1 1984 161 SOFT TISSUE AND BONY INJURIES ATTRIBUTED TO THE PRACTICE OF YOGA: A BIOMECHANICAL ANALYSIS AND IMPLICATIONS FOR MANAGEMENT. OBJECTIVE: TO ANALYZE INJURIES THAT WERE DIRECTLY ASSOCIATED WITH YOGA PRACTICE AND IDENTIFY SPECIFIC POSES THAT SHOULD BE AVOIDED IN PATIENTS WITH OSTEOPENIA OR OSTEOPOROSIS. PATIENTS AND METHODS: WE RETROSPECTIVELY REVIEWED THE MEDICAL RECORDS OF PATIENTS WITH INJURIES THAT WERE PRIMARILY CAUSED BY YOGA. PATIENTS WERE SEEN FROM JANUARY 1, 2006, THROUGH DECEMBER 31, 2018. INJURIES WERE CATEGORIZED INTO 3 GROUPS: (1) SOFT TISSUE INJURY, (2) AXIAL NONBONY INJURY, AND (3) BONY INJURY. PATIENTS UNDERWENT EVALUATION AND WERE COUNSELED TO MODIFY EXERCISE ACTIVITY. RESULTS: WE IDENTIFIED 89 PATIENTS FOR INCLUSION IN THE STUDY. WITHIN THE SOFT TISSUE GROUP, 66 PATIENTS (74.2%) HAD MECHANICAL MYOFASCIAL PAIN DUE TO OVERUSE. ROTATOR CUFF INJURY WAS SEEN IN 6 (6.7%), AND TROCHANTERIC BURSOPATHY WAS OBSERVED IN 1 (1.1%). IN THE AXIAL GROUP, EXACERBATION OF PAIN IN DEGENERATIVE JOINT DISEASE (46 PATIENTS [51.7%]) AND FACET ARTHROPATHY (N=34 [38.2%]) WERE OBSERVED. RADICULOPATHY WAS SEEN IN 5 PATIENTS (5.6%). WITHIN THE BONY INJURY CATEGORY, KYPHOSCOLIOSIS WAS SEEN ON IMAGING IN 15 PATIENTS (16.9%). SPONDYLOLISTHESIS WAS PRESENT IN 15 PATIENTS (16.9%). ANTERIOR WEDGING WAS SEEN IN 16 (18.0%), AND COMPRESSION FRACTURES WERE PRESENT IN 13 (14.6%). THE POSES THAT WERE MOST COMMONLY IDENTIFIED AS CAUSING THE INJURIES INVOLVED HYPERFLEXION AND HYPEREXTENSION OF THE SPINE. WE CORRELATED THE KINESIOLOGIC EFFECT OF SUCH EXERCISES ON SPECIFIC MUSCULOSKELETAL STRUCTURES. CONCLUSION: YOGA POTENTIALLY HAS MANY BENEFITS, BUT CARE MUST BE TAKEN WHEN PERFORMING POSITIONS WITH EXTREME SPINAL FLEXION AND EXTENSION. PATIENTS WITH OSTEOPENIA OR OSTEOPOROSIS MAY HAVE HIGHER RISK OF COMPRESSION FRACTURES OR DEFORMITIES AND WOULD BENEFIT FROM AVOIDING EXTREME SPINAL FLEXION. PHYSICIANS SHOULD CONSIDER THIS RISK WHEN DISCUSSING YOGA AS EXERCISE. 2019 2 1922 26 ROLE OF YOGA AS AN ADJUNCT IN THE MANAGEMENT OF MIGRAINE HEADACHE-CURRENT STATUS AND FUTURE INDICATIONS. MIGRAINE HEADACHE IS A PAINFUL, DISABLING CONDITION AFFLICTING 7% OF THE POPULATION. THE LONG-TERM EFFORT OF COPING WITH A CHRONIC HEADACHE DISORDER PREDISPOSES THE INDIVIDUAL TO OTHER PSYCHIATRIC ILLNESSES, ISCHEMIC CEREBROVASCULAR DISEASE AS WELL AS MEDICINE OVERUSE HEADACHE. THE USE OF NONPHARMACOLOGICAL METHODS TO REDUCE THE STRESS AND PAIN ASSOCIATED WITH HEADACHE CAN IMPROVE THE OVERALL QUALITY OF LIFE AND REDUCE THE BURDEN OF THE DISEASE. TO EXAMINE THE UTILITY OF YOGA AS AN ADJUNCT TO PHARMACOLOGICAL TREATMENT OF MIGRAINE HEADACHE. THE REVIEW ARTICLE IS BASED ON THE SECONDARY LITERATURE COLLECTED THROUGH THE GOOGLE SCHOLAR DATABASE BETWEEN THE YEARS 2010 AND 2020. SEVERAL THEMES WERE IDENTIFIED REGARDING THE BURDEN OF MIGRAINE/HEADACHE AND THE NEED FOR THE INTEGRATION OF YOGA INTO THE EXISTING HEALTHCARE SYSTEM. DESPITE THE LIMITATIONS AND THE NEED FOR GREATER SCIENTIFIC RIGOR, THERE HAVE BEEN CONSISTENT REPORTS OF THE BENEFICIAL EFFECTS OF YOGA IN THE REDUCTION OF STRESS, ANXIETY, DEPRESSION, AND AN ENHANCED QUALITY OF LIFE, AS WELL AS BETTER PAIN MANAGEMENT IN CHRONIC DISEASES. STUDIES ON THE ROLE OF YOGA IN THE TREATMENT OF MIGRAINE HAVE BEEN FEW IN NUMBER. THEY HAVE CONSISTENTLY SHOWN THAT YOGA CAN BE A VALUABLE ADJUNCT TO THE EXISTING PHARMACOLOGICAL INTERVENTIONS IN THE MANAGEMENT OF MIGRAINE HEADACHE. IN RECENT YEARS, THE INDIAN GOVERNMENT HAS MADE ENORMOUS STRIDES IN ESTABLISHING YOGA OUTREACH PROGRAMS THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY. THE NEED OF THE HOUR IS TO INTEGRATE EVIDENCE-BASED YOGA WITH THE WELLNESS CENTERS AND NONCOMMUNICABLE DISEASES TREATMENT PLAN. IT CAN HELP TO REDUCE THE BURDEN ON THE EXISTING HEALTH CARE RESOURCES. 2022 3 1347 34 HYPOXIA IN CNS PATHOLOGIES: EMERGING ROLE OF MIRNA-BASED NEUROTHERAPEUTICS AND YOGA BASED ALTERNATIVE THERAPIES. CELLULAR RESPIRATION IS A VITAL PROCESS FOR THE EXISTENCE OF LIFE. ANY CONDITION THAT RESULTS IN DEPRIVATION OF OXYGEN (ALSO TERMED AS HYPOXIA) MAY EVENTUALLY LEAD TO DELETERIOUS EFFECTS ON THE FUNCTIONING OF TISSUES. BRAIN BEING THE HIGHEST CONSUMER OF OXYGEN IS PRONE TO INCREASED RISK OF HYPOXIA-INDUCED NEUROLOGICAL INSULTS. THIS IN TURN HAS BEEN ASSOCIATED WITH MANY DISEASES OF CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM (CNS) SUCH AS STROKE, ALZHEIMER'S, ENCEPHALOPATHY ETC. ALTHOUGH SEVERAL STUDIES HAVE INVESTIGATED THE PATHOPHYSIOLOGICAL MECHANISMS UNDERLYING ISCHEMIC/HYPOXIC CNS DISEASES, THE KNOWLEDGE ABOUT PROTECTIVE THERAPEUTIC STRATEGIES TO AMELIORATE THE AFFECTED NEURONAL CELLS IS MEAGER. THIS HAS AUGMENTED THE NEED TO IMPROVE OUR UNDERSTANDING OF THE HYPOXIC AND ISCHEMIC EVENTS OCCURRING IN THE BRAIN AND IDENTIFY NOVEL AND ALTERNATE TREATMENT MODALITIES FOR SUCH INSULTS. MICRORNA (MIRNAS), SMALL NON-CODING RNA MOLECULES, HAVE RECENTLY EMERGED AS POTENTIAL NEUROPROTECTIVE AGENTS AS WELL AS TARGETS, UNDER HYPOXIC CONDITIONS. THESE 18-22 NUCLEOTIDE LONG RNA MOLECULES ARE PROFUSELY PRESENT IN BRAIN AND OTHER ORGANS AND FUNCTION AS GENE REGULATORS BY CLEAVING AND SILENCING THE GENE EXPRESSION. IN BRAIN, THESE ARE KNOWN TO BE INVOLVED IN NEURONAL DIFFERENTIATION AND PLASTICITY. THEREFORE, TARGETING MIRNA EXPRESSION REPRESENTS A NOVEL THERAPEUTIC APPROACH TO INTERCEDE AGAINST HYPOXIC AND ISCHEMIC BRAIN INJURY. IN THE FIRST PART OF THIS REVIEW, WE WILL DISCUSS THE NEUROPHYSIOLOGICAL CHANGES CAUSED AS A RESULT OF HYPOXIA, FOLLOWED BY THE CONTRIBUTION OF HYPOXIA IN THE NEURODEGENERATIVE DISEASES. SECONDLY, WE WILL PROVIDE RECENT UPDATES AND INSIGHTS INTO THE ROLES OF MIRNA IN THE REGULATION OF GENES IN OXYGEN AND GLUCOSE DEPRIVED BRAIN IN ASSOCIATION WITH CIRCADIAN RHYTHMS AND HOW THESE CAN BE TARGETED AS NEUROPROTECTIVE AGENTS FOR CNS INJURIES. FINALLY, WE WILL EMPHASIZE ON ALTERNATE BREATHING OR YOGIC INTERVENTIONS TO OVERCOME THE HYPOXIA ASSOCIATED ANOMALIES THAT COULD ULTIMATELY LEAD TO IMPROVEMENT IN CEREBRAL PERFUSION. 2017 4 1911 20 ROLE OF AYURVEDA AND YOGA-BASED LIFESTYLE IN THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC - A NARRATIVE REVIEW. THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC HAS POSED AN IMMENSE CHALLENGE TO HEALTH CARE SYSTEMS AROUND THE GLOBE IN TERMS OF LIMITED HEALTH CARE FACILITIES AND PROVEN MEDICAL THERAPEUTICS TO ADDRESS THE SYMPTOMS OF THE INFECTION. THE CURRENT HEALTH CARE STRATEGIES ARE PRIMARILY FOCUSED ON EITHER THE PATHOGEN OR THE ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS. HOWEVER, EFFORTS TOWARDS STRENGTHENING THE HOST IMMUNITY ARE IMPORTANT FROM PUBLIC HEALTH PERSPECTIVE TO PREVENT THE SPREAD OF INFECTION AND DOWNREGULATE THE POTENCY OF THE INFECTIOUS AGENT. WHILE A VACCINE CAN INDUCE SPECIFIC IMMUNITY IN THE HOST, NON-SPECIFIC WAYS OF IMPROVING OVERALL HOST IMMUNITY ARE NEEDED AS WELL. THIS SCENARIO HAS PAVED THE WAY FOR THE USE OF TRADITIONAL INDIAN THERAPIES SUCH AS AYURVEDA AND YOGA. THIS REVIEW AIMS AT COLLATING AVAILABLE EVIDENCE ON AYURVEDA, YOGA, AND COVID-19. FURTHER, IT DRAWS INFERENCES FROM RECENT STUDIES ON YOGA AND AYURVEDA ON IMMUNITY, RESPIRATORY HEALTH, AND MENTAL HEALTH RESPECTIVELY TO APPROXIMATE ITS PROBABLE ROLE IN PROPHYLAXIS AND AS AN ADD-ON MANAGEMENT OPTION FOR THE CURRENT PANDEMIC. 2022 5 1991 28 SPINE FUSIONS, YOGA INSTRUCTORS, AND HIP FRACTURES: THE ROLE OF DUAL MOBILITY IN PRIMARY TOTAL HIP ARTHROPLASTY. BACKGROUND: DESPITE THE INCREASED USE OF DUAL MOBILITY (DM) IN PRIMARY TOTAL HIP ARTHROPLASTY (THA), DEBATE EXISTS REGARDING THE INDICATIONS FOR ITS USE. NO SPECIFIC ALGORITHM EXISTS TO GUIDE THIS DECISION-MAKING PROCESS. THEREFORE, THE PURPOSE OF THIS ARTICLE IS TO SUMMARIZE THE CURRENTLY AVAILABLE LITERATURE REGARDING THE USE OF DM IN PRIMARY THA AND PROVIDE EVIDENCE-BASED GUIDELINES BASED ON SPECIFIC PATIENT POPULATIONS AND RISK FACTORS FOR INSTABILITY. METHODS: WE REVIEWED THE CURRENT LITERATURE FOR STUDIES EVALUATING RISK FACTORS FOR DISLOCATION IN PRIMARY THA, AS WELL AS THE CLINICAL USE AND RESULTS OF DM IN PRIMARY THA. BASED ON THE STRENGTH OF THE LITERATURE, WE DISCUSS THE USE OF DM IN SPECIFIC PATIENT POPULATIONS. WE PROVIDE A DECISION-MAKING ALGORITHM TO DETERMINE WHETHER A PATIENT MAY BE INDICATED FOR DM IN PRIMARY THA. RESULTS: SURGEONS SHOULD CONSIDER PREOPERATIVE PATIENT DEMOGRAPHICS, RISK FACTORS FOR INSTABILITY (EG, SIGNIFICANT HIP-SPINE ISSUES), TYPE OF PROCEDURE TO BE PERFORMED (EG, CONVERSION ARTHROPLASTY), AND INDICATIONS FOR SURGERY (EG, THA FOR FEMORAL NECK FRACTURE). BASED ON THIS ALGORITHMIC ASSESSMENT, DM MAY BE WARRANTED IN THE PRIMARY THA SETTING IF A PATIENT'S COMBINED RISK REACHES AN ESTABLISHED THRESHOLD BASED ON THE LITERATURE. CONCLUSION: THIS EVIDENCE-BASED ALGORITHM MAY HELP GUIDE CURRENT PRACTICE IN THE USE OF DM IN PRIMARY THA. WE ADVOCATE THE CONTINUED JUDICIOUS USE OF DM IN HIP ARTHROPLASTY. LONGER TERM STUDIES ARE NEEDED IN ORDER TO EVALUATE THE DURABILITY OF DM, AS WELL AS ANY COMPLICATIONS RELATED TO THE DM ARTICULATION. 2021 6 2013 24 SUDARSHAN KRIYA YOGA: A BREATH OF HOPE DURING COVID-19 PANDEMIC. IMPORTANT COUNTER MEASURES TO COMBAT AN INFECTIOUS DISEASE PANDEMIC INCLUDE VACCINATION, ANTIVIRAL THERAPY, AND IMMUNOMODULATION THERAPY. VACCINATIONS ARE DISEASE SPECIFIC AND MOREOVER STRAIN SPECIFIC, SO THE PROTECTION PROVIDED IS ALSO SPECIFIC AND LIMITED. ANTIVIRAL THERAPIES ARE COSTLY AND REQUIRE BULK PRODUCTION OF DRUGS, HENCE GLOBALLY THERE IS AN INCREASED INTEREST TOWARD LOW-RISK, COST-EFFECTIVE COMPLEMENTARY ALTERNATIVE THERAPIES, SUCH AS YOGA AND AYURVEDA TO TACKLE THE INFECTIOUS PANDEMIC, CORONAVIRUS DISEASE 2019 (COVID-19). THERE IS CLINICAL EVIDENCE AVAILABLE ON THE POTENTIAL COMPLEMENTARY ROLE OF YOGIC PRACTICES IN THE MANAGEMENT OF NONCOMMUNICABLE AND COMMUNICABLE DISEASES. VARIOUS ONLINE DATABASES WERE SEARCHED FOR ARTICLES PUBLISHED BETWEEN 2000 AND 2020. DATABASES EXPLORED WERE MEDLINE, EMBASE, INDIAN CITATION INDEX, PSYCINFO, INDEX MEDICUS FOR SOUTH-EAST ASIA REGION, AND GOOGLE SCHOLAR. ALL SEARCH RESULTS WERE SCREENED, AND ARTICLES RELATED TO KEYWORDS SUCH AS COVID-19, YOGA THERAPY, AND SUDARSHAN KRIYA YOGA (SKY) WERE SELECTED FOR DATA EXTRACTION. QUALITY OF THE STUDIES INCLUDED WAS EVALUATED ON THE BASIS OF THE CONSTRUCT VALIDITY, CONTENT VALIDITY, RELEVANCE, BIAS, CREDIBILITY RELATING TO INFORMATION, AND DATA SOURCES. SKY IS A UNIQUE YOGIC PRACTICE THAT INCLUDES SPECIFIC SEQUENTIAL BREATHING TECHNIQUES. IT BALANCES THE AUTONOMIC NERVOUS SYSTEM AND THUS CAN ALLEVIATE ANXIETY, ROUTINE STRESS, DEPRESSION, STRESS-RELATED MEDICAL DISORDERS, AND POSTTRAUMATIC STRESS. IT POTENTIATES NATURAL HOST IMMUNE DEFENSES THAT ARE ESSENTIAL TO TACKLE A PLETHORA OF MICROBIAL INFECTIONS. THIS NARRATIVE REVIEW ARTICLE PROVIDES AN OVERVIEW OF POTENTIAL THERAPEUTIC BENEFITS THAT SKY CAN OFFER TO THE POPULATION AT LARGE DURING THIS COVID-19 PANDEMIC. 2021 7 61 40 A COMPREHENSIVE REVIEW OF YOGA RESEARCH IN 2020. OBJECTIVES: ACCUMULATED EVIDENCE GARNERED IN THE LAST FEW DECADES HAS HIGHLIGHTED THE ROLE OF YOGA IN HEALTH AND DISEASE. THE OVERWHELMING MORTALITY AND MORBIDITY MEDIATED BY NONCOMMUNICABLE EPIDEMICS SUCH AS HEART DISEASE AND CANCER HAVE FOSTERED A SEARCH FOR MECHANISMS TO ATTENUATE THEM. DESPITE OVERWHELMING SUCCESS IN ACUTE CARE, THE EFFICACY OF MODERN MEDICINES HAS BEEN LIMITED ON THIS FRONT. YOGA IS ONE OF THE INTEGRATIVE THERAPIES THAT HAS COME TO LIGHT AS HAVING A SUBSTANTIAL ROLE IN PREVENTING AND MITIGATING SUCH DISORDERS. IT THUS SEEMS TRITE TO ANALYZE AND DISCUSS THE RESEARCH ADVANCEMENTS IN YOGA FOR 2020. THE PRESENT REVIEW ATTEMPTS TO DISTILL RECENT RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS FROM VOLUMINOUS LITERATURE GENERATED IN 2020. METHODS: THIS REVIEW WAS CONDUCTED ON THE ARTICLES PUBLISHED OR ASSIGNED TO AN ISSUE IN 2020. THE AUTHORS SEARCHED THE PUBMED DATABASE FOR CLINICAL STUDIES PUBLISHED IN THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE, USING YOGA (INCLUDING MEDITATION) AS THE INTERVENTION, AND HAVING AN ADEQUATE DESCRIPTION OF THE INTERVENTION. THEN, THEY EXTRACTED DATA FROM EACH STUDY INTO A STANDARDIZED GOOGLE SHEET. RESULTS: A TOTAL OF 1149 CITATIONS WERE RETRIEVED IN THE INITIAL SEARCH. OF THESE, 46 STUDIES MET ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA AND WERE FINALLY INCLUDED. THE STUDIES WERE PREDOMINANTLY ON MENTAL HEALTH AND NEUROPSYCHOLOGY, ADDRESSING VARIOUS ISSUES SUCH AS ANXIETY, POSTURAL BALANCE, MIGRAINE, ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE, AND CHILDHOOD NEGLECT. ANXIETY, STRESS, AND DEPRESSION WERE OTHER COMMON DENOMINATORS. EIGHT STUDIES WERE ON CARDIORESPIRATORY SYSTEMS, INCLUDING EXERCISE CAPACITY, CARDIAC REHABILITATION, MYOCARDIAL INFARCTION, AND HYPERTENSION. THREE STUDIES WERE ON DIABETES, EVALUATING THE EFFECT OF YOGA. FIVE STUDIES FOCUSED ON COGNITION, HEALTH STATUS, AND AUTONOMIC REGULATION AND FEW OTHERS INCLUDED CANCERS, INFERTILITY, ULCERATIVE COLITIS, URINARY INCONTINENCE, RESTLESS LEG SYNDROME, RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS, CHRONIC PAIN, AND METABOLIC SYNDROME. FINALLY, MOST STUDIES WERE ON NONCOMMUNICABLE DISEASES WITH ONE EXCEPTION, HUMAN IMMUNODEFICIENCY VIRUS; TWO RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIALS WERE DEDICATED TO IT. CONCLUSIONS: YOGA HAS BEEN STUDIED UNDER A WIDE VARIETY OF CLINICOPATHOLOGICAL CONDITIONS IN THE YEAR 2020. THIS LANDSCAPE REVIEW INTENDS TO PROVIDE AN IDEA OF THE ROLE OF YOGA IN VARIOUS CLINICAL CONDITIONS AND ITS FUTURE THERAPEUTIC IMPLICATIONS. 2022 8 443 37 CERVICAL ARTERIAL DISSECTION AND TRAUMATIC MYELOPATHY FOLLOWING YOGA: SURGICAL CASE REPORT. INTRODUCTION: CERVICAL SPONDYLOSIS CAN PREDISPOSE PATIENTS TO CENTRAL CANAL STENOSIS. IN THIS SETTING, MYELOPATHY THROUGH FURTHER FLATTENING OF THE CORD FROM EXTRINSIC COMPRESSION CAN BE PRECIPITATED BY RELATIVELY MINOR TRAUMAS. ARTERIAL DISSECTION IS SIMILARLY CONSIDERED A RESULT OF HIGH VELOCITY OR MOMENTUM DURING TRAUMA, COMMONLY ASSOCIATED WITH FRACTURES, CERVICAL HYPERFLEXION, OR DIRECT BLUNT FORCE TO THE NECK. OVERALL, PRECAUTIONS FOR BOTH ARTERIAL DISSECTION AND MYELOPATHY ARE RARELY CONSIDERED IN LOW-VELOCITY, STATIC ACTIVITIES SUCH AS YOGA. CASE PRESENTATION: THE AUTHORS REPORT THE CASE OF A 63-YEAR-OLD MAN WHO SUFFERED CONCURRENT CERVICAL MYELOPATHY FROM MULTILEVEL SPONDYLOPATHY, RIGHT VERTEBRAL ARTERY DISSECTION, AND LEFT CERVICAL CAROTID ARTERY DISSECTION FOLLOWING A YOGA SESSION. SYMPTOMATOLOGY CONSISTED OF ACUTE ONSET NECK PAIN, UPPER EXTREMITY SENSORY PARESTHESIA, WORSENING GAIT AND BALANCE, AND IMPAIRED DEXTERITY FOR SEVERAL WEEKS. CERVICAL MRI WAS OBTAINED GIVEN MYELOPATHIC SYMPTOMS AND REVEALED SPONDYLOSIS WITH COMPRESSION AND T2 SIGNAL CHANGE AT C3-C4. CT ANGIOGRAPHY OF THE NECK REVEALED AFOREMENTIONED DISSECTIONS WITHOUT FLOW LIMITING STENOSIS OR OCCLUSION. A THERAPEUTIC HEPARIN INFUSION WAS STARTED PREOPERATIVELY UNTIL THE PATIENT UNDERWENT C3-C4 ANTERIOR CERVICAL DISCECTOMY AND FUSION. ASPIRIN AND PLAVIX WERE THEN STARTED WITHOUT INCIDENCE AND THE PATIENT HAD SIGNIFICANT BUT GRADUAL IMPROVEMENT IN MYELOPATHIC SYMPTOMS AT 6-WEEK FOLLOW-UP. DISCUSSION: THE STATIC YET INTENSIVE POSES ASSOCIATED WITH YOGA PRESENT A RARE ETIOLOGY FOR ARTERIAL DISSECTION AND MYELOPATHY, BUT PATIENTS WITH PERSISTENT AND PROGRESSIVE SYMPTOMS SHOULD BE SCREENED WITH THE APPROPRIATE IMAGING MODALITY. CERVICAL DECOMPRESSION SHOULD BE EXPEDITED BEFORE INITIATING AN ANTIPLATELET MEDICATION. 2022 9 100 28 A PERSPECTIVE ON YOGA AS A PREVENTIVE STRATEGY FOR CORONAVIRUS DISEASE 2019. THE PANDEMIC OUTBREAK OF CORONAVIRUS DISEASE 2019 (COVID-19) INFECTION CAUSED BY SEVERE ACUTE RESPIRATORY SYNDROME-CORONAVIRUS 2 HAS LED TO PROFOUND PUBLIC HEALTH CRISIS. IN PARTICULAR, INDIVIDUALS WITH PREEXISTING CONDITIONS OF HEART DISEASE, DIABETES, CEREBROVASCULAR DISEASES AND THE ELDERLY ARE MOST VULNERABLE TO SUCCUMB TO THIS INFECTION. THE CURRENT COVID-19 EMERGENCY CALLS FOR RAPID DEVELOPMENT OF POTENTIAL PREVENTION AND MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES AGAINST THIS VIRUS-MEDIATED DISEASE. THERE IS A PLETHORA OF EVIDENCE THAT SUPPORTS THE ADD-ON BENEFITS OF YOGA IN STRESS MANAGEMENT, AS WELL AS PREVENTION AND MANAGEMENT OF CHRONIC NONCOMMUNICABLE DISEASES. THERE ARE SOME STUDIES ON THE EFFECT OF YOGA IN COMMUNICABLE DISEASES AS WELL BUT VERY FEW FOR ACUTE CONDITIONS AND ALMOST NONE FOR THE RAPIDLY SPREADING INFECTIONS RESULTING IN PANDEMICS. BASED ON THE AVAILABLE SCIENTIFIC EVIDENCES ON YOGA IN IMPROVING RESPIRATORY AND IMMUNE FUNCTIONS, WE HAVE FORMULATED VERY SIMPLE DOABLE INTEGRATED YOGA MODULES IN THE FORM OF VIDEOS TO BE PRACTICED FOR PREVENTION OF THE DISEASE BY CHILDREN, ADULTS, AND THE ELDERLY. 2020 10 2412 27 YOGA AND ITS IMPACT ON CHRONIC INFLAMMATORY AUTOIMMUNE ARTHRITIS. RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS (RA) IS ONE OF THE MOST COMMON CHRONIC INFLAMMATORY AUTOIMMUNE DISEASES, WHICH ADVERSELY AFFECTS THE QUALITY OF LIFE. RA IS A DISEASE OF UNKNOWN ETIOLOGY, HOWEVER, BOTH GENETIC AND ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS APPEAR TO CONTRIBUTE TO THE SUSCEPTIBILITY TO THIS DISEASE. THE SEVERITY AND PROGRESSION OF THE DISEASE ARE ATTRIBUTABLE TO THE RELEASE OF A HOST OF INFLAMMATORY CYTOKINES, CYTOTOXIC AND IMMUNE REGULATORY FACTORS. THE TREATMENTS OF RA ARE PRIMARILY LIMITED TO SYMPTOMATIC ALLEVIATION OF PAIN OR OTHER SYMPTOMS OR TO THE USE OF CYTOTOXIC DRUG TREATMENT IN SEVERE FORMS OF THE DISEASE WHICH IS COMMONLY ASSOCIATED WITH SIGNIFICANT SIDE EFFECTS. DESPITE LACK OF A CURE, THE DISEASE MAY BE CONTROLLED BY MIND-BODY INTERVENTIONS. HOLISTIC TREATMENTS SUCH AS YOGA SIGNIFICANTLY IMPROVE AND REDUCE THE PSYCHO-SOMATIC SYMPTOMS, PAIN PERCEPTION, DISABILITY QUOTIENT, JOINT FLEXIBILITY, RANGE OF MOTION, POSTURE, MUSCLE STRENGTH, COORDINATION, AND DISEASE ACTIVITY. HERE, WE DISCUSS THE FEATURES OF RA AND ADDRESS HOW YOGA CAN BE USED AS A THERAPEUTIC REGIMEN TO IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF LIFE OF PATIENTS WITH RA. 2021 11 1918 20 ROLE OF YOGA AND MEDITATION AS COMPLIMENTARY THERAPEUTIC REGIME FOR STRESS-RELATED NEUROPSYCHIATRIC DISORDERS: UTILIZATION OF BRAIN WAVES ACTIVITY AS NOVEL TOOL. DURING RECENT DECADES, STRESS-RELATED NEUROPSYCHIATRIC DISORDERS SUCH AS ANXIETY, DEPRESSION, CHRONIC TENSION HEADACHE, AND MIGRAINE HAVE ESTABLISHED THEIR STRONGHOLD IN THE LIVES OF A VAST NUMBER OF PEOPLE WORLDWIDE. IN ORDER TO ADDRESS THIS GLOBAL PHENOMENON, INTENSIVE STUDIES HAVE BEEN CARRIED OUT LEADING TO THE ADVANCEMENT OF DRUGS LIKE ANTI-DEPRESSANTS, ANXIOLYTICS, AND ANALGESICS WHICH ALTHOUGH HELP IN COMBATING THE SYMPTOMS OF SUCH DISORDERS BUT ALSO CREATE LONG-TERM SIDE EFFECTS. THUS, AS AN ALTERNATIVE TO SUCH CLINICAL PRACTICES, VARIOUS COMPLEMENTARY THERAPIES SUCH AS YOGA AND MEDITATION HAVE BEEN PROVED TO BE EFFECTIVE IN ALLEVIATING THE CAUSES AND SYMPTOMS OF DIFFERENT NEUROPSYCHIATRIC DISORDERS. THE ROLE OF ALTERED BRAIN WAVES IN THIS CONTEXT HAS BEEN RECOGNIZED AND NEEDS TO BE PURSUED AT THE HIGHEST LEVEL. THUS, THE CURRENT STUDY PROVIDES A REVIEW FOCUSED ON DESCRIBING THE EFFECTS OF YOGA AND MEDITATION ON ANXIETY AND DEPRESSION AS WELL AS EXPLORING BRAIN WAVES AS A TOOL FOR ASSESSING THE POTENTIAL OF THESE COMPLEMENTARY THERAPIES FOR SUCH DISORDERS. 2020 12 2853 46 YOGA, VERTEBRAL FRACTURES, AND OSTEOPOROSIS: RESEARCH AND RECOMMENDATIONS. BACKGROUND: OSTEOPOROSIS IS CHARACTERIZED BY DECREASED BONE DENSITY THAT LEAVES BONES FRAGILE AND HIGHLY SUSCEPTIBLE TO FRACTURE. GLOBALLY, 1 IN 3 WOMEN AND 1 IN 5 MEN OLDER THAN 50 WILL SUFFER FROM AN OSTEOPOROTIC FRACTURE, AND THOSE INDIVIDUALS WILL EXPERIENCE A CONSIDERABLY HIGHER RISK OF POSTFRACTURE MORTALITY THAN WILL THE GENERAL POPULATION. GENTLE, WEIGHT-BEARING EXERCISES SUCH AS YOGA CAN HELP PREVENT OR CEASE THE PROGRESSION OF OSTEOPOROSIS; HOWEVER, THERE IS INSUFFICIENT DATA REGARDING WHICH YOGA POSES PRESENT THE LEAST RISK AND ARE MOST BENEFICIAL TO INDIVIDUALS WITH REDUCED BONE DENSITY. OBJECTIVES: REVIEW THE EXTANT LITERATURE ABOUT THE RISKS AND BENEFITS TO THE SPINE OF PARTICULAR FORMS OF MOVEMENT AND CONSIDER RECOMMENDATIONS RELATIVE TO THE PRACTICE OF YOGA. METHODS: A REVIEW OF THE PUBMED, MEDLINE, AND COCHRANE DATABASES WAS CONDUCTED THAT IDENTIFIED MANUSCRIPTS PUBLISHED BETWEEN 1966 AND 2011 ABOUT TOPICS RELATED TO OSTEOPOROSIS AND SPINAL MOVEMENT. CONCLUSIONS: MOVEMENTS INVOLVING SPINAL FLEXION CAN INCREASE RISK FOR VERTEBRAL COMPRESSION FRACTURES; HOWEVER, A COMBINATION OF MILD SPINAL FLEXION AND EXTENSION MAY PROVE BENEFICIAL. MODERATE, WEIGHT-BEARING ACTIVITIES THAT STRENGTHEN THE MUSCLES SUPPORTING THE SPINAL COLUMN, PROMOTE BALANCE, IMPROVE POSTURE, AND ENHANCE QUALITY OF LIFE APPEAR TO BE OF GREATEST BENEFIT. AMPLE EVIDENCE SUPPORTS THE IMPORTANCE OF VARIED SPINAL MOVEMENT FOR PRESERVING THE HEALTH AND STRENGTH OF THE VERTEBRAL BODIES. EXERCISE MODIFICATIONS SUITABLE FOR HIGH-RISK INDIVIDUALS MAY BE COUNTERPRODUCTIVE FOR THOSE AT LOW RISK FOR VERTEBRAL FRACTURES. YOGA THERAPISTS ARE CAUTIONED TO NOT APPLY A ONE-SIZE-FITS-ALL APPROACH WHEN WORKING WITH THIS POPULATION. WELL-DESIGNED EMPIRICAL STUDIES ARE NEEDED TO FURTHER OUR UNDERSTANDING OF WHICH YOGA POSES PRESENT THE LEAST RISK AND ARE OF GREATEST BENEFIT TO INDIVIDUALS WITH OSTEOPOROSIS. 2013 13 1655 25 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 14 1927 29 ROLE OF YOGA IN CARDIAC DISEASE AND REHABILITATION. PURPOSE: CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE CONTINUES TO BE THE LEADING CAUSE OF MORBIDITY AND MORTALITY AROUND THE WORLD. YOGA, A COMBINATION OF PHYSICAL POSTURES (ASANA), BREATHING EXERCISES (PRANAYAMA), AND MEDITATION (DHYANA), HAS GAINED INCREASING RECOGNITION AS A FORM OF MIND-BODY EXERCISE. IN THIS NARRATIVE REVIEW, WE INTENDED TO REVIEW THE EMERGING EVIDENCE ASSESSING THE PHYSIOLOGIC AND CLINICAL EFFECTS OF YOGA ON THE CARDIOVASCULAR SYSTEM AND THE POTENTIAL ROLE OF YOGA AS A COMPONENT OF COMPREHENSIVE CARDIAC REHABILITATION. METHODS: WE SEARCHED PUBMED, GOOGLE SCHOLAR, EMBASE, AND COCHRANE DATABASES FOR LITERATURE RELATED TO CARDIOVASCULAR EFFECTS OF YOGA FROM INCEPTION UP UNTIL 2017. RESULTS: YOGA HAS BEEN SHOWN TO HAVE FAVORABLE EFFECTS ON SYSTEMIC INFLAMMATION, STRESS, THE CARDIAC AUTONOMIC NERVOUS SYSTEM, AND TRADITIONAL AND EMERGING CARDIOVASCULAR RISK FACTORS. CONCLUSIONS: YOGA HAS SHOWN PROMISE AS A USEFUL LIFESTYLE INTERVENTION THAT CAN BE INCORPORATED INTO CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE MANAGEMENT ALGORITHMS. ALTHOUGH MANY INVESTIGATORS HAVE REPORTED THE CLINICAL BENEFITS OF YOGA IN REDUCING CARDIOVASCULAR EVENTS, MORBIDITY, AND MORTALITY, EVIDENCE SUPPORTING THESE CONCLUSIONS IS SOMEWHAT LIMITED, THEREBY EMPHASIZING THE NEED FOR LARGE, WELL-DESIGNED RANDOMIZED TRIALS THAT MINIMIZE BIAS AND METHODOLOGICAL DRAWBACKS. 2019 15 1698 33 PAIN-RELATED ENCEPHALIC REGIONS INFLUENCED BY YOGA MEDITATION: AN INTEGRATIVE REVIEW. INTRODUCTION: THE MECHANISMS UNDERLYING THE USE OF YOGA IN PAIN RELIEF ARE STILL UNCLEAR. THIS STUDY REVIEWED LITERATURE REPORTS ON ENCEPHALIC ACTIVITY RELATED TO ANALGESIA INDUCED BY YOGA MEDITATION PRACTICE. METHODS: THIS INTEGRATIVE REVIEW EXAMINED STUDIES PUBLISHED IN THE PUBMED, LILACS AND MEDLINE DATABASES WITHOUT RESTRICTION OF THE YEAR OF PUBLICATION. THE RESEARCH INVOLVED 16 DESCRIPTORS RELATED TO THE WORDS: YOGA, PAIN AND NEUROIMAGING METHODS. INCLUSION CRITERIA INVOLVED ONLY THE PUBLICATIONS AVAILABLE ONLINE, WITH FREE ACCESS AND WRITTEN IN ENGLISH. RESULTS: 2 CASE STUDIES AND 1 PILOT STUDY MET THE CRITERIA. YOGA MEDITATION PRACTICE INDUCES ANALGESIA PRIMARILY THROUGH ATTENUATION OF THE MEDIAL PAIN PERCEPTION SYSTEM INCLUDING THE ANTERIOR CINGULATE CORTEX AND INSULA REGIONS, AS WELL AS THE LATERAL SYSTEM INCLUDING THE SECONDARY SENSORY CORTEX AND THALAMUS. CONCLUSION: YOGA INDUCED ANALGESIA IS A POTENTIALLY IMPORTANT ADJUNCT TO CURRENT PAIN MANAGEMENT. THIS INTEGRATIVE REVIEW REVEALED THAT THERE IS A NEED FOR FURTHER RESEARCH THAT ANALYZES THE ENCEPHALIC REGIONS RELATED TO ANALGESIA INDUCED BY YOGA PRACTICE. 2018 16 2445 18 YOGA AND SUBSTANCE USE DISORDERS: A NARRATIVE REVIEW. YOGA HAS BEEN UTILIZED FOR PROMOTION OF HEALTH AND ALLEVIATING DISTRESS. IT HAS ALSO BEEN USED AS A THERAPEUTIC MEASURE IN THE FIELD OF MENTAL HEALTH, INCLUDING SUBSTANCE USE DISORDERS. THIS NARRATIVE REVIEW DISCUSSES THE LITERATURE PERTAINING TO USE OF YOGA IN THE TREATMENT OF SUBSTANCE USE DISORDERS. THE EVIDENCE BASE ESPECIALLY WITH REGARDS TO RANDOMIZED TRIALS IS PRESENTED. THE POSSIBLE MECHANISMS HOW YOGA MIGHT BE HELPFUL IN THE TREATMENT OF SUBSTANCE USE DISORDERS ARE EXPLORED. SUBSEQUENTLY, IMPLICATIONS OF YOGA IN CLINICAL PRACTICE ARE ELABORATED, FOLLOWED BY EXAMINATION OF THE ISSUES IN INTERPRETATION OF THE LITERATURE OF PUBLISHED YOGA RELATED STUDIES. 2017 17 2035 22 TELE-YOGA FOR CHRONIC PAIN: CURRENT STATUS AND FUTURE DIRECTIONS. PAIN IS A PERVASIVE, DEBILITATING DISORDER THAT IS RESISTANT TO LONG-TERM PHARMACOLOGICAL INTERVENTIONS. ALTHOUGH PSYCHOLOGICAL THERAPIES SUCH AS COGNITIVE BEHAVIOR THERAPY DEMONSTRATE MODERATE EFFICACY, MANY INDIVIDUALS CONTINUE TO HAVE ONGOING DIFFICULTIES FOLLOWING TREATMENT. THERE IS A CURRENT TREND TO ESTABLISH COMPLEMENTARY AND INTEGRATIVE HEALTH INTERVENTIONS FOR CHRONIC PAIN, FOR WHICH YOGA HAS BEEN FOUND TO HAVE EXCITING POTENTIAL. NEVERTHELESS, AN IMPORTANT CONSIDERATION WITHIN THE FIELD IS ACCESSIBILITY TO ADEQUATE CARE. TELEHEALTH CAN BE USED TO PROVIDE REAL-TIME INTERACTIVE VIDEO CONFERENCING LEADING TO INCREASED ACCESS TO HEALTH CARE FOR INDIVIDUALS LOCATED REMOTELY OR WHO OTHERWISE HAVE DIFFICULTY ACCESSING SERVICES, PERHAPS THROUGH ISSUES OF MOBILITY OR PROXIMITY OF ADEQUATE SERVICES. THIS ARTICLE ASSESSES THE CURRENT STATUS AND FEASIBILITY OF IMPLEMENTING TELE-YOGA FOR CHRONIC PAIN. METHODOLOGICAL LIMITATIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS FOR FUTURE RESEARCH ARE DISCUSSED. 2018 18 1687 15 OSTEOPATHY AND (HATHA) YOGA. DIFFERENCES AND POINTS OF CONTACT BETWEEN OSTEOPATHY AND YOGA AS REGARDS THEIR HISTORY AND PRACTICAL APPLICATION ARE OUTLINED. BOTH SEEK TO PROMOTE HEALING. YOGA SEEKS THE ATTAINMENT OF CONSCIOUSNESS; OSTEOPATHY AIMS FOR PROVIDING SUPPORT TO HEALTH. ONE FUNDAMENTAL DIFFERENCE IS THE PERSONAL INVOLVEMENT OF THE INDIVIDUAL IN YOGA. TEACHER AND STUDENT ALIKE ARE CHALLENGED TO RE-EXAMINE THE ATTITUDES OF MIND THEY HAVE ADOPTED TOWARD THEIR LIVES. OSTEOPATHY GENERALLY INVOLVES A RELATIVELY PASSIVE PATIENT WHILE THE OSTEOPATH IS ACTIVE IN PROVIDING TREATMENT. PRACTICAL EXAMPLES ARE USED TO HIGHLIGHT POINTS OF CONTACT BETWEEN YOGA AND OSTEOPATHY. THE TEXT INCLUDES A DISCUSSION OF THE IMPORTANCE OF PHYSICALITY AND A DESCRIPTION OF WAYS OF USING IT IN HEALING PROCESSES. FURTHERMORE, PROCESSES OF ATTAINING CONSCIOUSNESS ARE OUTLINED. POSSIBLE REDUCTIONIST MISCONCEPTIONS IN YOGA AND OSTEOPATHY ARE ALSO POINTED OUT. FUNDAMENTAL ATTITUDES AND FOCUS THAT COMPLEMENT EACH OTHER ARE PRESENTED, TAKING THE CONCEPT OF STILLNESS AS A PARTICULAR EXAMPLE. 2011 19 1185 31 EVIDENCE BASE OF YOGA STUDIES ON CARDIOVASCULAR HEALTH: A BIBLIOMETRIC ANALYSIS. NONCOMMUNICABLE DISEASES INCLUDING CORONARY ARTERY DISEASE CONTRIBUTE TO APPROXIMATELY 50% OF GLOBAL MORTALITY. PHARMACOLOGICAL TREATMENT ALONE MAY NOT BE A PANACEA FOR SUCH DISEASES SINCE IT MAY BE ASSOCIATED WITH VARIOUS OTHER ADVERSE EFFECTS. HENCE, STRATEGIES SUCH AS YOGA INVOLVING HEALTHY LIFESTYLE AND STRESS MANAGEMENT ARE WIDELY SOUGHT BY THE PATIENT POPULATION. MATERIALS AND METHODS: AN ELECTRONIC SEARCH OF PUBMED AS A STANDARD BIBLIOGRAPHIC DATABASE WAS PERFORMED THROUGH FEBRUARY 2015 USING THE KEYWORDS "YOGA" AND "CARDIOVASCULAR." STUDIES WITH YOGA AS THE INDEPENDENT VARIABLE AND PARAMETERS RELATED TO CARDIAC HEALTH AS THE DEPENDENT VARIABLE WERE INCLUDED AND EXCLUSION CRITERIA WERE APPLIED. RESULTS: A TOTAL OF 149 PUBLICATIONS WERE IDENTIFIED WHICH MET THE INCLUSION CRITERIA FOR ANALYSIS. OF THE TOTAL PUBLICATIONS, 44% WERE CLINICAL TRIALS OF WHICH 19% WERE RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIALS WHICH MAY BE CATEGORIZED AS HIGH-QUALITY ONES. AN UPWARD TREND IN THE OVERALL RESEARCH IN THIS AREA IS EVIDENT. MAJOR WORK HAS BEEN ACCOMPLISHED BY RESEARCHERS OF THE UNITED STATES (38%) AND INDIA (29%). CONCLUSION: THE SURVEY INDICATES THAT THE NUMBER OF PUBLICATIONS IN THE FIELD OF "YOGA" AND "CARDIOVASCULAR" HEALTH HAS INCREASED RAPIDLY IN THE LATE YEARS. ANALYSIS COMPRISING THE NATION/STATE HELPS DEFINE ITS STATUS WITH REGARD TO ITS COUNTERPARTS AND HELPS UNDERSTAND SCIENCE PRIORITIES AND DISEASE CONTROL STRATEGIES IN AN EFFORT TO PROVIDE COST-EFFECTIVENESS AND QUALITY CONTROL. THERE IS A NEED FOR FURTHER HIGH-QUALITY STUDIES IN THE FIELD OF "YOGA" AND "CARDIOVASCULAR" DISEASES TO VALIDATE THE EFFECTS OF YOGA ON HEALTH PARAMETERS. 2019 20 1640 29 MOLECULAR SIGNATURE OF THE IMMUNE RESPONSE TO YOGA THERAPY IN STRESS-RELATED CHRONIC DISEASE CONDITIONS: AN INSIGHT. THE WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION DEFINES HEALTH AS COMPLETE WELL-BEING IN TERMS OF PHYSICAL, MENTAL AND SOCIAL, AND NOT MERELY THE ABSENCE OF DISEASE. TO ATTAIN THIS, INDIVIDUAL SHOULD ADAPT AND SELF-MANGE THE SOCIAL, PHYSICAL AND EMOTIONAL CHALLENGES OF LIFE. EXPOSURE TO CHRONIC STRESS DUE TO URBANIZATION, WORK STRESS, NUCLEAR FAMILY, POLLUTION, UNHEALTHY FOOD HABITS, LIFESTYLE, ACCIDENTAL DEATH IN THE FAMILY, AND NATURAL CALAMITIES ARE THE TRIGGERING FACTORS, LEADING TO HORMONAL IMBALANCE AND INFLAMMATION IN THE TISSUE. THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN STRESS AND ILLNESS IS COMPLEX; ALL CHRONIC ILLNESSES SUCH AS CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE AND ASTHMA HAVE THEIR ROOT IN CHRONIC STRESS ATTRIBUTED BY INFLAMMATION. IN RECENT TIMES, YOGA THERAPY HAS EMERGED AS AN IMPORTANT COMPLEMENTARY ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE FOR MANY HUMAN DISEASES. YOGA THERAPY HAS A POSITIVE IMPACT ON MIND AND BODY; IT ACTS BY INCORPORATING APPROPRIATE BREATHING TECHNIQUES AND MINDFULNESS TO ATTAIN CONSCIOUS DIRECTION OF OUR AWARENESS OF THE PRESENT MOMENT BY MEDITATION, WHICH HELPS ACHIEVE HARMONY BETWEEN THE BODY AND MIND. STUDIES HAVE ALSO DEMONSTRATED THE IMPORTANT REGULATORY EFFECTS OF YOGA THERAPY ON BRAIN STRUCTURE AND FUNCTIONS. DESPITE THESE ADVANCES, THE CELLULAR AND MOLECULAR MECHANISMS BY WHICH YOGA THERAPY RENDERS ITS BENEFICIAL EFFECTS ARE INADEQUATELY KNOWN. A GROWING BODY OF EVIDENCE SUGGESTS THAT YOGA THERAPY HAS IMMUNOMODULATORY EFFECTS. HOWEVER, THE PRECISE MECHANISTIC BASIS HAS NOT BEEN ADDRESSED EMPIRICALLY. IN THIS REVIEW, WE HAVE ATTEMPTED TO HIGHLIGHT THE EFFECT OF YOGA THERAPY ON IMMUNE SYSTEM FUNCTIONING WITH AN AIM TO IDENTIFY IMPORTANT IMMUNOLOGICAL SIGNATURES THAT INDEX THE EFFECT OF YOGA THERAPY. TOWARD THIS, WE HAVE SUMMARIZED THE AVAILABLE SCIENTIFIC EVIDENCE SHOWING POSITIVE IMPACTS OF YOGA THERAPY. FINALLY, WE HAVE EMPHASIZED THE EFFICACY OF YOGA IN IMPROVING PHYSICAL AND MENTAL WELL-BEING. YOGA HAS BEEN A PART OF INDIAN CULTURE AND TRADITION FOR LONG; NOW, THE TIME HAS COME TO SCIENTIFICALLY VALIDATE THIS AND IMPLEMENT THIS AS AN ALTERNATIVE TREATMENT METHOD FOR STRESS-RELATED CHRONIC DISEASE. 2020