1 1921 109 ROLE OF YOGA AND PHYSICAL ACTIVITY IN WORK-RELATED MUSCULOSKELETAL DISORDERS AMONG DENTISTS. BACKGROUND: WORK-RELATED MUSCULOSKELETAL PAIN IS ONE OF THE OCCUPATIONAL HAZARDS IN DENTISTS. AIMS: TO FIND THE PREVALENCE AND SEVERITY OF MUSCULOSKELETAL PAIN IN DENTISTS, TO COMPARE MUSCULOSKELETAL PAIN AMONG DENTISTS PRACTICING YOGA, THOSE PRACTICING PHYSICAL ACTIVITIES, AND THOSE WITHOUT ANY PHYSICAL ACTIVITY, AND ALSO TO KNOW THE EFFECTS OF SEX, AGE, AND WORKLOAD ON MUSCULOSKELETAL PAIN. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A SELF-REPORTING WORK-RELATED QUESTIONNAIRE AND THE NORDIC QUESTIONNAIRE FOR ANALYSIS OF MUSCULOSKELETAL DISORDERS WERE GIVEN TO GRADUATED DENTISTS ATTENDING INDIAN DENTAL CONFERENCE IN MUMBAI, TO KNOW THE MUSCULOSKELETAL PAIN EXPERIENCED IN THE LAST 12 MONTHS AND FEEDBACK WAS OBTAINED FROM 220 DENTISTS. RESULTS: THE PREVALENCE OF MUSCULOSKELETAL PAIN IN DENTISTS WAS 34.5%. PREVALENCE OF MUSCULOSKELETAL PAIN WAS 10.5%, 21.7%, AND 45.6% IN DENTISTS WITH REGULAR YOGA PRACTICE, OTHER PHYSICAL ACTIVITY, AND NO PHYSICAL ACTIVITY, RESPECTIVELY. THERE WAS STATISTICALLY SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCE IN THE PREVALENCE OF MUSCULOSKELETAL PAIN AMONG DENTISTS WHO WERE PRACTICING YOGA WHEN COMPARED WITH THOSE IN NO REGULAR ACTIVITY GROUP. CONCLUSION: WITHIN THE LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY, THERE WAS SIGNIFICANT ROLE OF PHYSICAL ACTIVITY ON THE QUALITY AND QUANTITY OF WORK-RELATED MUSCULOSKELETAL DISORDERS EXPERIENCED BY DENTISTS. YOGA WAS FOUND TO BE MORE EFFECTIVE THAN OTHER MODES OF PHYSICAL ACTIVITIES. MORE RESEARCH IS NEEDED ON MUSCULOSKELETAL PROBLEMS IN DENTISTS, WITH AN EMPHASIS ON LARGER SAMPLE SIZES AND CORRELATING OTHER FACTORS LIKE AGE AND SEX OF THE DENTISTS, DURATION OF PRACTICE, YEARS OF PRACTICING YOGA, AND WORKING HOURS PER WEEK. 2015 2 1655 16 MUSCULOSKELETAL INJURIES IN YOGA. WHILE YOGA HAS BEEN WIDELY STUDIED FOR ITS BENEFITS TO MANY HEALTH CONDITIONS, LITTLE RESEARCH HAS BEEN PERFORMED ON THE NATURE OF MUSCULOSKELETAL INJURIES OCCURRING DURING YOGA PRACTICE. YOGA IS CONSIDERED TO BE GENERALLY SAFE, HOWEVER, INJURY CAN OCCUR IN NEARLY ANY PART OF THE BODY-ESPECIALLY THE NECK, SHOULDERS, LUMBAR SPINE, HAMSTRINGS, AND KNEES. AS BROAD INTEREST IN YOGA GROWS, SO WILL THE NUMBER OF PATIENTS PRESENTING WITH YOGA-RELATED INJURIES. IN THIS LITERATURE REVIEW, THE PREVALENCE, TYPES OF INJURIES, FORMS OF YOGA RELATED WITH INJURY, SPECIFIC POSES (ASANAS) ASSOCIATED WITH INJURY, AND PREVENTIVE MEASURES ARE DISCUSSED IN ORDER TO FAMILIARIZE PRACTITIONERS WITH YOGA-RELATED INJURIES. 2018 3 1658 35 MUSCULOSKELETAL PAIN ASSOCIATED WITH RECREATIONAL YOGA PARTICIPATION: A PROSPECTIVE COHORT STUDY WITH 1-YEAR FOLLOW-UP. BACKGROUND: YOGA IS A POPULAR COMPLEMENTARY THERAPY FOR MUSCULOSKELETAL PAIN. THERE ARE FEW STUDIES HOWEVER, THAT HAVE EXAMINED THE RISKS OF RECREATIONAL PARTICIPATION FOR CAUSING MUSCULOSKELETAL PAIN. OBJECTIVES: TO EXAMINE THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN MUSCULOSKELETAL PAIN AND RECREATIONAL YOGA PARTICIPATION. METHODS: THIS WAS A PROSPECTIVE COHORT STUDY WITH ONE-YEAR FOLLOW-UP. DATA WERE COLLECTED VIA ELECTRONIC QUESTIONNAIRES, ONE YEAR APART. OUTCOMES INCLUDED INCIDENCE AND IMPACT OF PAIN CAUSED BY YOGA AND PREVALENCE OF PAIN CAUSED, EXACERBATED, UNAFFECTED, AND IMPROVED BY YOGA. PREDICTORS INCLUDED AGE, EXPERIENCE, HOURS OF PARTICIPATION, AND INTENSITY OF PARTICIPATION. RESULTS: THE FINAL SAMPLE INCLUDED 354 PARTICIPANTS FROM TWO SUBURBAN YOGA STUDIOS. THE INCIDENCE RATE OF PAIN CAUSED BY YOGA WAS 10.7%. MORE THAN ONE-THIRD OF INCIDENT CASES RESULTED IN LOST YOGA PARTICIPATION TIME AND/OR SYMPTOMS LASTING MORE THAN 3 MONTHS. NONE OF THE RISK FACTORS AT BASELINE INCREASED THE RISK FOR SUBSEQUENT INCIDENT CASES OF PAIN CAUSED BY YOGA. CONCLUSIONS: YOGA CAN CAUSE MUSCULOSKELETAL PAIN. PARTICIPANTS MAY BENEFIT FROM DISCLOSURE OF PRACTICE TO THEIR HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONALS AND BY INFORMING TEACHERS OF INJURIES THEY MAY HAVE PRIOR TO PARTICIPATION. YOGA TEACHERS SHOULD ALSO DISCUSS THE RISKS FOR INJURY WITH THEIR STUDENTS. 2018 4 292 20 ADVERSE EVENTS ASSOCIATED WITH YOGA: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW OF PUBLISHED CASE REPORTS AND CASE SERIES. WHILE YOGA IS GAINING INCREASED POPULARITY IN NORTH AMERICA AND EUROPE, ITS SAFETY HAS BEEN QUESTIONED IN THE LAY PRESS. THE AIM OF THIS SYSTEMATIC REVIEW WAS TO ASSESS PUBLISHED CASE REPORTS AND CASE SERIES ON ADVERSE EVENTS ASSOCIATED WITH YOGA. MEDLINE/PUBMED, SCOPUS, CAMBASE, INDMED AND THE CASES DATABASE WERE SCREENED THROUGH FEBRUARY 2013; AND 35 CASE REPORTS AND 2 CASE SERIES REPORTING A TOTAL OF 76 CASES WERE INCLUDED. TEN CASES HAD MEDICAL PRECONDITIONS, MAINLY GLAUCOMA AND OSTEOPENIA. PRANAYAMA, HATHA YOGA, AND BIKRAM YOGA WERE THE MOST COMMON YOGA PRACTICES; HEADSTAND, SHOULDER STAND, LOTUS POSITION, AND FORCEFUL BREATHING WERE THE MOST COMMON YOGA POSTURES AND BREATHING TECHNIQUES CITED. TWENTY-SEVEN ADVERSE EVENTS (35.5%) AFFECTED THE MUSCULOSKELETAL SYSTEM; 14 (18.4%) THE NERVOUS SYSTEM; AND 9 (11.8%) THE EYES. FIFTEEN CASES (19.7%) REACHED FULL RECOVERY; 9 CASES (11.3%) PARTIAL RECOVERY; 1 CASE (1.3%) NO RECOVERY; AND 1 CASE (1.3%) DIED. AS ANY OTHER PHYSICAL OR MENTAL PRACTICE, YOGA SHOULD BE PRACTICED CAREFULLY UNDER THE GUIDANCE OF A QUALIFIED INSTRUCTOR. BEGINNERS SHOULD AVOID EXTREME PRACTICES SUCH AS HEADSTAND, LOTUS POSITION AND FORCEFUL BREATHING. INDIVIDUALS WITH MEDICAL PRECONDITIONS SHOULD WORK WITH THEIR PHYSICIAN AND YOGA TEACHER TO APPROPRIATELY ADAPT POSTURES; PATIENTS WITH GLAUCOMA SHOULD AVOID INVERSIONS AND PATIENTS WITH COMPROMISED BONE SHOULD AVOID FORCEFUL YOGA PRACTICES. 2013 5 541 22 COMPONENTS AND REPORTING OF YOGA INTERVENTIONS FOR MUSCULOSKELETAL CONDITIONS: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW OF RANDOMISED CONTROLLED TRIALS. OBJECTIVES: TO IDENTIFY THE CONTENT AND REPORTING DETAILS OF RANDOMISED CONTROLLED TRIALS OF YOGA FOR MUSCULOSKELETAL CONDITIONS THROUGH A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE. DESIGN: TWENTY ELECTRONIC DATABASES WERE SEARCHED TO IDENTIFY RANDOMISED CONTROLLED TRIALS (RCTS) OF YOGA INTERVENTIONS FOR MUSCULOSKELETAL CONDITIONS. ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA WERE FULL-TEXT, PEER REVIEWED ARTICLES, OF RCTS WITH YOGA AS A PRIMARY INTERVENTION, ON A POPULATION AGED 18 YEARS AND OVER, WITH A CLINICAL DIAGNOSIS OF A MUSCULOSKELETAL CONDITION. DATA RELATING TO STUDY CHARACTERISTICS, YOGA STYLES, YOGA PRACTICES, HOME PRACTICE, AND REPORTING WERE EXTRACTED AND SUMMARISED. RESULTS: SEVENTEEN ARTICLES MET INCLUSION CRITERIA, REPRESENTING FIVE MUSCULOSKELETAL CONDITIONS: LOW BACK PAIN, OSTEOARTHRITIS, RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS, KYPHOSIS, AND FIBROMYALGIA. 15 STUDIES WERE NON-RESIDENTIAL, AND TWO WERE RESIDENTIAL. STUDY DURATION RANGED FROM 1 TO 24 WEEKS; WEEKLY DOSAGE OF YOGA RANGED FROM 1 TO 56H. FIVE STYLES OF POSTURE-BASED HATHA YOGA WERE SPECIFIED. INTERVENTION CONTENT INCLUDED SEVEN YOGA PRACTISES: POSTURES, BREATHING, RELAXATION, MEDITATION, PHILOSOPHY, CHANTING, AND CLEANSING PRACTISES. TEN STUDIES EITHER ENCOURAGED OR REQUESTED HOME PRACTICE. REPORTING DETAILS INCLUDED CLASS PLANS, POSTURE LISTS, AND DIAGRAMS. DUE TO INSUFFICIENT DETAIL REGARDING DELIVERY OF THE YOGA INTERVENTION ONLY EIGHT OF THE 17 INTERVENTIONS WERE CONSIDERED REPLICABLE AS REPORTED. CONCLUSIONS: EVALUATION OF STUDY CHARACTERISTICS AND YOGA COMPONENTS INDICATED SEVERAL AREAS OF HOMOGENEITY ACROSS STUDIES, SUGGESTING AN EXISTING DEGREE OF STANDARDISATION. HOWEVER, HETEROGENEITY RELATED TO INTERVENTION CONTENT AND REPORTING IMPEDED DETERMINATION OF INTERVENTION CONTENT AND DELIVERY. STANDARDISATION OF CONTENT, NOMENCLATURE, AND REPORTING DETAILS IS RECOMMENDED TO ENHANCE PROTOCOL TRANSPARENCY, REPLICATION, AND COMPARISON OF INTERVENTION EFFECTIVENESS. 2014 6 2017 33 SURVEY ON UTILITY OF YOGA AS AN ALTERNATIVE THERAPY FOR OCCUPATIONAL HAZARDS AMONG DENTAL PRACTIONERS. BACKGROUND: THE THERAPEUTIC POTENTIAL OF YOGA ARE OFTEN CONSIDERED COMPLEMENTARY TO VARIOUS FORMS OF MEDICAL PRACTICE. VERY FEW STUDIES HAVE EVALUATED THE EFFECTS OF YOGA IN THE TREATMENT OF OCCUPATIONAL HAZARDS AMONG DENTISTS. HENCE, THIS CROSS-SECTIONAL STUDY WAS DESIGNED TO EVALUATE THE ADOPTION OF YOGA TECHINQUES AS AN ALTERNATIVE THERAPY IN TREATMENT OF PHYSICAL AND PSYCHOLOGICAL OCCUPATIONAL HAZARDS AMONG DENTAL GENERAL PRACTITIONERS IN CHENNAI, INDIA. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A VALIDATED CLOSED-ENDED QUESTIONNAIRE WAS CIRCULATED TO 500 DENTAL GENERAL PRACTITIONERS IN CHENNAI, INDIA AND WE RECEIVED 394 COMPLETED QUESTIONNAIRES. THE QUESTIONNAIRE DOCUMENTED DEMOGRAPHIC DATA, OCCUPATIONAL HAZARDS AND THE TYPE OF TREATMENT TAKEN FOR THE HAZARDS. RESULTS: MUSCULOSKELETAL PAIN WITH STRESS (47%) WAS THE MOST COMMON OCCUPATIONAL HAZARD REPORTED, FOLLOWED BY ONLY STRESS (27.4%), AND ONLY MUSCULOSKELETAL PAIN (25.6%). ONLY 9.6% OF PRACTITIONERS ADOPTED YOGA AS AN ALTERNATIVE TREATMENT FOR THESE OCCUPATIONAL HAZARDS. INTERESTINGLY, MAJORITY (46.4%) OF THEM DID EXERCISE, GYM, MASSAGE, WALKING AND HEARD MUSIC. SURPRISINGLY, 43.9% DID NOT TAKE ANY MEASURES TO TREAT THESE OCCUPATIONAL HAZARDS. HOWEVER 53.3% OF THE DENTISTS WHO DID NOT CONSIDER YOGA AS AN ALTERNATIVE THERAPY, STATED LACK OF TIME AS A REASON FOR NOT PRACTICING YOGA WHILE 17.6% OF THEM DON'T BELIEVE YOGA AS A THERAPY. CONCLUSION: DESPITE MUSCULOSKELETAL PAIN AND STRESS BEING THE MOST COMMON OCCUPATIONAL HAZARD PREVALENT AMONG DENTISTS, OVER 50% OF THE SUBJECTS SURVEYED DIDN'T SEEK ANY MEASURE TO TREAT THESE OCCUPATIONAL HAZARDS AND ONLY 10% OF THEM PRACTICED YOGA AS THE ALTERNATIVE THERAPY. 2015 7 291 39 ADVERSE EFFECTS OF YOGA: A NATIONAL CROSS-SECTIONAL SURVEY. BACKGROUND: WHILE YOGA IS INCREASINGLY USED FOR HEALTH PURPOSES, ITS SAFETY HAS BEEN QUESTIONED. THE AIM OF THIS CROSS-SECTIONAL SURVEY WAS TO ANALYZE YOGA-ASSOCIATED ADVERSE EFFECTS AND THEIR CORRELATES. METHODS: A CROSS-SECTIONAL ANONYMOUS NATIONAL ONLINE SURVEY AMONG GERMAN YOGA PRACTITIONERS (N = 1702; 88.9% FEMALE; 47.2 +/- 10.8 YEARS) WAS CONDUCTED FROM JANUARY TO JUNE 2016. PARTICIPANTS WERE QUERIED REGARDING THEIR YOGA PRACTICE, I.E. YOGA STYLES USED, LENGTH AND INTENSITY OF YOGA PRACTICE, PRACTICE PATTERNS, AND WHETHER THEY HAD EXPERIENCED ACUTE OR CHRONIC ADVERSE EFFECTS OF THEIR YOGA PRACTICE. INDEPENDENT PREDICTORS OF ACUTE OR CHRONIC ADVERSE EFFECTS WERE IDENTIFIED USING MULTIPLE LOGISTIC REGRESSION ANALYSES. RESULTS: ASHTANGA YOGA (15.7%), TRADITIONAL HATHA YOGA (14.2%), AND SIVANANDA YOGA (22.4%) WERE THE MOST COMMONLY USED YOGA STYLES. 364 (21.4%) YOGA USERS REPORTED 702 ACUTE ADVERSE EFFECTS, OCCURRING AFTER A MEAN OF 7.6 +/- 8.0 YEARS OF YOGA PRACTICE. THE MOST COMMONLY REPORTED YOGA PRACTICES THAT WERE ASSOCIATED WITH ACUTE ADVERSE EFFECTS WERE HAND-, SHOULDER- AND HEAD STANDS (29.4%). USING VINIYOGA WAS ASSOCIATED WITH A DECREASED RISK OF ACUTE ADVERSE EFFECTS; PRACTICING ONLY BY SELF-STUDY WITHOUT SUPERVISION WAS ASSOCIATED WITH HIGHER RISK. ONE HUNDRED SEVENTY-THREE PARTICIPANTS (10.2%) REPORTED 239 CHRONIC ADVERSE EFFECTS. THE RISK OF CHRONIC ADVERSE EFFECTS WAS HIGHER IN PARTICIPANTS WITH CHRONIC ILLNESSES AND THOSE PRACTICING ONLY BY SELF-STUDY WITHOUT SUPERVISION. MOST REPORTED ADVERSE EFFECTS CONCERNED THE MUSCULOSKELETAL SYSTEM. 76.9% OF ACUTE CASES, AND 51.6% OF CHRONIC CASES REACHED FULL RECOVERY. ON AVERAGE 0.60 INJURIES (95% CONFIDENCE INTERVAL = 0.51-0.71) PER 1000 H OF PRACTICE WERE REPORTED, WITH POWER YOGA USERS REPORTING THE HIGHEST RATE (1.50 INJURIES PER 1000 H; 95% CONFIDENCE INTERVAL = 0.98-3.15). CONCLUSIONS: ONE IN FIVE ADULT YOGA USERS REPORTED AT LEAST ONE ACUTE ADVERSE EFFECT IN THEIR YOGA PRACTICE, AND ONE IN TEN REPORTED AT LEAST ONE CHRONIC ADVERSE EFFECT, MAINLY MUSCULOSKELETAL EFFECTS. ADVERSE EFFECTS WERE ASSOCIATED WITH HAND-, SHOULDER- AND HEAD STANDS; AND WITH YOGA SELF-STUDY WITHOUT SUPERVISION. MORE THAN THREE QUARTERS OF OF CASES REACHED FULL RECOVERY. BASED ON THE OVERALL INJURY RATE PER 1000 PRACTICE HOURS, YOGA APPEARS TO BE AS SAFE OR SAFER WHEN COMPARED TO OTHER EXERCISE TYPES. 2019 8 1158 29 ESTABLISHING KEY COMPONENTS OF YOGA INTERVENTIONS FOR MUSCULOSKELETAL CONDITIONS: A DELPHI SURVEY. BACKGROUND: EVIDENCE SUGGESTS YOGA IS A SAFE AND EFFECTIVE INTERVENTION FOR THE MANAGEMENT OF PHYSICAL AND PSYCHOSOCIAL SYMPTOMS ASSOCIATED WITH MUSCULOSKELETAL CONDITIONS. HOWEVER, HETEROGENEITY IN THE COMPONENTS AND REPORTING OF CLINICAL YOGA TRIALS IMPEDES BOTH THE GENERALIZATION OF STUDY RESULTS AND THE REPLICATION OF STUDY PROTOCOLS. THE AIM OF THIS DELPHI SURVEY WAS TO ADDRESS THESE ISSUES OF HETEROGENEITY, BY DEVELOPING A LIST OF RECOMMENDATIONS OF KEY COMPONENTS FOR THE DESIGN AND REPORTING OF YOGA INTERVENTIONS FOR MUSCULOSKELETAL CONDITIONS. METHODS: RECOGNISED EXPERTS INVOLVED IN THE DESIGN, CONDUCT, AND TEACHING OF YOGA FOR MUSCULOSKELETAL CONDITIONS WERE IDENTIFIED FROM A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW, AND INVITED TO CONTRIBUTE TO THE DELPHI SURVEY. FORTY-ONE OF THE 58 EXPERTS CONTACTED, REPRESENTING SIX COUNTRIES, AGREED TO PARTICIPATE. A THREE-ROUND DELPHI WAS CONDUCTED VIA ELECTRONIC SURVEYS. ROUND 1 PRESENTED AN OPEN-ENDED QUESTION, ALLOWING PANELLISTS TO INDIVIDUALLY IDENTIFY COMPONENTS THEY CONSIDERED KEY TO THE DESIGN AND REPORTING OF YOGA INTERVENTIONS FOR MUSCULOSKELETAL CONDITIONS. THEMATIC ANALYSIS OF ROUND 1 IDENTIFIED ITEMS FOR QUANTITATIVE RATING IN ROUND 2; ITEMS NOT REACHING CONSENSUS WERE FORWARDED TO ROUND 3 FOR RE-RATING. RESULTS: THIRTY-SIX PANELLISTS (36/41; 88%) COMPLETED THE THREE ROUNDS OF THE DELPHI SURVEY. PANELLISTS PROVIDED 348 COMMENTS TO THE ROUND 1 QUESTION. THESE COMMENTS WERE REDUCED TO 49 ITEMS, GROUPED UNDER FIVE THEMES, FOR RATING IN SUBSEQUENT ROUNDS. A PRIORI GROUP CONSENSUS OF >/=80% WAS REACHED ON 28 ITEMS RELATED TO FIVE THEMES CONCERNING DEFINING THE YOGA INTERVENTION, TYPES OF YOGA PRACTICES TO INCLUDE IN AN INTERVENTION, DELIVERY OF THE YOGA PROTOCOL, DOMAINS OF OUTCOME MEASURES, AND REPORTING OF YOGA INTERVENTIONS FOR MUSCULOSKELETAL CONDITIONS. ADDITIONALLY, A PRIORI CONSENSUS OF >/=50% WAS REACHED ON FIVE ITEMS RELATING TO MINIMUM VALUES FOR INTERVENTION PARAMETERS. CONCLUSIONS: EXPERT CONSENSUS HAS PROVIDED A NON-PRESCRIPTIVE REFERENCE LIST FOR THE DESIGN AND REPORTING OF YOGA INTERVENTIONS FOR MUSCULOSKELETAL CONDITIONS. IT IS ANTICIPATED FUTURE RESEARCH INCORPORATING THE DELPHI GUIDELINES WILL FACILITATE HIGH QUALITY INTERNATIONAL RESEARCH IN THIS FIELD, INCREASE HOMOGENEITY OF INTERVENTION COMPONENTS AND PARAMETERS, AND ENHANCE THE COMPARISON AND REPRODUCIBILITY OF RESEARCH INTO THE USE OF YOGA FOR THE MANAGEMENT OF MUSCULOSKELETAL CONDITIONS. 2014 9 1566 14 LOW BACK PAIN AND YOGA. ABSTRACT QUESTIONS FROM PATIENTS ABOUT PAIN CONDITIONS AND ANALGESIC PHARMACOTHERAPY AND RESPONSES FROM AUTHORS ARE PRESENTED TO HELP EDUCATE PATIENTS AND MAKE THEM MORE EFFECTIVE SELF-ADVOCATES. THE TOPIC ADDRESSED IN THIS ISSUE IS CHRONIC LOW BACK PAIN, ONE OF THE MOST COMMON REASONS TO VISIT ONE'S PRIMARY CARE DOCTOR. COMPLEMENTARY APPROACHES, INCLUDING YOGA, WILL BE ADDRESSED. 2014 10 2026 19 TAI CHI AND YOGA AS COMPLEMENTARY THERAPIES IN RHEUMATOLOGIC CONDITIONS. TAI CHI AND YOGA ARE COMPLEMENTARY THERAPIES WHICH HAVE, DURING THE LAST FEW DECADES, EMERGED AS POPULAR TREATMENTS FOR RHEUMATOLOGIC AND MUSCULOSKELETAL DISEASES. THIS REVIEW COVERS THE EVIDENCE OF TAI CHI AND YOGA IN THE MANAGEMENT OF RHEUMATOLOGIC DISEASES, ESPECIALLY OSTEOARTHRITIS OF THE KNEE, HIP AND HAND, AND RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS. THERE IS EVIDENCE THAT TAI CHI AND YOGA ARE SAFE, AND SOME EVIDENCE THAT THEY HAVE BENEFIT, LEADING TO REDUCTION OF PAIN AND IMPROVEMENT OF PHYSICAL FUNCTION AND QUALITY OF LIFE IN PATIENTS. RECOMMENDATIONS FOR TAI CHI IN KNEE OSTEOARTHRITIS HAVE RECENTLY BEEN ISSUED BY THE AMERICAN COLLEGE OF RHEUMATOLOGY. TO ALLOW BROADER RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE USE OF TAI CHI AND YOGA IN RHEUMATIC DISEASES, THERE IS A NEED TO COLLECT MORE EVIDENCE RESEARCHED WITH LARGER RANDOMISED CONTROLLED TRIALS. 2012 11 95 30 A NATIONAL SURVEY OF YOGA INSTRUCTORS AND THEIR DELIVERY OF YOGA THERAPY. YOGA THERAPY MAY IMPROVE A VARIETY OF SYMPTOMS AND HEALTH CONDITIONS, BUT LITTLE IS KNOWN ABOUT HOW YOGA THERAPY IS BEING DELIVERED IN THE REAL WORLD. THE PURPOSE OF THIS STUDY WAS TO DESCRIBE THE DELIVERY OF YOGA THERAPY BY YOGA INSTRUCTORS ACROSS THE U.S. IN THIS CROSS-SECTIONAL SURVEY, CERTIFIED INSTRUCTORS WERE RECRUITED FROM THE IYENGAR YOGA NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, UNITED STATES (IYNAUS) (N = 966) VIA AN EMAIL THAT CONTAINED A LINK TO AN ANONYMOUS ONLINE SURVEY THAT COLLECTED INFORMATION ON DEMOGRAPHICS, THEIR DELIVERY OF YOGA THERAPY, AND THE HEALTH CONDITIONS AND SYMPTOMS SEEN AND RECORDS KEPT BY THE INSTRUCTORS. A TOTAL OF 487 INSTRUCTORS (50.4%) COMPLETED THE SURVE Y. INSTRUCTORS RANGED FROM 28 TO 82 YEARS IN AGE (M = 56.4 +/- 10.1 YEARS) AND HAD BEEN TEACHING FOR 17.0 +/- 10.0 YEARS. THE MAJORITY (N = 384, 81.4%) REPORTED TEACHING SOME FORM OF THERAPEUTIC YOGA EITHER IN GROUPS (N = 261, 55%) AND/OR PRIVATELY (N = 340, 73.4%). ALL INSTRUCTORS (100%) REPORTED MODIFYING POSES IN THEIR REGULAR YOGA CLASSES FOR STUDENTS BECAUSE OF HEALTH CONDITIONS OR SYMPTOMS. OTHER THAN ATTENDANCE, THE MAJORITY (N = 255, 57.3%) REPORTED KEEPING NO RECORDS ON THEIR SESSIONS. STUDENTS CAME TO INSTRUCTORS FOR HELP WITH OVER 54 HEALTH CONDITIONS, MOST COMMONLY MUSCULOSKELETAL CONDITIONS AND INJURIES (N = 267, 62.8%), FOLLOWED BY PREGNANCY (N = 56, 13.2%) AND HYPERTENSION (N = 22, 5.2%). NEARLY ALL (N = 373, 85.6%) REPORTED PAIN TO BE THE SYMPTOM THAT BROUGHT STUDENTS TO YOGA THERAPY MOST FREQUENTLY. WHEREAS YOGA IN RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIALS TYPICALLY IS DELIVERED TO INDIVIDUALS IN LARGE, HOMOGENOUS GROUPS, THE INSTRUCTORS REPORTED THAT MOST YOGA THERAPY IS BEING PROVIDED INDIVIDUALLY OR IN SMALL, GENERAL THERAPEUTIC CLASSES THAT INCLUDE A VARIETY OF HEALTH CONDITIONS. RESEARCH IS NEEDED TO EXAMINE THE EFFECTIVENESS OF YOGA THERAPY UNDER SUCH CONDITIONS. A CLEAR SET OF GUIDELINES FOR ASSESSING AND DOCUMENTING THE EFFECTIVENESS OF YOGA THERAPY USING STANDARDIZED, VALID, AND RELIABLE METHODS IS NEEDED, PARTICULARLY FOR PAIN-RELATED CONDITIONS. 2016 12 912 29 EFFECTIVENESS OF IYENGAR YOGA IN TREATING SPINAL (BACK AND NECK) PAIN: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW. CONSIDERABLE AMOUNT OF MONEY SPENT IN HEALTH CARE IS USED FOR TREATMENTS OF LIFESTYLE RELATED, CHRONIC HEALTH CONDITIONS, WHICH COME FROM BEHAVIORS THAT CONTRIBUTE TO MORBIDITY AND MORTALITY OF THE POPULATION. BACK AND NECK PAIN ARE TWO OF THE MOST COMMON MUSCULOSKELETAL PROBLEMS IN MODERN SOCIETY THAT HAVE SIGNIFICANT COST IN HEALTH CARE. YOGA, AS A BRANCH OF COMPLEMENTARY ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE, HAS EMERGED AND IS SHOWING TO BE AN EFFECTIVE TREATMENT AGAINST NONSPECIFIC SPINAL PAIN. RECENT STUDIES HAVE SHOWN POSITIVE OUTCOME OF YOGA IN GENERAL ON REDUCING PAIN AND FUNCTIONAL DISABILITY OF THE SPINE. THE OBJECTIVE OF THIS STUDY IS TO CONDUCT A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW OF THE EXISTING RESEARCH WITHIN IYENGAR YOGA METHOD AND ITS EFFECTIVENESS ON RELIEVING BACK AND NECK PAIN (DEFINED AS SPINAL PAIN). DATABASE RESEARCH FORM THE FOLLOWING SOURCES (COCHRANE LIBRARY, NCBI PUBMED, THE CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRY OF THE INDIAN COUNCIL OF MEDICAL RESEARCH, GOOGLE SCHOLAR, EMBASE, CINAHL, AND PSYCHINFO) DEMONSTRATED INCLUSION AND EXCLUSION CRITERIA THAT SELECTED ONLY IYENGAR YOGA INTERVENTIONS, WHICH IN TURN, IDENTIFIED SIX RANDOMIZED CONTROL TRIALS DEDICATED TO COMPARE THE EFFECTIVENESS OF YOGA FOR BACK AND NECK PAIN VERSUS OTHER CARE. THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE GROUPS ON THE POSTINTERVENTION PAIN OR FUNCTIONAL DISABILITY INTENSITY ASSESSMENT WAS, IN ALL SIX STUDIES, FAVORING THE YOGA GROUP, WHICH PROJECTED A DECREASE IN BACK AND NECK PAIN. OVERALL SIX STUDIES WITH 570 PATIENTS SHOWED, THAT IYENGAR YOGA IS AN EFFECTIVE MEANS FOR BOTH BACK AND NECK PAIN IN COMPARISON TO CONTROL GROUPS. THIS SYSTEMATIC REVIEW FOUND STRONG EVIDENCE FOR SHORT-TERM EFFECTIVENESS, BUT LITTLE EVIDENCE FOR LONG-TERM EFFECTIVENESS OF YOGA FOR CHRONIC SPINE PAIN IN THE PATIENT-CENTERED OUTCOMES. 2015 13 2676 21 YOGA IN RHEUMATIC DISEASES. YOGA IS A POPULAR ACTIVITY WHICH MAY BE WELL SUITED TO SOME INDIVIDUALS WITH SPECIFIC RHEUMATIC DISORDERS. REGULAR YOGA PRACTICE CAN INCREASE MUSCLE STRENGTH AND ENDURANCE, PROPRIOCEPTION, AND BALANCE, WITH EMPHASIS ON MOVEMENT THROUGH A FULL RANGE OF MOTION TO INCREASE FLEXIBILITY AND MOBILITY. ADDITIONAL BENEFICIAL ELEMENTS OF YOGA INCLUDE BREATHING, RELAXATION, BODY AWARENESS, AND MEDITATION, WHICH CAN REDUCE STRESS AND ANXIETY AND PROMOTE A SENSE OF CALMNESS, GENERAL WELL-BEING, AND IMPROVED QUALITY OF LIFE. YOGA ALSO ENCOURAGES A MEDITATIVE FOCUS, INCREASED BODY AWARENESS AND MINDFULNESS; SOME EVIDENCE SUGGESTS YOGA MAY HELP REDUCE INFLAMMATORY MEDIATORS INCLUDING C-REACTIVE PROTEIN AND INTERLEUKIN-6. YOGA IS BEST LEARNED UNDER THE SUPERVISION OF QUALIFIED TEACHERS WHO ARE WELL INFORMED ABOUT THE POTENTIAL MUSCULOSKELETAL NEEDS OF EACH INDIVIDUAL. HERE, WE BRIEFLY REVIEW THE LITERATURE ON YOGA FOR HEALTHY, MUSCULOSKELETAL, AND RHEUMATIC DISEASE POPULATIONS AND OFFER RECOMMENDATIONS FOR DISCUSSING WAYS TO BEGIN YOGA WITH PATIENTS. 2013 14 2879 16 YOGA. YOGA IS AN ANCIENT TRADITION THAT HAS BEEN WESTERNIZED AND OFTEN PRACTICED FOR ITS PROPOSED HEALTH BENEFITS. TRADITIONAL TEXTS DESCRIBE ITS BENEFITS FOR MANY TYPES OF ARTHRITIS. TWO LIMITED STUDIES OF YOGA IN OSTEOARTHRITIS OF THE HANDS AND CARPAL TUNNEL SYNDROME SHOW GREATER IMPROVEMENT IN PAIN THAN IN CONTROL GROUPS. YOGA USES STRETCHING AND IMPROVES STRENGTH SO THAT IT THEORETICALLY SHOULD BE BENEFICIAL FOR SOME MUSCULOSKELETAL PROBLEMS. YOGA MERITS FURTHER STUDY INTO ITS CELLULAR AND PHYSIOLOGIC EFFECTS. 2000 15 473 34 CHARACTERISTICS OF YOGA USERS: RESULTS OF A NATIONAL SURVEY. BACKGROUND: THERE ARE LIMITED DATA ON THE CHARACTERISTICS OF YOGA USERS IN THE U.S. OBJECTIVE: TO CHARACTERIZE YOGA USERS, MEDICAL REASONS FOR USE, PERCEPTIONS OF HELPFULNESS, AND DISCLOSURE OF USE TO MEDICAL PROFESSIONALS. METHODS: UTILIZING CROSS-SECTIONAL SURVEY DATA FROM THE 2002 NATIONAL HEALTH INTERVIEW SURVEY (NHIS) ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE SUPPLEMENT (N = 31044), WE EXAMINED CORRELATES OF YOGA USE FOR HEALTH. THE ESTIMATED PREVALENCE FROM 2002 NHIS OF YOGA FOR HEALTH WAS 5.1% CORRESPONDING TO OVER 10 MILLION ADULTS. RESULTS: IN 2002, YOGA USERS WERE PREDOMINATELY CAUCASIAN (85%) AND FEMALE (76%) WITH A MEAN AGE OF 39.5 YEARS. COMPARED TO NON-YOGA USERS, YOGA USERS WERE MORE LIKELY FEMALE (OR 3.76, 95% CI 3.11-4.33); LESS LIKELY BLACK THAN WHITE (OR 0.65, 95% CI 0.53-0.80); TENDED TO BE YOUNGER; AND MORE LIKELY COLLEGE EDUCATED (OR 2.70, 95% CI 2.37-3.08). MUSCULOSKELETAL CONDITIONS (OR 1.61, 95% CI 1.42-1.83), MENTAL HEALTH CONDITIONS (OR 1.43, 95% CI 1.22-1.67), SEVERE SPRAINS IN THE LAST 12 MONTHS (OR 1.49, 95% CI 1.22-1.81), AND ASTHMA (OR 1.27, 95% CI 1.05-1.54) WERE INDEPENDENTLY ASSOCIATED WITH HIGHER YOGA USE, WHILE HYPERTENSION (OR 0.78, 95% CI 0.64-0.95) AND CHRONIC OBSTRUCTIVE LUNG DISEASE (OR 0.69, 95% CI 0.48-1.00) WERE ASSOCIATED WITH LOWER USE. YOGA WAS MOST COMMONLY USED TO TREAT MUSCULOSKELETAL OR MENTAL HEALTH CONDITIONS, AND MOST USERS REPORTED YOGA TO BE HELPFUL FOR THESE CONDITIONS. A MAJORITY OF YOGA USERS (61%) FELT YOGA WAS IMPORTANT IN MAINTAINING HEALTH, THOUGH ONLY 25% DISCLOSED YOGA PRACTICE TO THEIR MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL. CONCLUSIONS: WE FOUND THAT YOGA USERS ARE MORE LIKELY TO BE WHITE, FEMALE, YOUNG AND COLLEGE EDUCATED. YOGA USERS REPORT BENEFIT FOR MUSCULOSKELETAL CONDITIONS AND MENTAL HEALTH, INDICATING THAT FURTHER RESEARCH ON THE EFFICACY OF YOGA FOR THE TREATMENT AND/OR PREVENTION OF THESE CONDITIONS IS WARRANTED. 2008 16 2575 26 YOGA FOR FUNCTIONAL ABILITY, PAIN AND PSYCHOSOCIAL OUTCOMES IN MUSCULOSKELETAL CONDITIONS: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW AND META-ANALYSIS. OBJECTIVES: MUSCULOSKELETAL CONDITIONS (MSCS) ARE THE LEADING CAUSE OF DISABILITY AND CHRONIC PAIN IN THE DEVELOPED WORLD, IMPACTING BOTH FUNCTIONAL ABILITY AND PSYCHOSOCIAL HEALTH. THE CURRENT REVIEW INVESTIGATES THE EFFECTIVENESS OF YOGA ON PRIMARY OUTCOMES OF FUNCTIONAL ABILITY, PAIN AND PSYCHOSOCIAL OUTCOMES ACROSS A RANGE OF MSCS. METHODS: A COMPREHENSIVE SEARCH OF 20 DATABASES WAS CONDUCTED FOR FULL-TEXT, RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIALS OF YOGA IN CLINICALLY DIAGNOSED MSCS. RESULT: SEVENTEEN STUDIES MET THE INCLUSION CRITERIA, INVOLVING 1,626 PARTICIPANTS WITH LOW BACK PAIN (LBP), OSTEOARTHRITIS (OA), RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS (RA), KYPHOSIS OR FIBROMYALGIA. STUDIES WERE QUALITY RATED, AND ANALYSED FOR THE EFFECT OF YOGA ON PRIMARY OUTCOMES, IMMEDIATELY POST-INTERVENTION. TWELVE STUDIES WERE RATED AS GOOD QUALITY. YOGA INTERVENTIONS RESULTED IN A CLINICALLY SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENT IN FUNCTIONAL OUTCOMES IN MILD-TO-MODERATE LBP AND FIBROMYALGIA, AND SHOWED A TREND TO IMPROVEMENT IN KYPHOSIS. YOGA SIGNIFICANTLY IMPROVED PAIN IN OA, RA AND MILD-TO-SEVERE LBP. PSYCHOSOCIAL OUTCOMES WERE SIGNIFICANTLY IMPROVED IN MILD-TO-MODERATE LBP AND OA. META-ANALYSIS OF GOOD-QUALITY STUDIES SHOWED A MODERATE TREATMENT EFFECT FOR YOGA OF -0.64 (95%CI -0.89 TO -0.39) FOR FUNCTIONAL OUTCOMES AND -0.61 (95%CI -0.97 TO -0.26) FOR PAIN OUTCOMES. CONCLUSIONS: EVIDENCE SUGGESTS THAT YOGA IS AN ACCEPTABLE AND SAFE INTERVENTION, WHICH MAY RESULT IN CLINICALLY RELEVANT IMPROVEMENTS IN PAIN AND FUNCTIONAL OUTCOMES ASSOCIATED WITH A RANGE OF MSCS. FUTURE ANALYSIS OF OUTCOMES WHICH TAKE INTO ACCOUNT THE AMOUNT OF YOGA RECEIVED BY PARTICIPANTS MAY PROVIDE INSIGHT INTO ANY PUTATIVE DURATION OR DOSAGE EFFECTS OF YOGA INTERVENTIONS FOR MSCS. 2013 17 1895 22 RESILIENT TO PAIN: A MODEL OF HOW YOGA MAY DECREASE INTERFERENCE AMONG PEOPLE EXPERIENCING CHRONIC PAIN. CHRONIC MUSCULOSKELETAL PAIN IS THE LEADING CAUSE OF DISABILITY GLOBALLY, YET FOR THE MAJORITY OF PEOPLE WHO EXPERIENCE CHRONIC PAIN, IT DOES NOT SERIOUSLY DISABLE THEM OR INTERFERE WITH THEIR LIFE. PEOPLE WHO EXPERIENCE SEVERE PAIN YET LOW DISABILITY DISPLAY A RESILIENT COURSE OF PAIN. YOGA HAS BEEN SHOWN TO DECREASE DISABILITY AMONG PEOPLE WITH PAIN, BUT IT IS NOT KNOWN HOW. BECAUSE EVEN THE MOST BASIC YOGA PRACTICES POSSESS MANY OF THE COMPONENTS THOUGHT TO BE IMPORTANT IN FOSTERING RESILIENCE, YOGA IS A PROMISING MEANS OF IMPROVING RESILIENCE AND CLINICAL OUTCOMES FOR PEOPLE WITH CHRONIC PAIN. A VALIDATED CONCEPTUAL MODEL OF HOW THE EXPERIENCE OF CHRONIC PAIN IS AFFECTED BY YOGA IS NEEDED TO GUIDE A FUTURE RESEARCH AGENDA AND IDENTIFY POTENTIAL TARGETS FOR CHRONIC PAIN INTERVENTION. ULTIMATELY, AN EXPLANATORY MODEL COULD GUIDE THE OPTIMIZATION OF YOGA AND OTHER NON-PHARMACOLOGICAL THERAPIES FOR THE TREATMENT OF CHRONIC PAIN. I PRESENT A TESTABLE MODEL. 2019 18 317 17 AN INTEGRATED METHODOLOGY TO ASSESS COMPLIANCE WITH DELPHI SURVEY KEY COMPONENTS OF YOGA INTERVENTIONS FOR MUSCULOSKELETAL CONDITIONS AS APPLIED IN A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW OF FIBROMYALGIA STUDIES. OBJECTIVE: THE OBJECTIVE OF THIS ARTICLE WAS TO PRESENT A METHODOLOGY INCORPORATING EXISTING GUIDELINES AND TOOLS FOR SYSTEMATIC REVIEWS AND TO EVALUATE THE DELPHI SURVEY 33 KEY COMPONENT RECOMMENDATIONS OF YOGA INTERVENTIONS FOR MUSCULOSKELETAL CONDITIONS AS A TOOL FOR A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW IN FIBROMYALGIA STUDIES. DATA SOURCES: DATABASES SEARCHED INCLUDED PUBMED, OVID MEDLINE, PSYCHINFO, THE COCHRANE LIBRARY, CINAHL, ALT HEALTHWATCH, PEDRO, AND WEB OF SCIENCE. ARTICLE SELECTION: SELECTED WERE ARTICLES PUBLISHED BETWEEN NOVEMBER 14, 2004 AND NOVEMBER 13, 2014, WRITTEN IN ENGLISH, REPORTING ORIGINAL RESEARCH OF YOGA INTERVENTIONS FOR ADULTS WITH FIBROMYALGIA. DATA EXTRACTION AND SYNTHESIS: SIX ARTICLES MET THE INCLUSION CRITERIA, REVEALING THAT THREE YOGA STYLES ("RELAXING" YOGA, YOGA OF AWARENESS, AND HATHA YOGA) HAVE BEEN ASSESSED IN PERSONS WITH FIBROMYALGIA. OVERALL, REPORTING COMPLIANCE WITH THE 33 KEY COMPONENTS RANGED FROM 39.4% TO 84.8%, WITH A MEAN ADHERENCE RATE OF 62.63% +/- 17.74. NONE OF THE AUTHORS USED AN ACCEPTED REPORTING GUIDELINE; SPECIFIC COMPONENTS OF ASANA, PRANAYAMA, RELAXATION, AND MINDFULNESS PRACTICES THAT WOULD HAVE BEEN INCORPORATED INTO THE INTERVENTIONS TESTED WERE IDENTIFIED IN ONLY 33.33% OF THE ARTICLES REVIEWED; AND NONE OF THE ARTICLES INCLUDED DETAILED, REPLICABLE DESCRIPTIONS OF THE INTERVENTIONS. CONCLUSIONS: THIS SYSTEMATIC REVIEW SUPPORTS THE NEED FOR COMPREHENSIVE YOGA RESEARCH GUIDELINES. FINDINGS REVEAL A LACK OF REPORTING OF INTERVENTION DETAILS, THE NEED TO REPORT A DISEASE-SPECIFIC RATIONALE FOR SELECTION OF THE PARTICULAR YOGA STYLE USED FOR THE INTERVENTION, AND THAT A LIMITED NUMBER OF YOGA STYLES HAVE BEEN INVESTIGATED IN PERSONS WITH FIBROMYALGIA. 2016 19 2600 17 YOGA FOR OSTEOARTHRITIS: NURSING AND RESEARCH CONSIDERATIONS. OSTEOARTHRITIS (OA) IS A LEADING CAUSE OF PAIN AND DISABILITY WORLDWIDE. CURRENT TREATMENT GUIDELINES RECOMMEND NONPHARMACOLOGICAL APPROACHES SUCH AS YOGA FOR FIRSTLINE TREATMENT OF OA. YOGA IS A PROMISING MIND-BODY PRACTICE THAT INCLUDES PHYSICAL POSTURES, BREATHING PRACTICES, AND MEDITATIVE MENTAL FOCUS. THIS ARTICLE PRESENTS THE CURRENT EVIDENCE, AS WELL AS A PROPOSED CONCEPTUAL MODEL FOR FUTURE RESEARCH. CURRENT RESEARCH ON YOGA FOR OA IS SCANT BUT PROMISING, SHOWING SOME EVIDENCE OF REDUCED PAIN, SLEEP DISTURBANCE, AND DISABILITY. THE CONCEPTUAL MODEL DESCRIBED HERE PROPOSES MUSCULOSKELETAL EFFECTS (STRENGTHENING, FLEXIBILITY, RELAXATION), REDUCTION OF AUTONOMIC AROUSAL, AND THERAPEUTIC COGNITIVE PATTERNS (DISTRACTION, MINDFULNESS) AS POTENTIALLY IMPORTANT MECHANISMS OF YOGA. THIS ARTICLE ALSO DESCRIBES CONSIDERATIONS FOR PATIENTS AND HEALTH CARE PROVIDERS WHEN EVALUATING THE POTENTIAL USEFULNESS AND SAFETY OF YOGA PROGRAMS: YOGA STYLE, INSTRUCTOR QUALIFICATIONS, AND AMOUNT OF TIME SPENT IN YOGA PRACTICE. 2012 20 1741 22 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