTENSITY (100 MM VISUAL ANALOG SCALE). SECONDARY OUTCOME MEASURES INCLUDED FUNCTIONAL DISABILITY (NECK DISABILITY INDEX), PAIN AT MOTION (VISUAL ANALOG SCALE), HEALTH-RELATED QUALITY OF LIFE (SHORT FORM-36 QUESTIONNAIRE), CERVICAL RANGE OF MOTION, PROPRIOCEPTIVE ACUITY, AND PRESSURE PAIN THRESHOLD. RESULTS: FIFTY-ONE PATIENTS (MEAN AGE 47.8 Y ; 82.4% FEMALE) WERE RANDOMIZED TO YOGA (N=25) AND EXERCISE (N=26) INTERVENTION. AFTER THE STUDY PERIOD, PATIENTS IN THE YOGA GROUP REPORTED SIGNIFICANTLY LESS NECK PAIN INTENSITY COMPARED WITH THE EXERCISE GROUP [MEAN DIFFERENCE: -13.9 MM (95% CI, -26.4 TO -1.4), P=0.03]. THE YOGA GROUP REPORTED LESS DISABILITY AND BETTER MENTAL QUALITY OF LIFE. RANGE OF MOTION AND PROPRIOCEPTIVE ACUITY WERE IMPROVED AND THE PRESSURE PAIN THRESHOLD WAS ELEVATED IN THE YOGA GROUP. DISCUSSION: YOGA WAS MORE EFFECTIVE IN RELIEVING CHRONIC NONSPECIFIC NECK PAIN THAN A HOME-BASED EXERCISE PROGRAM. YOGA REDUCED NECK PAIN INTENSITY AND DISABILITY AND IMPROVED HEALTH-RELATED QUALITY OF LIFE. MOREOVER, YOGA SEEMS TO INFLUENCE THE FUNCTIONAL STATUS OF NECK MUSCLES, AS INDICATED BY IMPROVEMENT OF PHYSIOLOGICAL MEASURES OF NECK PAIN. 2013 13 1173 24 EVALUATION OF A YOGA BASED REGIMEN FOR TREATMENT OF OSTEOARTHRITIS OF THE HANDS. OBJECTIVE: YOGA AND RELAXATION TECHNIQUES HAVE TRADITIONALLY BEEN USED BY NONMEDICAL PRACTITIONERS TO HELP ALLEVIATE MUSCULOSKELETAL SYMPTOMS. THE OBJECTIVE OF THIS STUDY WAS TO COLLECT CONTROLLED OBSERVATIONS OF THE EFFECT OF YOGA ON THE HANDS OF PATIENTS WITH OSTEOARTHRITIS (OA). METHODS: PATIENTS WITH OA OF THE HANDS WERE RANDOMLY ASSIGNED TO RECEIVE EITHER THE YOGA PROGRAM OR NO THERAPY. YOGA TECHNIQUES WERE SUPERVISED BY ONE INSTRUCTOR ONCE/WEEK FOR 8 WEEKS. VARIABLES ASSESSED WERE PAIN, STRENGTH, MOTION, JOINT CIRCUMFERENCE, TENDERNESS, AND HAND FUNCTION USING THE STANFORD HAND ASSESSMENT QUESTIONNAIRE. RESULTS: THE YOGA TREATED GROUP IMPROVED SIGNIFICANTLY MORE THAN THE CONTROL GROUP IN PAIN DURING ACTIVITY, TENDERNESS AND FINGER RANGE OF MOTION. OTHER TRENDS ALSO FAVORED THE YOGA PROGRAM. CONCLUSION: THIS YOGA DERIVED PROGRAM WAS EFFECTIVE IN PROVIDING RELIEF IN HAND OA. FURTHER STUDIES ARE NEEDED TO COMPARE THIS WITH OTHER TREATMENTS AND TO EXAMINE LONGTERM EFFECTS. 1994 14 118 23 A PILOT STUDY OF IYENGAR YOGA FOR PEDIATRIC OBESITY: EFFECTS ON GAIT AND EMOTIONAL FUNCTIONING. OBESITY NEGATIVELY IMPACTS THE KINEMATICS AND KINETICS OF THE LOWER EXTREMITIES IN CHILDREN AND ADOLESCENTS. ALTHOUGH YOGA HAS THE POTENTIAL TO PROVIDE SEVERAL DISTINCT BENEFITS FOR CHILDREN WITH OBESITY, THIS IS THE FIRST STUDY TO EXAMINE THE BENEFITS OF YOGA FOR GAIT (PRIMARY OUTCOME) IN YOUTHS WITH OBESITY. SECONDARY OUTCOMES INCLUDED HEALTH-RELATED QUALITY OF LIFE (HRQOL), PHYSICAL ACTIVITY, AND PAIN. FEASIBILITY AND ACCEPTABILITY WERE ALSO ASSESSED. NINE YOUTHS (11(-)17 YEARS) PARTICIPATED IN AN EIGHT-WEEK IYENGAR YOGA INTERVENTION (BI-WEEKLY 1-H CLASSES). GAIT, HRQOL (SELF AND PARENT-PROXY REPORTS), AND PHYSICAL ACTIVITY WERE ASSESSED AT BASELINE AND POST-YOGA. PAIN WAS SELF-REPORTED AT THE BEGINNING OF EACH CLASS. SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENTS WERE FOUND IN MULTIPLE GAIT PARAMETERS, INCLUDING HIP, KNEE, AND ANKLE MOTION AND MOMENTS. SELF-REPORTED AND PARENT-PROXY REPORTS OF EMOTIONAL FUNCTIONING SIGNIFICANTLY IMPROVED. TIME SPENT IN PHYSICAL ACTIVITY AND WEIGHT DID NOT CHANGE. THIS STUDY DEMONSTRATES THAT A RELATIVELY BRIEF, NON-INVASIVE IYENGAR YOGA INTERVENTION CAN RESULT IN IMPROVED MALALIGNMENT OF THE LOWER EXTREMITIES DURING AMBULATION, AS WELL AS IN CLINICALLY MEANINGFUL IMPROVEMENTS IN EMOTIONAL FUNCTIONING. THIS STUDY EXTENDS CURRENT EVIDENCE THAT SUPPORTS A ROLE FOR YOGA IN PEDIATRIC OBESITY. 2018 15 2064 34 THE BIOMECHANICAL DEMANDS OF STANDING YOGA POSES IN SENIORS: THE YOGA EMPOWERS SENIORS STUDY (YESS). BACKGROUND: THE NUMBER OF OLDER ADULTS PARTICIPATING IN YOGA HAS INCREASED DRAMATICALLY IN RECENT YEARS; YET, THE PHYSICAL DEMANDS ASSOCIATED WITH YOGA PERFORMANCE HAVE NOT BEEN REPORTED. THE PRIMARY AIM OF THE YOGA EMPOWERS SENIORS STUDY (YESS) WAS TO USE BIOMECHANICAL METHODS TO QUANTIFY THE PHYSICAL DEMANDS ASSOCIATED WITH THE PERFORMANCE OF 7 COMMONLY-PRACTICED STANDING YOGA POSES IN OLDER ADULTS. METHODS: 20 AMBULATORY OLDER ADULTS (70.7+-3.8 YRS) ATTENDED 2 WEEKLY 60-MINUTE HATHA YOGA CLASSES FOR 32 WEEKS. THE LOWER-EXTREMITY NET JOINT MOMENTS OF FORCE (JMOFS), WERE OBTAINED DURING THE PERFORMANCE OF THE FOLLOWING POSES: CHAIR, WALL PLANK, TREE, WARRIOR II, SIDE STRETCH, CRESCENT, AND ONE-LEGGED BALANCE. REPEATED-MEASURE ANOVA AND TUKEY'S POST-HOC TESTS WERE USED TO IDENTIFY DIFFERENCES IN JMOFS AMONG THE POSES. ELECTROMYOGRAPHIC ANALYSIS WAS USED TO SUPPORT THE JMOF FINDINGS. RESULTS: THERE WAS A SIGNIFICANT MAIN EFFECT FOR POSE, AT THE ANKLE, KNEE AND HIP, IN THE FRONTAL AND SAGITTAL PLANES (P=0.00-0.03). THE CRESCENT, CHAIR, WARRIOR II, AND ONE-LEGGED BALANCE POSES GENERATED THE GREATEST AVERAGE SUPPORT MOMENTS. SIDE STRETCH GENERATED THE GREATEST AVERAGE HIP EXTENSOR AND KNEE FLEXOR JMOFS. CRESCENT PLACED THE HIGHEST DEMANDS ON THE HIP FLEXORS AND KNEE EXTENSORS. ALL OF THE POSES PRODUCED ANKLE PLANTAR-FLEXOR JMOFS. IN THE FRONTAL PLANE, THE TREE GENERATED THE GREATEST AVERAGE HIP AND KNEE ABDUCTOR JMOFS; WHEREAS WARRIOR II GENERATED THE GREATEST AVERAGE HIP AND KNEE ADDUCTOR JMOFS. WARRIOR II AND ONE-LEGGED BALANCE INDUCED THE LARGEST AVERAGE ANKLE EVERTOR AND INVERTOR JMOFS, RESPECTIVELY. THE ELECTROMYOGRAPHIC FINDINGS WERE CONSISTENT WITH THE JMOF RESULTS. CONCLUSIONS: MUSCULOSKELETAL DEMAND VARIED SIGNIFICANTLY ACROSS THE DIFFERENT POSES. THESE FINDINGS MAY BE USED TO GUIDE THE DESIGN OF EVIDENCE-BASED YOGA INTERVENTIONS THAT ADDRESS INDIVIDUAL-SPECIFIC TRAINING AND REHABILITATION GOALS IN SENIORS. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION: THIS STUDY IS REGISTERED WITH NIH CLINICALTRIALS.GOV #NCT 01411059. 2013 16 1291 18 GROUP ACUPUNCTURE THERAPY WITH YOGA THERAPY FOR CHRONIC NECK, LOW BACK, AND OSTEOARTHRITIS PAIN IN SAFETY NET SETTING FOR AN UNDERSERVED POPULATION: DESIGN AND RATIONALE FOR A FEASIBILITY PILOT. CHRONIC PAIN IS PREVALENT IN THE UNITED STATES, WITH IMPACT ON PHYSICAL AND PSYCHOLOGICAL FUNCTIONING AS WELL AS LOST WORK PRODUCTIVITY. MINORITY AND LOWER SOCIOECONOMIC POPULATIONS HAVE INCREASED PREVALENCE OF CHRONIC PAIN WITH LESS ACCESS TO PAIN CARE, POORER OUTCOMES, AND HIGHER RISK OF FATAL OPIOID OVERDOSE. ACUPUNCTURE THERAPY IS EFFECTIVE IN TREATING CHRONIC PAIN CONDITIONS INCLUDING CHRONIC LOW BACK PAIN, NECK PAIN, SHOULDER PAIN, AND KNEE PAIN FROM OSTEOARTHRITIS. ACUPUNCTURE THERAPY, INCLUDING GROUP ACUPUNCTURE, IS FEASIBLE AND EFFECTIVE, AND SPECIFICALLY SO FOR UNDERSERVED AND DIVERSE POPULATIONS AT RISK FOR HEALTH OUTCOME DISPARITIES. ACUPUNCTURE THERAPY ALSO ENCOURAGES PATIENT ENGAGEMENT AND ACTIVATION. AS CHRONIC PAIN IMPROVES, THERE IS A NATURAL PROGRESSION TO WANT AND NEED TO INCREASE ACTIVITY AND MOVEMENT RECOVERY. DIVERSE MOVEMENT APPROACHES ARE IMPORTANT FOR IMPROVING RANGE OF MOTION, MAINTAINING GAINS, STRENGTHENING, AND PROMOTING PATIENT ENGAGEMENT AND ACTIVATION. YOGA THERAPY IS AN ACTIVE THERAPY WITH PROVEN BENEFIT IN MUSCULOSKELETAL PAIN DISORDERS AND PAIN ASSOCIATED DISABILITY. THE AIM OF THIS QUASI-EXPERIMENTAL PILOT FEASIBILITY TRIAL IS TO TEST THE BUNDLING OF THESE 2 EFFECTIVE CARE OPTIONS FOR CHRONIC PAIN, TO INFORM BOTH THE DESIGN FOR A LARGER RANDOMIZED PRAGMATIC EFFECTIVENESS TRIAL AS WELL AS IMPLEMENTATION STRATEGIES ACROSS UNDERSERVED SETTINGS. 2020 17 399 23 BEYOND THE BODY: INSIGHTS FROM AN IYENGAR YOGA PROGRAM FOR WOMEN WITH DISABILITY AFTER BREAST CANCER. LYMPHEDEMA, PAIN, AND RANGE OF MOTION RESTRICTIONS AFTER BREAST CANCER REMAIN UNDEREXPLORED, AND FEW INTERVENTIONS HAVE BEEN DEVELOPED FOR THESE WOMEN. TOGETHER WITH A YOGA INSTRUCTOR, OUR INTERDISCIPLINARY RESEARCH TEAM DEVELOPED A YOGA PROGRAM FOR WOMEN WITH LYMPHEDEMA AFTER BREAST CANCER (N = 13). QUALITATIVE INTERVIEWS AND PARTICIPANTS' JOURNALS SHOW THAT THERE WERE A NUMBER OF BENEFITS TO THE YOGA PROGRAM. THEMES OUTLINING THESE ARE (1) UNDERSTANDING ARM MORBIDITY; (2) BECOMING AWARE OF POSTURE; AND (3) COUNTERING FATIGUE. MORE SURPRISINGLY, PERHAPS, THE PARTICIPANTS ALSO DESCRIBED THE WAYS IN WHICH YOGA FURTHERED THEIR UNDERSTANDINGS OF LOSS ASSOCIATED WITH DISABILITY, THE FOURTH THEME, AND SHOWED THAT YOGA ENHANCED THEIR EXPERIENCES OF EMBODIMENT, THE FINAL THEME. FINALLY, WE ASSERT THAT OUR RESEARCH DEMONSTRATES THE POTENTIAL FOR QUALITATIVE RESEARCH CONNECTED TO THE EVALUATION OF INTERVENTIONS AND THAT IT DEMONSTRATES THE BLURRING OF TRADITIONAL BOUNDARIES BETWEEN INTERVENTIONS AND DATA COLLECTION. 2014 18 1757 41 POSITION OF THE HIP IN YOGA. BACKGROUND: YOGA IS GROWING IN POPULARITY AS A FORM OF EXERCISE THROUGHOUT THE WORLD. ORTHOPEDIC PATIENTS PARTICIPATE IN YOGA, YET LITTLE IS KNOWN ABOUT THE RANGES-OF-MOTION OF THE HIP WITHIN VARIOUS YOGA POSES. ORTHOPEDIC SURGEONS ARE UNSURE ABOUT WHAT POTENTIAL POSITIONS THEIR PATIENTS ARE PLACING THEIR HIPS DURING A YOGA PRACTICE. THE AIM OF THIS STUDY IS TO QUANTIFY THE DEGREE OF HIP MOTION WITH COMMON YOGA POSES. METHODS: TWENTY HEALTHY, REGULAR PRACTITIONERS OF YOGA PERFORMED 11 DIFFERENT YOGA POSES IN A STANDARDIZED FASHION. MOTION ANALYSIS WAS USED TO CAPTURE RANGE-OF-MOTION OF THE HIP DURING EACH POSE. RESULTS: MANY YOGA POSES PUT THE HIP IN EXTREMES OF MOTION. POSES SUCH AS DOWNWARD DOG, FORWARD FOLD, SEATED TWIST, AND PIGEON STRESSED THE HIP IN FLEXION. WARRIOR 1, WARRIOR 2, CRESCENT LUNGE, PIGEON, AND TRIANGLE STRESSED THE HIP IN EXTENSION. EAGLE AND SEATED TWIST PUT THE HIP IN HIGHER ADDUCTION, WHILE HALF MOON, EAGLE, AND TRIANGLE PRODUCED MORE HIP INTERNAL ROTATION. CONCLUSION: MANY POSES WERE FOUND TO REACH EXTREMES OF HIP MOTION. THIS STUDY MAY HELP GUIDE THE ORTHOPEDIC SURGEON IN COUNSELING HIP ARTHROPLASTY AND HIP IMPINGEMENT PATIENTS ABOUT YOGA-RELATED ACTIVITY. BY KNOWING WHICH POSES POTENTIALLY STRESS THE HIP IN PARTICULAR PLANES OF MOTION, SURGEONS MAY BETTER INFORM THEIR PATIENTS WHO ARE RETURNING TO YOGA AFTER INJURY OR SURGERY. 2018 19 1537 29 KNEE OSTEOARTHRITIS PAIN IN THE ELDERLY CAN BE REDUCED BY MASSAGE THERAPY, YOGA AND TAI CHI: A REVIEW. BACKGROUND AND METHODS: THIS IS A REVIEW OF RECENTLY PUBLISHED RESEARCH, BOTH EMPIRICAL STUDIES AND META-ANALYSES, ON THE EFFECTS OF COMPLEMENTARY THERAPIES INCLUDING MASSAGE THERAPY, YOGA AND TAI CHI ON PAIN ASSOCIATED WITH KNEE OSTEOARTHRITIS IN THE ELDERLY. RESULTS: THE MASSAGE THERAPY PROTOCOLS HAVE BEEN EFFECTIVE IN NOT ONLY REDUCING PAIN BUT ALSO IN INCREASING RANGE OF MOTION, SPECIFICALLY WHEN MODERATE PRESSURE MASSAGE WAS USED AND WHEN BOTH THE QUADRICEPS AND HAMSTRINGS WERE MASSAGED. THE YOGA STUDIES TYPICALLY MEASURED PAIN BY THE WOMAC. MOST OF THOSE STUDIES SHOWED A CLINICALLY SIGNIFICANT REDUCTION IN PAIN, ESPECIALLY THE RESEARCH THAT FOCUSED ON POSES (E.G. THE IYENGAR STUDIES) AS OPPOSED TO THOSE THAT HAD INTEGRATED PROTOCOLS (POSES, BREATHING AND MEDITATION EXERCISES). THE TAI CHI STUDIES ALSO ASSESSED PAIN BY SELF-REPORT ON THE WOMAC AND SHOWED SIGNIFICANT REDUCTIONS IN PAIN. THE TAI CHI STUDIES WERE DIFFICULT TO COMPARE BECAUSE OF THEIR HIGHLY VARIABLE PROTOCOLS IN TERMS OF THE FREQUENCY AND DURATION OF TREATMENT. DISCUSSION: LARGER, RANDOMIZED CONTROL TRIALS ARE NEEDED ON EACH OF THESE THERAPIES USING MORE STANDARDIZED PROTOCOLS AND MORE OBJECTIVE VARIABLES IN ADDITION TO THE SELF-REPORTED WOMAC PAIN SCALE, FOR EXAMPLE, RANGE-OF-MOTION AND OBSERVED RANGE-OF-MOTION PAIN. IN ADDITION, TREATMENT COMPARISON STUDIES SHOULD BE CONDUCTED SO, FOR EXAMPLE, IF THE LOWER-COST YOGA AND TAI CHI WERE AS EFFECTIVE AS MASSAGE THERAPY, THEY MIGHT BE USED IN COMBINATION WITH OR AS SUPPLEMENTAL TO MASSAGE THERAPY. NONETHELESS, THESE THERAPIES ARE AT LEAST REDUCING PAIN IN KNEE OSTEOARTHRITIS AND THEY DO NOT SEEM TO HAVE SIDE EFFECTS. 2016 20 2347 27 USING SILVER YOGA EXERCISES TO PROMOTE PHYSICAL AND MENTAL HEALTH OF ELDERS WITH DEMENTIA IN LONG-TERM CARE FACILITIES. BACKGROUND: THIS STUDY AIMED TO TEST THE EFFECTS OF YOGA EXERCISES ON THE PHYSICAL AND MENTAL HEALTH OF ELDERLY PEOPLE WITH DEMENTIA LIVING IN LONG-TERM CARE FACILITIES. METHODS: A QUASI-EXPERIMENTAL, PRETEST-POST-TEST DESIGN WAS USED. A CONVENIENCE SAMPLE OF 68 RESIDENTS IN LONG-TERM CARE FACILITIES IN SOUTHERN TAIWAN, AGED 60 YEARS AND ABOVE WITH MILD TO MODERATE DEMENTIA, WAS SELECTED. AN EXPERIMENTAL GROUP OF 33 ELDERS PARTICIPATED IN A 12-WEEK YOGA TRAINING PROGRAM OF THREE 55-MINUTE SESSIONS A WEEK; A CONTROL GROUP OF 35 ELDERS MAINTAINED THEIR USUAL DAILY ACTIVITIES. DATA WERE COLLECTED BEFORE AND AFTER COMPLETING THE 12-WEEK STUDY. MEASUREMENTS INCLUDED BODY COMPOSITION, CARDIOPULMONARY FUNCTIONS, BODY FLEXIBILITY, MUSCLE STRENGTH AND ENDURANCE, BALANCE, JOINTS MOTION, DEPRESSION, AND PROBLEM BEHAVIORS. RESULTS: THE YOGA-TRAINED PARTICIPANTS HAD BETTER PHYSICAL AND MENTAL HEALTH THAN THOSE WHO DID NOT PARTICIPATE, INCLUDING LOWERED BLOOD PRESSURE, REDUCED RESPIRATION RATE, STRENGTHENED CARDIOPULMONARY FITNESS, ENHANCED BODY FLEXIBILITY, IMPROVED MUSCLE STRENGTH AND ENDURANCE, IMPROVED BALANCE, AND INCREASED JOINTS MOTION (ALL P VALUES < 0.05). IN ADDITION, THE DEPRESSION STATE (P < 0.001) AND PROBLEM BEHAVIORS (P < 0.001) OF THESE DEMENTED ELDERS WERE SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCED. CONCLUSION: YOGA EXERCISE HAS POSITIVE BENEFITS FOR BOTH THE PHYSICAL AND MENTAL HEALTH OF ELDERS WITH DEMENTIA LIVING IN LONG-TERM CARE FACILITIES. IT IS RECOMMENDED THAT YOGA BE INCLUDED AS ONE OF THE ROUTINE ACTIVITIES IN THESE LONG-TERM CARE FACILITIES. 2011