1 1136 145 EFFICACY OF YOGA ON PREGNANCY OUTCOME. OBJECTIVE: TO STUDY THE EFFICACY OF YOGA ON PREGNANCY OUTCOMES. DESIGN AND SETTING: THREE HUNDRED THIRTY FIVE (335) WOMEN ATTENDING THE ANTENATAL CLINIC AT GUNASHEELA SURGICAL AND MATERNITY HOSPITAL IN BANGALORE, INDIA, WERE ENROLLED BETWEEN 18 AND 20 WEEKS OF PREGNANCY IN A PROSPECTIVE, MATCHED, OBSERVATIONAL STUDY; 169 WOMEN IN THE YOGA GROUP AND 166 WOMEN IN THE CONTROL GROUP. METHODS: WOMEN WERE MATCHED FOR AGE, PARITY, BODY WEIGHT, AND DOPPLER VELOCIMETRY SCORES OF UMBILICAL AND UTERINE ARTERIES. YOGA PRACTICES, INCLUDING PHYSICAL POSTURES, BREATHING, AND MEDITATION WERE PRACTICED BY THE YOGA GROUP ONE HOUR DAILY, FROM THE DATE OF ENTRY INTO THE STUDY UNTIL DELIVERY. THE CONTROL GROUP WALKED 30 MINUTES TWICE A DAY (STANDARD OBSTETRIC ADVICE) DURING THE STUDY PERIOD. COMPLIANCE IN BOTH GROUPS WAS ENSURED BY FREQUENT TELEPHONE CALLS AND STRICT MAINTENANCE OF AN ACTIVITY DIARY. MAIN OUTCOMES: BIRTH WEIGHT AND GESTATIONAL AGE AT DELIVERY WERE PRIMARY OUTCOMES. RESULTS: THE NUMBER OF BABIES WITH BIRTH WEIGHT > OR = 2500 GRAMS WAS SIGNIFICANTLY HIGHER (P < 0.01) IN THE YOGA GROUP. PRETERM LABOR WAS SIGNIFICANTLY LOWER (P < 0.0006) IN THE YOGA GROUP. COMPLICATIONS SUCH AS ISOLATED INTRAUTERINE GROWTH RETARDATION (IUGR) (P < 0.003) AND PREGNANCY-INDUCED HYPERTENSION (PIH) WITH ASSOCIATED IUGR (P < 0.025) WERE ALSO SIGNIFICANTLY LOWER IN THE YOGA GROUP. THERE WERE NO SIGNIFICANT ADVERSE EFFECTS NOTED IN THE YOGA GROUP. CONCLUSIONS: AN INTEGRATED APPROACH TO YOGA DURING PREGNANCY IS SAFE. IT IMPROVES BIRTH WEIGHT, DECREASES PRETERM LABOR, AND DECREASES IUGR EITHER IN ISOLATION OR ASSOCIATED WITH PIH, WITH NO INCREASED COMPLICATIONS. 2005 2 1400 29 IMPACT OF YOGA NIDRA ON PSYCHOLOGICAL GENERAL WELLBEING IN PATIENTS WITH MENSTRUAL IRREGULARITIES: A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL. BACKGROUND: YOGIC RELAXATION THERAPY (YOGA NIDRA) HAS BEEN EFFECTIVELY PRESCRIBED IN CONJUNCTION WITH OTHER MEDICAL AND YOGIC PROCEDURES IN THE MANAGEMENT OF SEVERE PSYCHOSOMATIC DISEASES, INCLUDING CANCER, BRONCHIAL ASTHMA, COLITIS, PEPTIC ULCER AND MENSTRUAL IRREGULARITIES. AIM OF THE STUDY: TO ASSESS THE IMPACT OF YOGA NIDRA ON PSYCHOLOGICAL PROBLEMS IN PATIENTS WITH MENSTRUAL DISORDERS. MATERIALS AND METHODS: PATIENTS WERE RECRUITED FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF OBSTETRICS AND GYNECOLOGY, C.S.M. MEDICAL UNIVERSITY (ERSTWHILE KGMU), LUCKNOW, UTTAR PRADESH, INDIA. A TOTAL OF 150 FEMALE SUBJECTS WERE RANDOMLY DIVIDED INTO TWO GROUPS: 1) GROUP OF 75 SUBJECTS (WITH YOGIC INTERVENTION) AND 2) A CONTROL GROUP OF 75 SUBJECTS (WITHOUT YOGIC INTERVENTION). ASSESSMENT OF PSYCHOLOGICAL GENERAL WELLBEING (TOOL) WAS USED FOR ALL THE SUBJECTS ASSESSMENT OF PSYCHOLOGICAL GENERAL WELL BEING (TOOL) WAS USED FOR ALL THE SUBJECTS (CASES AND CONTROLS). THIS ASSESSMENT WAS DONE TWICE FIRST TIME IN THE BEGINNING (BASELINE) AND THEN AFTER SIX MONTHS. RESULTS: ANXIETY DECREASED SIGNIFICANTLY (P<0.003) AND DEPRESSION DECREASED SIGNIFICANTLY (P<0.01) IN THE YOGA GROUP. POSITIVE WELLBEING AND GENERAL HEALTH IMPROVED SIGNIFICANTLY (P<0.02), AND VITALITY IMPROVED SIGNIFICANTLY (P<0.01) AFTER SIX MONTHS OF YOGA THERAPY (YOGA NIDRA) IN THE YOGA GROUP COMPARED WITH THE CONTROL GROUP. CONCLUSION: THE CURRENT FINDINGS SUGGEST THAT PATIENTS WITH MENSTRUAL IRREGULARITIES HAVING PSYCHOLOGICAL PROBLEMS IMPROVED SIGNIFICANTLY IN THE AREAS OF THEIR WELLBEING, ANXIETY AND DEPRESSION BY LEARNING AND APPLYING A PROGRAM BASED ON YOGIC INTERVENTION (YOGA NIDRA). 2011 3 1080 28 EFFECTS OF YOGA ON QUALITY OF SLEEP OF WOMEN WITH PREMENSTRUAL SYNDROME. OBJECTIVE: WOMEN WITH PREMENSTRUAL SYNDROME (PMS) COMMONLY COMPLAIN OF SLEEP DISTURBANCES, SPECIFICALLY IN THE LUTEAL PHASE OF THE MENSTRUAL CYCLE. THEREFORE, THE EFFECTS OF YOGA ON QUALITY OF SLEEP OF WOMEN EXPERIENCING PMS WAS INVESTIGATED. MATERIAL AND METHODS: WOMEN (AGED 20-45 Y) MONITORED FOR PMS, WHO WERE REFERRED TO THE PRIVATE OBSTETRICS AND GYNECOLOGY CLINICS IN TABRIZ, IRAN, WERE REFERRED TO THE PRIVATE OBSTETRICS AND GYNECOLOGY CLINICS IN TABRIZ, IRAN. AFTERWARD, 62 WOMEN, WERE SELECTED AND DIVIDED INTO 2 GROUPS, RANDOMLY: 31 SUBJECTS IN YOGA THE YOGA GROUP AND 31 IN THE CONTROL GROUP. SUBJECTS IN YOGA PERFORMED FOR 10 WK IN 3 SESSIONS, WITH EACH SESSION LASTING 60 MIN. SUBJECTS IN THE CONTROL GROUP DID NOT PERFORM ANY YOGA. SUBJECTS COMPLETED A DEMOGRAPHIC QUESTIONNAIRE AND THE PITTSBURGH SLEEP QUALITY INDEX QUESTIONNAIRE BEFORE AND AFTER YOGA IN BOTH GROUPS. RESULTS: AFTER YOGA INTERVENTION, SUBJECTS SIGNIFICANTLY EXPRESSED IMPROVEMENT IN SLEEPING (P < .05). BASED ON THE MANN-WHITNEY U TEST, A SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCE WAS OBSERVED IN THE SUBDOMAINS OF BOTH GROUPS ON QUALITY OF SLEEP (P < .01), SLEEP LATENCY (P < .01), AND SLEEP EFFICIENCY (P < .05). CONCLUSION: YOGA REDUCED THE DISTURBANCES OF SLEEP IN THE SUBJECTS WITH PMS, WHICH SUBSEQUENTLY IMPROVED THE EFFICIENCY OF THEIR SLEEP. THEREFORE, WE CONCLUDE THAT YOGA CAN BE PRESCRIBED FOR IMPROVING SLEEP DISTURBANCES IN WOMEN WITH PMS AND MEDICAL THERAPY WILL PROBABLY BE NEEDED IN SEVERE SITUATIONS. 2019 4 2725 32 YOGA NIDRA AS A COMPLEMENTARY TREATMENT OF ANXIETY AND DEPRESSIVE SYMPTOMS IN PATIENTS WITH MENSTRUAL DISORDER. BACKGROUND: EMOTIONAL INSECURITY, STRESS, DEPRESSIVE OR/AND ANXIETY SYMPTOMS ARE COMMON WITH VARIABLE SEVERITY AMONG PATIENTS WITH MENSTRUAL DISORDER. YOGIC RELAXATION THERAPY (YOGA NIDRA) LEADS TO CONSCIOUS AND SUBCONSCIOUS RECOGNITION OF THESE UNDERLYING PSYCHOLOGICAL FACTORS AND HELPS RELEASING OF SUPPRESSED CONFLICTS. OBJECTIVE: TO EVALUATE THE EFFECT OF YOGA NIDRA ON ANXIETY AND DEPRESSIVE SYMPTOMS IN PATIENTS WITH MENSTRUAL DISORDERS. MATERIALS AND METHODS: SUBJECTS WERE RECRUITED FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF OBSTETRICS AND GYNECOLOGY, C.S.M. MEDICAL UNIVERSITY (ERSTWHILE KGMU), LUCKNOW UTTAR PRADESH, INDIA. THE SUBJECTS WERE RANDOMLY DIVIDED IN TO TWO GROUPS: INTERVENTION GROUP (WITH YOGIC INTERVENTION) AND CONTROL GROUP (WITHOUT YOGIC INTERVENTION). ASSESSMENTS OF ALL SUBJECTS WERE CARRIED OUT BY ADMINISTERING HAMILTON ANXIETY SCALE (HAM-A) AND HAMILTON RATING SCALE FOR DEPRESSION (HAM-D) AT BASELINE AND AFTER SIX MONTHS. RESULTS: THE MEAN AGE WITH S.D OF THE INTERVENTION GROUP WAS 27.67 +/- 7.85 YEARS, AND FOR CONTROL GROUP WAS 26.58 +/- 6.87 YEARS (AMONG COMPLETED INTERVENTION GROUP NN = 65 AND CONTROL GROUP NN = 61). THERE WAS SIGNIFICANT REDUCTION OF SCORES IN HAM-A (P<0.003) AND HAM-D (P<0.02) RESPECTIVELY IN SUBJECTS WITH MILD TO MODERATE ANXIETY AND DEPRESSIVE SYMPTOMS AFTER SIX MONTHS OF YOGA THERAPY (YOGA NIDRA) IN INTERVENTION GROUP IN COMPARISON TO CONTROL GROUP. CONCLUSION: THE PATIENTS WITH MILD TO MODERATE ANXIETY AND DEPRESSIVE SYMPTOMS IMPROVE SIGNIFICANTLY WITH 'YOGA NIDRA' INTERVENTION. THERE IS NO SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENT IN THE PATIENTS WITH SEVERE ANXIETY AND DEPRESSIVE SYMPTOMS. 2012 5 1977 35 SIX-MONTH TRIAL OF YOGA NIDRA IN MENSTRUAL DISORDER PATIENTS: EFFECTS ON SOMATOFORM SYMPTOMS. BACKGROUND: YOGA NIDRA IS A SUCCESSFUL THERAPY FOR BOTH RECENT AND LONG-STANDING PSYCHOLOGICAL DISTURBANCES OF ALL KINDS ESPECIALLY DEPRESSION AND HIGH ANXIETY LEVEL AND NEUROTIC PATTERNS. OBJECTIVE: THE PURPOSE OF THE PRESENT WORK, THEREFORE, WAS TO CONDUCT A PRELIMINARY RANDOMIZED STUDY OF YOGA NIDRA AS A TREATMENT IN THE PATIENTS OF MENSTRUAL DISORDERS WITH SOMATOFORM SYMPTOMS. MATERIALS AND METHODS: PATIENTS WERE RECRUITED FROM DEPARTMENT OF OBSTETRICS AND GYNECOLOGY, CSM MEDICAL UNIVERSITY (ERSTWHILE KGMU) LUCKNOW, UTTAR PRADESH, INDIA. ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTY FEMALE PATIENTS WITH MENSTRUAL DISORDERS WERE RANDOMLY DIVIDED IN TO TWO GROUPS 1- INTERVENTION GROUP: 75 SUBJECTS (YOGA NIDRA INTERVENTION AND MEDICATION) 2- CONTROL GROUP: 75 SUBJECTS (WITHOUT YOGA NIDRA INTERVENTION ONLY MEDICATION). SCHEDULE FOR CLINICAL ASSESSMENT IN NEUROPSYCHIATRY TOOL WAS USED. RESULTS: THERE WAS SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENT IN PAIN SYMPTOMS (P<0.006), GASTROINTESTINAL SYMPTOMS (P<0.04), CARDIOVASCULAR SYMPTOMS (P<0.02) AND UROGENITAL SYMPTOMS (P<0.005) AFTER 6 MONTHS OF YOGA NIDRA THERAPY IN INTERVENTION GROUP IN COMPARISON TO CONTROL GROUP. CONCLUSION: YOGA NIDRA APPEARS TO BE A PROMISING INTERVENTION FOR PSYCHOSOMATIC PROBLEMS. IT IS COST-EFFECTIVE AND EASY TO IMPLEMENT. THE RESULTS INDICATE THAT SOMATOFORM SYMPTOMS IN PATIENTS WITH MENSTRUAL DISORDER CAN BE DECREASED BY LEARNING AND APPLYING A PROGRAM BASED ON YOGIC INTERVENTION (YOGA NIDRA). 2011 6 2525 41 YOGA DURING PREGNANCY: THE EFFECTS ON LABOR PAIN AND DELIVERY OUTCOMES (A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL). OBJECTIVE: TO INVESTIGATE THE EFFECTS OF AN ANTENATAL YOGA PROGRAM ON PERCEIVED MATERNAL LABOR PAIN AND DELIVERY OUTCOMES. MATERIAL & METHODS: THIS RANDOMIZED CONTROL TRIAL WAS CONDUCTED WITH SIXTY PRIMIPAROUS WOMEN, AGED 18-35 YEARS OLD, WHO WERE RANDOMLY ASSIGNED TO EITHER AN ANTENATAL YOGA PROGRAM OR CONTROL GROUPS. LABOR PAIN AND DISCOMFORT LEVEL OF THE PARTICIPANTS WERE MEASURED USING A VISUAL ANALOGUE SCALE AT CERVICAL DILATATION OF 3-4 C AND AT 2 AND 4 H AFTER THE INITIAL MEASUREMENT. DEMOGRAPHIC AND OBSTETRICAL INFORMATION WERE COLLECTED. THE ANTENATAL YOGA PROGRAM CONSISTED OF A 1-H SUPERVISED YOGA CLASS, THREE TIMES A WEEKLY, STARTING AT 26 WEEKS GESTATION. . RESULTS: PARTICIPANTS IN CONTROL GROUP REPORTED HIGHER PAIN INTENSITY COMPARED TO EXPERIMENTAL GROUP AT 3-4 CM OF DILATATION (P = 0.01) AND AT 2 H AFTER THE FIRST AND THE SECOND MEASUREMENTS (P = 0.000). MOTHERS IN THE ANTENATAL INTERVENTION GROUP THAT COMPLETED THE YOGA CLASS REQUIRED A DECREASED FREQUENCY OF LABOR INDUCTION IN COMPARISON WITH CONTROL GROUP (P = 0.008). IN ADDITION, MODE OF DELIVERY OF THE INTERVENTION GROUP RESULTED IN A LOWER PERCENTAGE OF CESAREAN SECTION THAN CONTROL GROUP (P = 0.002). LASTLY, THE INTERVENTION GROUP EXPERIENCED A SHORTER DURATION OF THE SECOND AND THIRD STAGES OF LABOR. INTERVAL LEVEL DATA WAS ANALYZED BY USING AN INDEPENDENT T-TEST AND CHI-SQUARE. CONCLUSION: YOGA DURING PREGNANCY MAY CONTRIBUTE TO A REDUCTION PAIN OF LABOR AND IMPROVED ADEQUACY OF CHILDBIRTH. 2017 7 1134 79 EFFICACY OF YOGA IN PREGNANT WOMEN WITH ABNORMAL DOPPLER STUDY OF UMBILICAL AND UTERINE ARTERIES. TO STUDY THE EFFICACY OF YOGA ON THE OUTCOME OF COMPLICATED PREGNANCY, 121 WOMEN ATTENDING ANTENATAL CLINIC AT GUNASHEELA SURGICAL AND MATERNITY HOSPITAL (GSMH) IN BANGALORE, INDIA, WERE ENROLLED BETWEEN 18-20 WEEKS OF PREGNANCY IN A PROSPECTIVE, MATCHED, OBSERVATIONAL STUDY. SIXTY-EIGHT WOMEN WERE IN THE YOGA GROUP AND 53 WOMEN IN THE CONTROL GROUP. WOMEN WERE MATCHED FOR AGE, GRAVIDA AND DOPPLER VELOCIMETRY SCORES OF UMBILICAL AND UTERINE ARTERIES. YOGA PRACTICES INCLUDING PHYSICAL POSTURES, BREATHING AND MEDITATION WERE PRACTISED BY THE YOGA GROUP, ONE HOUR DAILY, FROM THE DATE OF ENTRY INTO THE STUDY UNTIL DELIVERY. THE CONTROL GROUP WALKED HALF AN HOUR TWICE A DAY DURING THE STUDY PERIOD. COMPLIANCE IN BOTH THE GROUPS WAS ENSURED. IN BABIES THE BIRTH-WEIGHT IS SIGNIFICANTLY HIGHER (P < 0.018) IN THE YOGA GROUP (2.78 +/- 0.52 KG), COMPARED TO THE CONTROL GROUP (2.55 +/- 0.52 KG). OCCURRENCE OF COMPLICATIONS OF PREGNANCY (PREGNANCY-INDUCED HYPERTENSION, INTRAUTERINE GROWTH RETARDATION, PRE-TERM DELIVERY) SHOWS LOWER TRENDS IN YOGA GROUP. 2005 8 1399 34 IMPACT OF YOGA NIDRA ON MENSTRUAL ABNORMALITIES IN FEMALES OF REPRODUCTIVE AGE. OBJECTIVES: THE AIM OF THIS STUDY WAS TO OBSERVE THE EFFECT OF YOGA NIDRA PRACTICE ON HORMONE LEVELS IN PATIENTS WHO HAD MENSTRUAL IRREGULARITIES. DESIGN: THE STUDY WAS A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL. SETTINGS/LOCATION: THE STUDY WAS CONDUCTED IN THE DEPARTMENT OF OBSTETRICS AND GYNECOLOGY AT CHHATRAPATI SAHUJI MAHARAJ MEDICAL UNIVERSITY, UTTAR PRADESH, LUCKNOW, INDIA. SUBJECTS WERE DIVIDED RANDOMLY INTO 2 GROUPS-AN INTERVENTION AND A CONTROL GROUP, WITH 75 SUBJECTS IN EACH GROUP. OF THESE SUBJECTS, 126 COMPLETED THE STUDY PROTOCOL. SUBJECTS: THIS STUDY INVOLVED 150 SUBJECTS WITH MENSTRUAL IRREGULARITIES; 126 OF WHOM COMPLETED THE PROTOCOL. INTERVENTIONS: THE INTERVENTION WAS THE PRACTICE OF YOGA NIDRA. THE YOGIC INTERVENTION DURATION WAS 35-40 MINUTES/DAY, FIVE TIMES/WEEK FOR 6 MONTHS. AN ESTIMATION OF HORMONAL PROFILE WAS DONE FOR BOTH GROUPS AT BASELINE AND AFTER 6 MONTHS. RESULTS: THYROID-STIMULATING HORMONE (P<0.002), FOLLICLE-STIMULATING HORMONE (P<0.02), LUTEINIZING HORMONE (P<0.001), AND PROLACTIN (P<0.02) WERE DECREASED SIGNIFICANTLY IN THE INTERVENTION GROUP, COMPARED WITH THE CONTROL GROUP. CONCLUSIONS: THE PRESENT STUDY DEMONSTRATED THE EFFICACY OF YOGA NIDRA ON HORMONE PROFILES IN PATIENTS WITH MENSTRUAL IRREGULARITIES. YOGA NIDRA PRACTICE WAS HELPFUL IN PATIENTS WITH HORMONE IMBALANCES, SUCH AS DYSMENORRHEA, OLIGOMENORRHEA, MENORRHAGIA, METRORRHAGIA, AND HYPOMENORRHEA. 2013 9 2737 31 YOGA POSITIVELY AFFECTED DEPRESSION AND BLOOD PRESSURE IN WOMEN WITH PREMENSTRUAL SYNDROME IN A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED CLINICAL TRIAL. WOMEN WITH PREMENSTRUAL SYNDROME (PMS) OFTEN COMPLAIN ABOUT DEPRESSION WHEN THEIR MENSTRUAL CYCLE BEGINS. THIS STUDY INVESTIGATED THE EFFECTS OF YOGA ON WOMEN WITH PMS SUFFERING FROM DEPRESSION DURING MENSTRUAL CYCLE. METHODS: THIS RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED CLINICAL TRIAL WAS CONDUCTED FROM APRIL TO OCTOBER 2015 IN TABRIZ, IRAN. ALL SUBJECTS (20-45 YEARS OLD), WHO WERE FREQUENTLY REFERRED TO THE PRIVATE OBSTETRICS AND GYNECOLOGY CLINICS, WERE INITIALLY MONITORED FOR PMS AND DEPRESSION. SUBJECTS COMPLETED THE DEMOGRAPHIC AND BECK DEPRESSION INVENTORY-II (BDI-II) QUESTIONNAIRES BEFORE AND AFTER INTERVENTION. IN ADDITION, SUBJECTS WERE MONITORED FOR ELIGIBLE AND INELIGIBLE CRITERIA. IN THIS STUDY 62 SUBJECTS WERE RANDOMLY SELECTED FOR THE YOGA GROUP AND CONTROL GROUPS. SUBJECTS PRACTICED YOGA OVER TWO MONTHS IN THREE SESSIONS, THE DURATION OF EACH SESSION WAS 60MIN. RESULTS: THE GENERAL SCORE OF THE DEPRESSION AFTER YOGA INTERVENTION WAS STATISTICALLY SIGNIFICANT COMPARED TO THE CONTROL GROUP (P<0.036) AND YOGA GROUP BEFORE INTERVENTION (P<0.001). THE DIASTOLIC PRESSURE DECREASED SIGNIFICANTLY AFTER YOGA INTERVENTION (P<0.029). YOGA DECREASED THE STATE OF DEPRESSION AND DIASTOLIC PRESSURE OF THE SUBJECTS WITH PMS COMPLAINING FROM DEPRESSION. CONCLUSION: WE CONCLUDE THAT YOGA HAS STRONG EFFECTS ON DEPRESSION SYMPTOMS AND BLOOD PRESSURE, THEREFORE IT CAN BE USED AS A COMPLEMENTARY OR ALTERNATIVE REMEDY FOR PMS PATIENTS. 2019 10 800 31 EFFECT OF YOGA NIDRA ON PHYSIOLOGICAL VARIABLES IN PATIENTS OF MENSTRUAL DISTURBANCES OF REPRODUCTIVE AGE GROUP. AIM OF THIS STUDY WAS TO SEE ANY EFFECT ON AUTONOMIC FUNCTIONS IN MENSTRUAL DISTURBANCES PATIENTS AFTER YOGA NIDRA PRACTICE. THE SUBJECTS FOR THE STUDY WERE 150 FEMALES WITH MENSTRUAL IRREGULARITIES, 28.08 +/- 7.43 YEARS OF MEAN AGE, REFERRED FROM DEPARTMENT OF OBSTETRICS AND GYNECOLOGY CSMMU, UP, LUCKNOW. SUBJECTS WERE DIVIDED RANDOMLY IN TO TWO GROUPS' INTERVENTION AND IN CONTROL GROUPS -SEVENTY FIVE (75) IN EACH GROUP. OUT OF THESE, ONE HUNDRED TWENTY SIX (126) COMPLETED THE STUDY PROTOCOL. THE YOGIC INTERVENTION CONSISTED OF 35-40 MINUTES/DAY, FIVE DAYS IN A WEEK TILL SIX MONTHS. AN AUTONOMIC FUNCTION TESTING WAS DONE IN BOTH THE GROUPS AT ZERO TIME AND AFTER SIX MONTHS. A SIGNIFICANT POSITIVE EFFECT WAS OBSERVED WHEN YOGA THERAPY WAS USED AS AN ADJUNCT IN THE PATIENTS OF MENSTRUAL DISTURBANCES. THERE WERE SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENTS IN THE BLOOD PRESSURE, POSTURAL HYPOTENSION AND SUSTAINED HAND GRIP, HEART RATE EXPIRATION INSPIRATION RATIO AND 30:15 BEAT RATIOS OF THE SUBJECTS AFTER YOGIC PRACTICE. 2012 11 267 54 ACUTE FETAL BEHAVIORAL RESPONSE TO PRENATAL YOGA: A SINGLE, BLINDED, RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL (TRY YOGA). BACKGROUND: IN 2012, YOGA WAS PRACTICED BY 20 MILLION AMERICANS, OF WHOM 82% WERE WOMEN. A RECENT LITERATURE REVIEW ON PRENATAL YOGA NOTED A REDUCTION IN SOME PREGNANCY COMPLICATIONS (IE, PRETERM BIRTH, LUMBAR PAIN, AND GROWTH RESTRICTION) IN THOSE WHO PRACTICED YOGA; TO DATE, THERE IS NO EVIDENCE ON FETAL RESPONSE AFTER YOGA. OBJECTIVES: WE AIMED TO CHARACTERIZE THE ACUTE CHANGES IN MATERNAL AND FETAL RESPONSE TO PRENATAL YOGA EXERCISES USING COMMON STANDARDIZED TESTS TO ASSESS THE WELL-BEING OF THE MATERNAL-FETAL UNIT. STUDY DESIGN: WE CONDUCTED A SINGLE, BLINDED, RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL. UNCOMPLICATED PREGNANCIES BETWEEN 28 0/7 AND 36 6/7 WEEKS WITH A NONANOMALOUS SINGLETON FETUS OF WOMEN WHO DID NOT SMOKE, USE NARCOTICS, OR HAVE PRIOR EXPERIENCE WITH YOGA WERE INCLUDED. A COMPUTER-GENERATED SIMPLE RANDOMIZATION SEQUENCE WITH A 1:1 ALLOCATION RATIO WAS USED TO RANDOMIZE PARTICIPANTS INTO THE YOGA OR CONTROL GROUP. WOMEN IN THE YOGA GROUP PARTICIPATED IN A 1-TIME, 1 HOUR YOGA CLASS WITH A CERTIFIED INSTRUCTOR WHO TAUGHT A PREDETERMINED YOGA SEQUENCE. IN THE CONTROL GROUP, EACH PARTICIPANT ATTENDED A 1-TIME, 1 HOUR POWERPOINT PRESENTATION BY AN OBSTETRICIAN ON AMERICAN CONGRESS OF OBSTETRICIANS AND GYNECOLOGISTS RECOMMENDATIONS FOR EXERCISE, NUTRITION, AND OBESITY IN PREGNANCY. ALL PARTICIPANTS UNDERWENT PRE- AND POSTINTERVENTION TESTING, WHICH CONSISTED OF UMBILICAL AND UTERINE ARTERY DOPPLER ULTRASOUND, NONSTRESS TESTING, A BIOPHYSICAL PROFILE, MATERNAL BLOOD PRESSURE, AND MATERNAL HEART RATE. A BOARD-CERTIFIED MATERNAL-FETAL MEDICINE SPECIALIST, AT A DIFFERENT TERTIARY CENTER, INTERPRETED ALL NONSTRESS TESTS AND BIOPHYSICAL PROFILE DATA AND WAS BLINDED TO GROUP ASSIGNMENT AND PRE- OR POSTINTERVENTION TESTING. THE PRIMARY OUTCOME WAS A CHANGE IN UMBILICAL ARTERY DOPPLER SYSTOLIC TO DIASTOLIC RATIO. SAMPLE SIZE CALCULATIONS INDICATED 19 WOMEN PER GROUP WOULD BE SUFFICIENT TO DETECT THIS DIFFERENCE IN DOPPLER INDICES (ALPHA, 0.05; POWER, 80%). DATA WERE ANALYZED USING A REPEATED-MEASURES ANALYSIS OF VARIANCE, A CHI(2), AND A FISHER EXACT TEST. A VALUE OF P < .05 WAS CONSIDERED SIGNIFICANT. RESULTS: OF THE 52 WOMEN RANDOMIZED, 46 (88%) COMPLETED THE STUDY. THERE WAS NO CLINICALLY SIGNIFICANT CHANGE IN UMBILICAL ARTERY SYSTOLIC TO DIASTOLIC RATIO (P = .34), PULSATILITY INDEX (P = .53), OR RESISTANCE INDEX (P = .66) BETWEEN THE 2 GROUPS BEFORE AND AFTER THE INTERVENTION. FETAL AND MATERNAL HEART RATE, MATERNAL BLOOD PRESSURE, AND UTERINE ARTERY DOPPLERS REMAINED UNCHANGED OVER TIME. WHEN UMBILICAL ARTERY INDICES WERE INDIVIDUALLY COMPARED WITH GESTATIONAL AGE REFERENCES, THERE WAS NO DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THOSE WHO IMPROVED OR WORSENED BETWEEN THE GROUPS. CONCLUSION: THERE WAS NO SIGNIFICANT CHANGE IN FETAL BLOOD FLOW ACUTELY AFTER PERFORMING YOGA FOR THE FIRST TIME IN PREGNANCY. YOGA CAN BE RECOMMENDED FOR LOW-RISK WOMEN TO BEGIN DURING PREGNANCY. 2016 12 2169 46 THE EFFECTS OF YOGA IN PREVENTION OF PREGNANCY COMPLICATIONS IN HIGH-RISK PREGNANCIES: A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL. OBJECTIVE: WHILE PREVIOUS STUDIES HAVE SHOWN THE POTENTIAL EFFECTS OF YOGA IN NORMAL PREGNANCIES, THIS RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL INVESTIGATED THE EFFECTS OF YOGA IN PREVENTION OF PREGNANCY COMPLICATIONS IN HIGH-RISK PREGNANCIES FOR THE FIRST TIME. METHODS: 68 HIGH-RISK PREGNANT WOMEN WERE RECRUITED FROM TWO MATERNITY HOSPITALS IN BENGALURU, INDIA AND WERE RANDOMIZED INTO YOGA AND CONTROL GROUPS. THE YOGA GROUP (N=30) RECEIVED STANDARD CARE PLUS ONE-HOUR YOGA SESSIONS, THREE TIMES A WEEK, FROM THE 12TH TO THE 28TH WEEK OF GESTATION. THE CONTROL GROUP (N=38) RECEIVED STANDARD CARE PLUS CONVENTIONAL ANTENATAL EXERCISES (WALKING) DURING THE SAME PERIOD. RESULTS: SIGNIFICANTLY FEWER PREGNANCY INDUCED HYPERTENSION (PIH), PREECLAMPSIA, GESTATIONAL DIABETES (GDM) AND INTRAUTERINE GROWTH RESTRICTION (IUGR) CASES WERE OBSERVED IN THE YOGA GROUP (P=0.018, 0.042, 0.049, 0.05 RESPECTIVELY). SIGNIFICANTLY FEWER SMALL FOR GESTATIONAL AGE (SGA) BABIES AND NEWBORNS WITH LOW APGAR SCORES (P=0.006) WERE BORN IN THE YOGA GROUP (P=0.033). CONCLUSION: THIS FIRST RANDOMIZED STUDY OF YOGA IN HIGH-RISK PREGNANCY HAS SHOWN THAT YOGA CAN POTENTIALLY BE AN EFFECTIVE THERAPY IN REDUCING HYPERTENSIVE RELATED COMPLICATIONS OF PREGNANCY AND IMPROVING FETAL OUTCOMES. ADDITIONAL DATA IS NEEDED TO CONFIRM THESE RESULTS AND BETTER EXPLAIN THE MECHANISM OF ACTION OF YOGA IN THIS IMPORTANT AREA. 2012 13 2088 32 THE EFFECT OF PRACTICING YOGA DURING PREGNANCY ON LABOR STAGES LENGTH, ANXIETY AND PAIN: A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL. BACKGROUND: ANXIETY AND FEAR OF LABOR PAIN HAS LED TO ELEVATED CESAREAN SECTION RATE IN SOME COUNTRIES. THIS STUDY WAS CONDUCTED TO INVESTIGATE THE EFFECT OF YOGA IN PREGNANCY ON ANXIETY, LABOR PAIN AND LENGTH OF LABOR STAGES. METHODS: THIS CLINICAL TRIAL STUDY WAS PERFORMED ON 84 NULLIPAROUS WOMEN WHO WERE AT LEAST 18 YEARS OLD AND WERE RANDOMLY DIVIDED INTO TWO GROUPS OF YOGA AND CONTROL GROUPS. PREGNANCY YOGA PROGRAM CONSISTING OF 6 60-MIN TRAINING SESSIONS WAS STARTED EVERY 2 WEEKS FROM WEEK 26 OF PREGNANCY AND CONTINUED UNTIL 37 WEEKS OF GESTATION. ANXIETY SEVERITY AT MATERNAL ADMISSION TO LABOR WAS MEASURED BY THE SPIELBERGERS STATE-TRAIT ANXIETY INVENTORY, AND LABOR PAIN WAS MEASURED BY VISUAL ANALOGUE SCALE (VAS) AT DILATATION (4-5 CM) AND 2 H AFTER THE FIRST MEASUREMENT. DATA WERE ANALYZED USING CHI-SQUARE AND T-TEST. RESULTS: INTERVENTION GROUP REPORTED LESS PAIN AT DILATATION (4-5 CM) (P=0.001) AND 2 H AFTER THE FIRST MEASUREMENT (P=0.001) THAN THE CONTROL GROUP. STAT ANXIETY WAS ALSO LOWER IN INTERVENTION GROUP THAN THE CONTROL GROUP (P=0.003) AT THE ENTRANCE TO LABOR ROOM. SUBJECTS IN THE CONTROL GROUP REQUIRED MORE INDUCTION COMPARED TO INTERVENTION GROUP (P=0.003). WOMEN IN INTERVENTION GROUP EXPERIENCED SHORTER DURATION OF THE FIRST PHASE OF THE LABOR THAN THE CONTROL GROUP (P=0.002). ALSO, THE TOTAL DURATION OF TWO STAGES OF LABOR WAS SHORTER IN INTERVENTION GROUP THAN THE CONTROL GROUP (P=0.003). CONCLUSIONS: PRACTICING YOGA DURING PREGNANCY MAY REDUCE WOMEN'S ANXIETY DURING LABOR; SHORTEN LABOR STAGES, AND LOWER LABOR PAIN. 2020 14 688 46 EFFECT OF ANTENATAL EXERCISES, INCLUDING YOGA, ON THE COURSE OF LABOR, DELIVERY AND PREGNANCY: A RETROSPECTIVE STUDY. BACKGROUND: DELIVERING A CHILD IS A VERY STRESSFUL EXPERIENCE FOR WOMEN. PREGNANCY AND LABOR ENTAIL COMPLEX EVENTS THAT ARE UNIQUE TO EACH INDIVIDUAL FEMALE. THE MANAGEMENT OF LABOR PAIN IS OFTEN DONE USING ANALGESICS AND ANESTHESIA, WHICH HAVE BEEN SHOWN TO HAVE SOME SIDE EFFECTS. MORE COMPREHENSIVE DATA ARE NEEDED TO PROVIDE CLINICALLY SIGNIFICANT EVIDENCE FOR CLINICIANS TO CONFIDENTLY PRESCRIBE EXERCISES TO PATIENTS. THIS STUDY WAS DONE TO EVALUATE THE EFFECT OF ANTENATAL EXERCISES, INCLUDING YOGA, ON THE COURSE OF LABOR, DELIVERY, AND PREGNANCY OUTCOMES. METHODS: A RETROSPECTIVE STUDY WAS CONDUCTED AMONG 200 PRIMIPAROUS SUBJECTS (AGED 20-40). A QUESTIONNAIRE WAS PROVIDED TO THE SUBJECTS TO OBTAIN THEIR DEMOGRAPHIC AND OBSTETRICAL INFORMATION 6 WEEKS AFTER DELIVERY, AND THEIR HOSPITAL RECORDS WERE ALSO ASSESSED FOR FURTHER DETAILS. BASED ON THE NATURE AND DETAILS OBTAINED FOR THE ANTENATAL EXERCISES, SUBJECTS WERE DIVIDED INTO TWO GROUPS: CONTROL AND EXERCISE. OUTCOME MEASURES INCLUDED THE NEED FOR LABOR INDUCTION, SELF-PERCEIVED PAIN AND PERCEIVED EXERTION DURING LABOR, DURATION AND NATURE OF THE DELIVERY, NEWBORN INFANT WEIGHT, MATERNAL WEIGHT GAIN, HISTORY OF BACK PAIN, AND POST-PARTUM RECOVERY. THE TOTAL MATERNAL WEIGHT GAIN (IN KILOGRAMS) WAS CALCULATED FROM WEIGHT AT 6 WEEKS AFTER DELIVERY MINUS THE WEIGHT AT 12-14 WEEKS OF GESTATION. BACK PAIN DURING PREGNANCY AND SELF-PERCEIVED LABOR PAIN WERE MEASURED USING A VISUAL ANALOG SCALE (VAS). THE OVERALL PERCEIVED EXERTION DURING LABOR WAS MEASURED USING AN ADAPTED BORG SCALE FOR PERCEIVED EFFORT. RESULTS: THE SUBJECTS WHO FOLLOWED REGULAR ANTENATAL EXERCISES, INCLUDING YOGA, HAD SIGNIFICANTLY LOWER RATES OF CESAREAN SECTION, LOWER WEIGHT GAIN, HIGHER NEWBORN INFANT WEIGHT, LOWER PAIN AND OVERALL DISCOMFORT DURING LABOR, LOWER BACK PAIN THROUGHOUT PREGNANCY, AND EARLIER POST-PARTUM RECOVERY COMPARED TO THOSE WHO DID NO SPECIFIC EXERCISES OR ONLY WALKED DURING PREGNANCY. CONCLUSIONS: THIS RETROSPECTIVE STUDY SHOWED THAT REGULAR ANTENATAL EXERCISES, INCLUDING YOGA, RESULT IN BETTER OUTCOMES RELATED TO THE COURSE OF LABOR, DELIVERY, AND PREGNANCY. THESE RESULTS NOTABLY INDICATED THAT PREGNANT WOMEN SHOULD BE ACTIVE THROUGHOUT PREGNANCY AND FOLLOW A SUPERVISED EXERCISE PROGRAM THAT INCLUDES YOGA UNLESS CONTRAINDICATED. WE REQUIRE FURTHER LARGE-SCALE PROSPECTIVE STUDIES AND QUASI-EXPERIMENTAL TRIALS TO CONFIRM THE OBSERVED FINDINGS. 2020 15 2524 33 YOGA DURING PREGNANCY: EFFECTS ON MATERNAL COMFORT, LABOR PAIN AND BIRTH OUTCOMES. THIS STUDY EXAMINED THE EFFECTS OF A YOGA PROGRAM DURING PREGNANCY, ON MATERNAL COMFORT, LABOR PAIN, AND BIRTH OUTCOMES. A RANDOMIZED TRIAL WAS CONDUCTED USING 74-PRIMIGRAVID THAI WOMEN WHO WERE EQUALLY DIVIDED INTO TWO GROUPS (EXPERIMENTAL AND CONTROL). THE YOGA PROGRAM INVOLVED SIX, 1-H SESSIONS AT PRESCRIBED WEEKS OF GESTATION. A VARIETY OF INSTRUMENTS WERE USED TO ASSESS MATERNAL COMFORT, LABOR PAIN AND BIRTH OUTCOMES. THE EXPERIMENTAL GROUP WAS FOUND TO HAVE HIGHER LEVELS OF MATERNAL COMFORT DURING LABOR AND 2H POST-LABOR, AND EXPERIENCED LESS SUBJECT EVALUATED LABOR PAIN THAN THE CONTROL GROUP. IN EACH GROUP, PAIN INCREASED AND MATERNAL COMFORT DECREASED AS LABOR PROGRESSED. NO DIFFERENCES WERE FOUND, BETWEEN THE GROUPS, REGARDING PETHIDINE USAGE, LABOR AUGMENTATION OR NEWBORN APGAR SCORES AT 1 AND 5 MIN. THE EXPERIMENTAL GROUP WAS FOUND TO HAVE A SHORTER DURATION OF THE FIRST STAGE OF LABOR, AS WELL AS THE TOTAL TIME OF LABOR. 2008 16 765 55 EFFECT OF THE INTEGRATED APPROACH OF YOGA THERAPY ON PLATELET COUNT AND URIC ACID IN PREGNANCY: A MULTICENTER STRATIFIED RANDOMIZED SINGLE-BLIND STUDY. BACKGROUND: YOGA IMPROVES MATERNAL AND FETAL OUTCOMES IN PREGNANCY. PLATELET COUNT AND URIC ACID (UA) ARE VALUABLE SCREENING MEASURES IN HIGH-RISK PREGNANCY. AIM: TO EXAMINE THE EFFECT OF YOGA ON PLATELET COUNTS AND SERUM UA IN HIGH-RISK PREGNANCY. MATERIALS AND METHODS: THIS STRATIFIED RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL, CONDUCTED BY S-VYASA UNIVERSITY AT ST. JOHN'S MEDICAL COLLEGE HOSPITAL AND GUNASHEELA MATERNITY HOSPITAL, RECRUITED 68 WOMEN WITH HIGH-RISK PREGNANCY (30 YOGA AND 38 CONTROLS) IN THE TWELFTH WEEK OF PREGNANCY. THE INCLUSION CRITERIA WERE: BAD OBSTETRICS HISTORY, TWIN PREGNANCIES, MATERNAL AGE < 20 OR > 35 YEARS, OBESITY (BMI > 30), AND GENETIC HISTORY OF PREGNANCY COMPLICATIONS. THOSE WITH NORMAL PREGNANCY, ANEMIA (< 10 GRAMS%DL), H/O CLOTTING DISORDERS; RENAL, HEPATIC OR HEART DISEASE; SEIZURE DISORDER; OR STRUCTURAL ABNORMALITIES IN THE PELVIS, WERE EXCLUDED. THE YOGA GROUP PRACTICED SIMPLE MEDITATIVE YOGA (THREE DAYS / WEEK FOR THREE MONTHS). RESULTS: AT BASELINE, ALL WOMEN HAD NORMAL PLATELET COUNTS (> 150X10(9)/L) WITH A DECREASE AS PREGNANCY ADVANCED. UA (NORMAL AT BASELINE) INCREASED IN BOTH GROUPS. NO ONE DEVELOPED ABNORMAL THROMBOCYTOPENIA OR HYPERURICEMIA. HEALTHY REDUCTION IN PLATELET COUNT (TWELFTH TO TWENTIETH WEEK) OCCURRED IN A HIGHER (P < 0.001, CHI(2) TEST) NUMBER OF WOMEN IN THE YOGA GROUP THAN THE CONTROL GROUP. A SIMILAR TREND WAS FOUND IN URIC ACID. SIGNIFICANTLY LESSER NUMBER OF WOMEN IN THE YOGA GROUP (N = 3) DEVELOPED PREGNANCY-INDUCED HYPERTENSION (PIH) / PRE-ECLAMPSIA (PE) THAN THOSE IN THE CONTROL GROUP (N = 12), WITH ABSOLUTE RISK REDUCTION (ARR) BY 21%. CONCLUSION: ANTENATAL INTEGRATED YOGA FROM THE TWELFTH WEEK IS SAFE AND EFFECTIVE IN PROMOTING A HEALTHY PROGRESSION OF PLATELETS AND URIC ACID IN WOMEN WITH HIGH-RISK PREGNANCY, POINTING TO HEALTHY HEMODILUTION AND BETTER PHYSIOLOGICAL ADAPTATION. 2013 17 2116 36 THE EFFECT OF YOGA ON UTERINE ARTERY DOPPLER INDICES, MATERNAL AND FETAL COMPLICATIONS IN PREGNANT WOMEN: A QUASI-EXPERIMENTAL STUDY. BACKGROUND: TODAY, THE EFFECT OF YOGA HAS BEEN EXAMINED ON VARIOUS PHYSICAL AND PSYCHOLOGICAL DIMENSIONS OF PREGNANT WOMEN. HOWEVER, THERE ARE STILL SPARSE STUDIES ON THE EFFECT OF YOGA ON THE UTERINE ARTERY INDICES AS WELL AS MATERNAL AND FETAL COMPLICATIONS. OBJECTIVE: THE AIM WAS TO DETERMINE THE EFFECT OF YOGA ON UTERINE ARTERY DOPPLER INDICES, MATERNAL AND FETAL COMPLICATIONS. MATERIALS AND METHODS: THIS QUASI-EXPERIENTIAL STUDY WAS CONDUCTED, ON 100 PREGNANT WOMEN. THE PARTICIPANTS WERE ASSIGNED TO YOGA AND CONTROL GROUPS. IN THE YOGA GROUP, THE PARTICIPANTS EXERCISED YOGA FOR 1 H. ON THE OTHER HAND, THE CONTROL GROUP RECEIVED ROUTINE CARE. RESULTS: THE RESULTS SHOWED THAT IN THE YOGA GROUP, THE FUNCTIONAL INDICES OF THE UTERINE ARTERY (S/D, PI, RI, AND DN) IMPROVED MORE SIGNIFICANTLY COMPARED TO THE CONTROL (P = 0.01). THE RESULTS ALSO SHOWED THAT IN THE YOGA GROUP, MATERNAL COMPLICATIONS (DIABETES AND PREECLAMPSIA), AS WELL AS FETAL COMPLICATIONS (SAG, IUGR), WERE SIGNIFICANTLY LOWER COMPARED TO THE CONTROL (P = 0.01). CONCLUSION: THIS STUDY REVEALED THE POSITIVE EFFECTS OF YOGA ON IMPROVING FETAL DEVELOPMENT INDICES AND REDUCING MATERNAL AND FETAL COMPLICATIONS FOLLOWING PREGNANCY. IT CAN BE USED AS A COMPLEMENTARY THERAPY ALONGSIDE OTHER TREATMENTS FOR MOTHERS. 2021 18 1823 36 PSYCHO-BIOLOGICAL CHANGES WITH ADD ON YOGA NIDRA IN PATIENTS WITH MENSTRUAL DISORDERS: A RANDOMIZED CLINICAL TRIAL. INTRODUCTION: MENSTRUAL DISORDERS ARE COMMON PROBLEMS AMONG WOMEN IN THE REPRODUCTIVE AGE GROUP. YUGA INTERVENTIONS MAY DECREASE THE PHYSICAL AND PSYCHOLOGICAL PROBLEMS RELATED TO MENSTRUAL DISORDERS. THE PRESENT STUDY WAS AIMED TO ASSESS THE EFFECT OF YOGA NIDRA ON PSYCHOLOGICAL PROBLEMS IN PATIENTS WITH MENSTRUAL DISORDERS. METHODS: A TOTAL NUMBER OF 100 WOMEN RECRUITED FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF OBSTETRICS AND GYNECOLOGY AND WERE THEN RANDOMLY ALLOCATED INTO TWO GROUPS: A) INTERVENTION RECEIVED YOGIC INTERVENTION AND MEDICATION FOR 6 MONTH, AND B) CONTROL GROUP RECEIVED NO YOGIC INTERVENTION AND THEY ONLY RECEIVED PRESCRIBED MEDICATION). PSYCHOLOGICAL GENERAL WELL-BEING INDEX (PGWBI) AND HORMONAL PROFILE WERE ASSESSED AT THE TIME OF BEFORE AND AFTER SIX MONTHS ON BOTH GROUPS. RESULTS: THE MEAN SCORE OF ANXIETY, DEPRESSION, POSITIVE WELL-BEING, GENERAL HEALTH, AND VITALITY SCORES, AS WELL AS HORMONAL LEVELS, IN POSTTEST WERE SIGNIFICANTLY DIFFERENT IN INTERVENTION GROUP AS COMPARED WITH PRETEST. BUT THERE WAS NO SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCE IN CONTROL GROUP. CONCLUSION: YOGA NIDRA CAN BE A SUCCESSFUL THERAPY TO OVERCOME THE PSYCHIATRIC MORBIDITY ASSOCIATED WITH MENSTRUAL IRREGULARITIES. THEREFORE, YOGIC RELAXATION TRAINING (YOGA NIDRA) COULD BE PRESCRIBED AS AN ADJUNCT TO CONVENTIONAL DRUG THERAPY FOR MENSTRUAL DYSFUNCTION. 2016 19 1883 31 REDUCING PSYCHOLOGICAL DISTRESS AND OBESITY THROUGH YOGA PRACTICE. BACKGROUND: YOGA PRACTICE HAS BEEN EFFECTIVELY PRESCRIBED IN CONJUNCTION WITH OTHER MEDICAL AND YOGIC PROCEDURES IN THE MANAGEMENT OF SEVERE PSYCHOSOMATIC DISEASES, INCLUDING CANCER, BRONCHIAL ASTHMA, COLITIS, PEPTIC AND ULCER. IT IMPROVES STRENGTH AND FLEXIBILITY, AND MAY HELP CONTROL PHYSIOLOGICAL VARIABLES SUCH AS BLOOD PRESSURE, LIPIDS, RESPIRATION, HEART RATE, AND METABOLIC RATE TO IMPROVE OVERALL EXERCISE CAPACITY. AIM OF THE STUDY: THE AIM OF THIS STUDY IS TO EVALUATE THE EFFECTS OF YOGIC PRACTICE ON ANXIETY/DEPRESSION ASSOCIATED WITH OBESITY. MATERIALS AND METHODS: PATIENTS WERE RECRUITED FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF PHYSIOLOGY, C.S.M. MEDICAL UNIVERSITY (ERSTWHILE KGMU), LUCKNOW, UTTAR PRADESH, INDIA. A TOTAL OF 272 SUBJECTS WERE DIVIDED INTO TWO GROUPS: 1) GROUP OF 205 SUBJECTS (WITH YOGIC PRACTICE) AND 2) A CONTROL GROUP OF 67 SUBJECTS (WITH AEROBIC EXERCISE). ASSESSMENT OF ANXIETY AND DEPRESSION WERE DONE BY HAMILTON RATING SCALE. RESULT: THIS STUDY SUPPORTS YOGA AS AN EFFECTIVE TOOL WITH NO DIET RESTRICTION TO IMPROVE ANXIETY AND DEPRESSION SYMPTOMS AS WELL AS OBESITY IN OBESE SUBJECTS CONCLUSION: INCORPORATING YOGIC ASANA IN THE TREATMENT PROTOCOL OF PATIENTS SUFFERING FROM ANXIETY AND DEPRESSION MAY PROVE BENEFICIAL IN THE LONG RUN. 2013 20 963 32 EFFECTS OF A YOGA PROGRAM ON MENSTRUAL CRAMPS AND MENSTRUAL DISTRESS IN UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS WITH PRIMARY DYSMENORRHEA: A SINGLE-BLIND, RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL. OBJECTIVES: TO INVESTIGATE THE EFFECTS OF A YOGA PROGRAM ON MENSTRUAL CRAMPS AND MENSTRUAL DISTRESS IN UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS WITH PRIMARY DYSMENORRHEA. DESIGN: SINGLE-BLIND, RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL. PARTICIPANTS: 40 RANDOMLY SELECTED UNDERGRADUATE NURSING STUDENTS, WITH 20 EACH ASSIGNED TO AN EXERCISE OR A CONTROL GROUP. INTERVENTION: THE PARTICIPANTS ENGAGED IN A YOGA PROGRAM FOR 60 MINUTES ONCE A WEEK FOR 12 WEEKS. THE PROGRAM CONSISTED OF PHYSICAL EXERCISE COMBINED WITH RELAXATION AND MEDITATION. OUTCOME MEASURES: MENSTRUAL CRAMPS AND MENSTRUAL DISTRESS LEVELS WERE MEASURED BY USING THE VISUAL ANALOGUE SCALE FOR PAIN AND THE MENSTRUAL DISTRESS QUESTIONNAIRE, RESPECTIVELY. DATA WERE ANALYZED BY USING THE KOLMOGOROV-SMIRNOV AND SHAPIRO-WILK NORMALITY TESTS, T-TEST, CHI-SQUARE TEST, LOGISTIC REGRESSION ANALYSIS, AND MULTIVARIATE ANALYSIS OF VARIANCE (SPSS PROGRAM). RESULTS: MENSTRUAL PAIN INTENSITY (GROUP DIFFERENCE, -0.94; 95% CONFIDENCE INTERVAL [CI], -1.47 TO -0.42; P = 0.001) AND MENSTRUAL DISTRESS (GROUP DIFFERENCE, -1.13; 95% CI, -1.43 TO -0.82; P < 0.0001) SCORES DECREASED SIGNIFICANTLY IN THE EXPERIMENTAL GROUP COMPARED WITH THE CONTROL GROUP. CONCLUSIONS: THESE FINDINGS INDICATE THAT YOGA INTERVENTIONS MAY REDUCE MENSTRUAL CRAMPS AND MENSTRUAL DISTRESS IN FEMALE UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS WITH PRIMARY DYSMENORRHEA. 2016