1 17 129 "THE PAIN LEFT, I WAS OFF AND RUNNING": A QUALITATIVE ANALYSIS OF GROUP ACUPUNCTURE AND YOGA THERAPY FOR CHRONIC PAIN IN A LOW-INCOME AND ETHNICALLY DIVERSE POPULATION. INTRODUCTION: CHRONIC PAIN AND THE CURRENT OPIOID EPIDEMIC ARE PRESSING PUBLIC HEALTH CONCERNS, ESPECIALLY IN LOW-INCOME AND ETHNICALLY DIVERSE COMMUNITIES. NONPHARMACOLOGIC THERAPIES THAT ARE SAFE, EFFECTIVE, AND ACCEPTABLE FOR THE TREATMENT OF CHRONIC PAIN CONDITIONS MAY PROVIDE A SOLUTION FOR ADDRESSING THIS ISSUE. THIS QUALITATIVE ANALYSIS EXPLORES THE EXPERIENCE OF STUDY PARTICIPANTS WHO RECEIVED COMBINED ACUPUNCTURE AND YOGA THERAPY (YT) TO TREAT CHRONIC PAIN DELIVERED IN A PRIMARY CARE SETTING. METHODS: THE GROUP ACUPUNCTURE WITH YOGA THERAPY FOR CHRONIC NECK, LOW BACK, AND OSTEOARTHRITIC PAIN TRIAL (GAPYOGA) ASSESSED THE FEASIBILITY AND EFFECTIVENESS OF GROUP ACUPUNCTURE (GA) COMBINED WITH YT IN A LOW-INCOME, RACIAL, AND ETHNICALLY DIVERSE POPULATION. INDIVIDUAL IN-DEPTH INTERVIEWS WERE CONDUCTED WITH A SUBSET OF PATIENTS IN THE TRIAL. NINETEEN PARTICIPANTS WERE INTERVIEWED FOR QUALITATIVE ANALYSIS OF THEIR EXPERIENCE. USING THE IMMERSION AND CRYSTALLIZATION METHOD, TRANSCRIBED INTERVIEWS WERE ANALYZED FOR THEMES MEANINGFULLY REPRESENTING PARTICIPANT EXPERIENCE. RESULTS: THE COMBINED GA AND YT RESULTED IN SIGNIFICANT PAIN RELIEF AND TRANSFORMATIVE HEALING EXPERIENCES. THREE THEMES EMERGED FROM PARTICIPANT NARRATIVES: (1) TRANSFORMATIVE ENGAGEMENT WITH SELF IN THE HEALING PROCESS THROUGH PAIN RELIEF, PSYCHOLOGICAL WELL-BEING, AND SELF-EFFICACY; (2) THERAPEUTIC RELATIONSHIP WITH ACUPUNCTURE AND YOGA PROVIDERS; AND (3) FOSTERING RELATIONSHIPS WITH FELLOW PARTICIPANTS IN THE GROUP. DISCUSSION: IN THIS STUDY OF A LOW-INCOME AND ETHNICALLY DIVERSE POPULATION, THE COMBINATION OF ACUPUNCTURE AND YT WAS FOUND TO ALLEVIATE PAIN, IMPROVE FUNCTION, PROMOTE PSYCHOLOGICAL WELL-BEING, AND ENGAGE PARTICIPANTS IN SELF-CARE PRACTICES IN A TRANSFORMATIVE HEALING PROCESS-RESULTING IN PHYSICAL AND PSYCHOLOGICAL BENEFITS. 2022 2 20 43 "WE'RE ALL IN THIS TOGETHER": A QUALITATIVE STUDY OF PREDOMINANTLY LOW INCOME MINORITY PARTICIPANTS IN A YOGA TRIAL FOR CHRONIC LOW BACK PAIN. OBJECTIVE: TO EXPLORE THE EXPERIENCES OF LOW-INCOME MINORITY ADULTS TAKING PART IN A YOGA DOSING TRIAL FOR CHRONIC LOW BACK PAIN. DESIGN: INDIVIDUAL SEMI-STRUCTURED INTERVIEWS WERE CONDUCTED WITH NINETEEN PARTICIPANTS RECRUITED FROM A RANDOMIZED YOGA DOSING TRIAL FOR PREDOMINANTLY LOW-INCOME MINORITY ADULTS WITH CHRONIC LOW BACK PAIN. INTERVIEWS DISCUSSED THE IMPACT OF YOGA ON LOW BACK PAIN AND EMOTIONS; OTHER PERCEIVED ADVANTAGES OR DISADVANTAGES OF THE INTERVENTION; AND FACILITATORS AND BARRIERS TO PRACTICING YOGA. INTERVIEWS WERE AUDIO TAPED AND TRANSCRIBED, CODED USING ATLAS.TI SOFTWARE, AND ANALYZED WITH INDUCTIVE AND DEDUCTIVE THEMATIC ANALYSIS METHODS. SETTING: BOSTON MEDICAL CENTER, BOSTON, MA, USA. RESULTS: PARTICIPANTS VIEWED YOGA AS A MEANS OF PAIN RELIEF AND ATTRIBUTED IMPROVED MOOD, GREATER ABILITY TO MANAGE STRESS, AND ENHANCED RELAXATION TO YOGA. OVERALL, PARTICIPANTS FELT EMPOWERED TO SELF-MANAGE THEIR PAIN. SOME FOUND YOGA TO BE HELPFUL IN BEING MINDFUL OF THEIR EMOTIONS AND ACCEPTING OF THEIR PAIN. TRUST IN THE YOGA INSTRUCTORS WAS A COMMONLY CITED FACILITATOR FOR YOGA CLASS ATTENDANCE. LACK OF TIME, MOTIVATION, AND FEAR OF INJURY WERE REPORTED BARRIERS TO YOGA PRACTICE. CONCLUSIONS: YOGA IS A MULTIDIMENSIONAL TREATMENT FOR LOW BACK PAIN THAT HAS THE POTENTIAL TO FAVORABLY IMPACT HEALTH IN A PREDOMINANTLY LOW-INCOME MINORITY POPULATION. 2016 3 1413 34 IMPLEMENTING YOGA INTO THE MANAGEMENT OF PATIENTS WITH REFRACTORY LOW BACK PAIN IN AN OUTPATIENT CLINIC SETTING. PURPOSE: TO EVALUATE THE EFFECTIVENESS OF IMPLEMENTING YOGA INTO THE TREATMENT OF PATIENTS WITH CHRONIC LOW BACK PAIN. DESIGN: QUANTITATIVE ANALYSIS WITH OPPORTUNITY FOR QUALITATIVE FEEDBACK. METHOD: EFFECTIVENESS OF THIS COMPLEMENTARY TREATMENT WAS ASSESSED USING A PRETEST/POSTTEST DESIGN OF PATIENTS WHO VOLUNTEERED TO PARTICIPATE IN YOGA CLASSES AS PART OF THEIR BACK PAIN MANAGEMENT. MEASUREMENTS INCLUDED LOW BACK PAIN RATING, PERCEPTION OF BACK PAIN INTERFERENCE WITH DAILY ACTIVITIES, AND SELF-EFFICACY IN DEALING WITH CHRONIC LOW BACK PAIN. FINDINGS: ALTHOUGH NO STATISTICALLY SIGNIFICANT FINDINGS WERE FOUND DUE TO THE SMALL SAMPLE SIZE, MOST PARTICIPANTS DEMONSTRATED IMPROVED INDIVIDUAL SCORES ON ALL MEASUREMENT SURVEYS INCLUDING QUALITATIVE COMMENTS. CONCLUSION: BASED ON THE FINDINGS OF THIS PILOT STUDY, FURTHER STUDIES ON IMPLEMENTING YOGA INTO THE TREATMENT OF CHRONIC LOW BACK PAIN ARE ENCOURAGED. 2019 4 2299 37 THERAPEUTIC YOGA FOR THE MANAGEMENT OF CHRONIC NONSPECIFIC NECK PAIN: CURRENT EVIDENCE AND MECHANISMS. CHRONIC NONSPECIFIC NECK PAIN (CNNP), WHICH IS NECK PAIN IN THE ABSENCE OF ATTRIBUTABLE STRUCTURAL AND NEUROLOGICAL FINDINGS, IS OFTEN CHALLENGING FOR MEDICAL AND REHABILITATION PROFESSIONALS TO TREAT. CONVENTIONAL TREATMENTS SUCH AS MEDICATIONS AND PHYSICAL THERAPY OFTEN FAIL TO PROVIDE LASTING RELIEF, WHICH LEADS PATIENTS TO PURSUE COMPLEMENTARY THERAPIES SUCH AS YOGA. THIS REVIEW DISCUSSES THE EVIDENCE FROM NINE STUDIES, INCLUDING FOUR RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIALS, WHICH SUGGESTS THAT A SUPERVISED YOGA PROGRAM MAY DECREASE PAIN INTENSITY, DISABILITY, AND MOOD SYMPTOMS IN ADULTS WITH CNNP. CERVICAL RANGE OF MOTION AND QUALITY OF LIFE (BOTH PHYSICAL AND MENTAL) MAY ALSO IMPROVE WITH YOGA INTERVENTION, ALTHOUGH THIS IS LESS CONSISTENT ACROSS STUDIES. EVIDENCE OF YOGA'S SUPERIORITY TO OTHER EXERCISE-BASED PRACTICES SUCH AS PILATES WAS CONFLICTING. ADVERSE EFFECTS OF YOGA, SUCH AS EXACERBATION OF NECK PAIN, WERE RELATIVELY UNCOMMON, MINOR, AND OFTEN TRANSIENT. THIS ARTICLE ALSO COMPREHENSIVELY REVIEWS THE PATHOPHYSIOLOGY OF CNNP, THERAPEUTIC MECHANISMS OF YOGA, AND LIMITATIONS IN THE EVIDENCE (INCLUDING RISK-OF-BIAS ASSESSMENT). FUTURE STUDIES SHOULD ATTEMPT TO: (1) COMPARE THE EFFECTIVENESS OF DIFFERENT LINEAGES OF YOGA FOR INDIVIDUALS WITH CNNP, (2) DETERMINE THE OPTIMAL LENGTH AND DURATION OF THESE YOGA INTERVENTIONS, (3) BETTER CHARACTERIZE THE PHYSICAL AND PSYCHOLOGICAL MECHANISMS OF YOGA, (4) COMPARE YOGA TO OTHER EXERCISE- AND MINDFULNESS-BASED PRACTICES, (5) EVALUATE THE EFFECT OF YOGA ON SLEEP IN THE CNNP POPULATION, AND (6) EXPLORE THE APPLICABILITY/EFFICACY OF VIRTUAL YOGA INSTRUCTION. 2022 5 2563 36 YOGA FOR CHRONIC PAIN MANAGEMENT: A QUALITATIVE EXPLORATION. OBJECTIVE: TO EXPLORE PATIENTS' PERCEPTIONS OF THEIR PAIN WHILE PARTICIPATING IN A WEEKLY YOGA PROGRAM. METHODS: A CONSECUTIVE CONVENIENCE SAMPLE WAS RECRUITED FROM A MULTIDISCIPLINARY PAIN CENTRE. SEVEN ADULT PATIENTS (SIX WOMEN), AGREED TO PARTICIPATE IN AN 8-WEEK HATHA YOGA PROGRAM, INCLUDING WEEKLY GROUP SESSIONS AND AT-HOME PRACTICE. DATA WERE GATHERED FROM PARTICIPANT OBSERVATION AND IN-DEPTH INTERVIEWS. INTERVIEWS EXPLORED THE EXPERIENCE OF PRACTICING YOGA AND ITS RELATIONSHIP TO THE PARTICIPANT'S PAIN EXPERIENCE. AN INDUCTIVE ANALYSIS OF THE INTERVIEWS EXPLORED EMERGENT THEMES FROM PARTICIPANTS' DESCRIPTIONS OF THEIR EXPERIENCE. RESULTS: ANALYSES IDENTIFIED THREE THEMES: RENEWED AWARENESS OF THE BODY; TRANSFORMED RELATIONSHIP WITH THE BODY IN PAIN; AND ACCEPTANCE. DISCUSSION: PARTICIPANTS' DATA SUGGESTED THAT THEY REFRAMED WHAT IT MEANT TO LIVE WITH CHRONIC PAIN. SOME PARTICIPANTS REPORTED THAT THE SENSORY ASPECTS OF PAIN DID NOT CHANGE BUT THAT PAIN BECAME LESS BOTHERSOME. THEY WERE BETTER ABLE TO CONTROL THE DEGREE TO WHICH PAIN INTERFERED WITH THEIR DAILY LIFE. OTHER PARTICIPANTS REPORTED LESS FREQUENT OR LESS INTENSE PAIN EPISODES BECAUSE THEY COULD RECOGNIZE BODY SIGNALS AND ADJUST THEMSELVES TO ALLEVIATE PAINFUL SENSATIONS. THE FINDINGS SUGGEST THAT PATIENTS WHO BENEFIT FROM YOGA MAY DO SO IN PART BECAUSE YOGA ENABLES CHANGES IN COGNITIONS AND BEHAVIOURS TOWARDS PAIN. 2011 6 1870 31 RANDOMIZED-CONTROLLED TRIAL COMPARING YOGA AND HOME-BASED EXERCISE FOR CHRONIC NECK PAIN. OBJECTIVES: CHRONIC NECK PAIN IS A SIGNIFICANT PUBLIC HEALTH PROBLEM WITH ONLY VERY FEW EVIDENCE-BASED TREATMENT OPTIONS. THERE IS GROWING EVIDENCE FOR THE EFFECTIVENESS OF YOGA FOR RELIEVING MUSCULOSKELETAL DISORDERS. THE AIM OF THIS STUDY WAS TO EVALUATE THE EFFECT OF IYENGAR YOGA COMPARED WITH EXERCISE ON CHRONIC NONSPECIFIC NECK PAIN. METHODS: PATIENTS WERE RANDOMLY ASSIGNED TO EITHER YOGA OR EXERCISE. THE YOGA GROUP ATTENDED A 9-WEEK YOGA COURSE AND THE EXERCISE GROUP RECEIVED A SELF-CARE MANUAL ON HOME-BASED EXERCISES FOR NECK PAIN RELIEF. THE MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE WAS THE PRESENT NECK PAIN INTENSITY (100 MM VISUAL ANALOG SCALE). SECONDARY OUTCOME MEASURES INCLUDED FUNCTIONAL DISABILITY (NECK DISABILITY INDEX), PAIN AT MOTION (VISUAL ANALOG SCALE), HEALTH-RELATED QUALITY OF LIFE (SHORT FORM-36 QUESTIONNAIRE), CERVICAL RANGE OF MOTION, PROPRIOCEPTIVE ACUITY, AND PRESSURE PAIN THRESHOLD. RESULTS: FIFTY-ONE PATIENTS (MEAN AGE 47.8 Y ; 82.4% FEMALE) WERE RANDOMIZED TO YOGA (N=25) AND EXERCISE (N=26) INTERVENTION. AFTER THE STUDY PERIOD, PATIENTS IN THE YOGA GROUP REPORTED SIGNIFICANTLY LESS NECK PAIN INTENSITY COMPARED WITH THE EXERCISE GROUP [MEAN DIFFERENCE: -13.9 MM (95% CI, -26.4 TO -1.4), P=0.03]. THE YOGA GROUP REPORTED LESS DISABILITY AND BETTER MENTAL QUALITY OF LIFE. RANGE OF MOTION AND PROPRIOCEPTIVE ACUITY WERE IMPROVED AND THE PRESSURE PAIN THRESHOLD WAS ELEVATED IN THE YOGA GROUP. DISCUSSION: YOGA WAS MORE EFFECTIVE IN RELIEVING CHRONIC NONSPECIFIC NECK PAIN THAN A HOME-BASED EXERCISE PROGRAM. YOGA REDUCED NECK PAIN INTENSITY AND DISABILITY AND IMPROVED HEALTH-RELATED QUALITY OF LIFE. MOREOVER, YOGA SEEMS TO INFLUENCE THE FUNCTIONAL STATUS OF NECK MUSCLES, AS INDICATED BY IMPROVEMENT OF PHYSIOLOGICAL MEASURES OF NECK PAIN. 2013 7 2642 25 YOGA FOR WOMEN LIVING WITH BREAST CANCER-RELATED ARM MORBIDITY: FINDINGS FROM AN EXPLORATORY STUDY. TREATMENTS FOR BREAST CANCER ASSAULT THE BODY AND CAN DISRUPT THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN BODY, MIND, AND SPIRIT. IN THIS ARTICLE, WE DISCUSS THE WAYS IN WHICH YOGA WAS EXPERIENCED AND UNDERSTOOD AS A HEALING THERAPY AMONG TEN FEMALE BREAST CANCER SURVIVORS BETWEEN THE AGES OF 26 AND 70 AND LIVING WITH TREATMENT-RELATED ARM MORBIDITY. THE WOMEN PARTICIPATED IN 6 WEEKLY SESSIONS OF GENTLE IYENGAR YOGA AND RESPONDED TO OPEN-ENDED SURVEYS BEFORE AND AFTER THE INTERVENTION. THE MAJORITY OF WOMEN REPORTED PHYSICAL, EMOTIONAL, AND SPIRITUAL BENEFITS FROM THE PRACTICE OF YOGA. SPECIFIC BENEFITS INCLUDED IMPROVEMENTS IN PHYSICAL FUNCTION AND RELIEF FROM SYMPTOMS RELATED TO TREATMENT; INCREASED PEACE OF MIND AND HOPE; AND CONNECTION TO OTHER YOGA PARTICIPANTS. INTEGRAL TO THIS HEALING PROCESS WAS SOCIAL SUPPORT FROM OTHER BREAST CANCER SURVIVORS. 2011 8 2506 29 YOGA ATTITUDES IN CHRONIC LOW BACK PAIN: ROLES OF CATASTROPHIZING AND FEAR OF MOVEMENT. CHRONIC LOW BACK PAIN IS A SIGNIFICANT PUBLIC HEALTH PROBLEM AND, ALTHOUGH UNDERUSED, YOGA MAY BE AN EFFECTIVE COMPLEMENTARY TREATMENT. THE CURRENT STUDY EXAMINED ASSOCIATIONS OF PAIN CATASTROPHIZING AND FEAR OF MOVEMENT WITH ATTITUDES TOWARD YOGA IN ADULTS WITH CHRONIC LOW BACK PAIN. PARTICIPANTS COMPLETED THREE QUANTITATIVE QUESTIONNAIRES ASSESSING SPECIFIC CONSTRUCTS: BELIEFS ABOUT YOGA, FEAR OF MOVEMENT, AND PAIN CATASTROPHIZING. A SEMI-STRUCTURED IN-PERSON INTERVIEW WAS THEN CONDUCTED TO OBTAIN SPECIFIC PAIN-RELATED INFORMATION. HIERARCHICAL REGRESSION AND MEDIATIONAL ANALYSES WERE USED TO TEST HYPOTHESES. CONSISTENT WITH THE FEAR-AVOIDANCE MODEL OF CHRONIC PAIN, CATASTROPHIZING AND FEAR OF MOVEMENT WERE NEGATIVELY ASSOCIATED WITH YOGA ATTITUDES. SPECIFICALLY, FEAR OF MOVEMENT WAS A MEDIATOR BETWEEN CATASTROPHIZING AND ATTITUDES TOWARD YOGA. INDIVIDUALS WITH HIGHER LEVELS OF CATASTROPHIZING AND FEAR OF MOVEMENT MAY BE LESS LIKELY TO CONSIDER A PAIN TREATMENT INVOLVING PHYSICAL MOVEMENT. 2015 9 336 41 APPROPRIATENESS AND ACCEPTABILITY OF A TELE-YOGA INTERVENTION FOR PEOPLE WITH HEART FAILURE AND CHRONIC OBSTRUCTIVE PULMONARY DISEASE: QUALITATIVE FINDINGS FROM A CONTROLLED PILOT STUDY. BACKGROUND: HEART FAILURE (HF) AND CHRONIC OBSTRUCTIVE PULMONARY DISEASE (COPD) ARE HIGHLY PREVALENT AND ASSOCIATED WITH A LARGE SYMPTOM BURDEN, THAT IS COMPOUNDED IN A DUAL HF-COPD DIAGNOSIS. YOGA HAS POTENTIAL BENEFIT FOR SYMPTOM RELIEF; HOWEVER FUNCTIONAL IMPAIRMENT HINDERS ACCESS TO USUAL YOGA CLASSES. WE DEVELOPED A TELE-YOGA INTERVENTION AND EVALUATED IT IN A CONTROLLED PILOT TRIAL. THIS PAPER REPORTS ON THE APPROPRIATENESS AND ACCEPTABILITY OF THE INTERVENTION AND THE EVALUATION DESIGN. METHODS: A CONTROLLED, NON-RANDOMISED TRIAL WAS CONDUCTED OF AN 8-WEEK TELE-YOGA INTERVENTION VERSUS AN EDUCATIONAL CONTROL (INFORMATION LEAFLETS MAILED TO PARTICIPANTS WITH ONE PHONE CALL A WEEK). BIWEEKLY ONE-HOUR TELE-YOGA CLASSES WERE IMPLEMENTED VIA MULTIPOINT VIDEOCONFERENCING THAT CONNECTED PARTICIPANTS TO LIVE CLASSES VIA AN INTERNET CONNECTION TO THEIR TELEVISIONS. SEMI-STRUCTURED QUALITATIVE INTERVIEWS WERE CONDUCTED WITH PARTICIPANTS POST STUDY EXIT TO EXPLORE REASONS FOR AND EXPERIENCES OF PARTICIPATING, INCLUDING VIEWS OF STUDY OUTCOME MEASURES AND PHYSIOLOGICAL TESTS. TRANSCRIBED INTERVIEWS WERE ANALYSED USING THEMATIC CONTENT ANALYSIS. RESULTS: FIFTEEN PEOPLE PARTICIPATED IN THE PILOT STUDY (7 IN THE INTERVENTION GROUP, 8 IN THE CONTROL). OF THESE, 12 PARTICIPANTS WERE INTERVIEWED, 6 IN EACH GROUP, MEAN AGE 71.2 YEARS (SD 10.09); 3 WERE MALE. THEMES ARE REPORTED IN THE FOLLOWING CATEGORIES: ACCEPTABILITY AND APPROPRIATENESS OF THE INTERVENTION, POTENTIAL ACTIVE INGREDIENTS OF THE INTERVENTION, ACCEPTABILITY AND APPROPRIATENESS OF THE CONTROL, PARTICIPATION IN THE RESEARCH, AND ACCEPTABILITY OF THE TESTING PROCEDURES. THE INTERVENTION WAS ACCEPTABLE AND APPROPRIATE: THE INTERVENTION GROUP REPORTED ENJOYING YOGA AND VALUING THE HOME-BASED ASPECT AND PARTICIPANTS DESCRIBED A HIGH SYMPTOM BURDEN AND SOCIAL ISOLATION. HOWEVER, TECHNOLOGICAL PROBLEMS RESULTED IN POOR VIDEO-STREAMING QUALITY FOR SOME PARTICIPANTS. POTENTIAL ACTIVE INGREDIENTS INCLUDED PHYSICAL POSTURES, BREATHING EXERCISES AND GUIDANCE IN RELAXATION AND MEDITATION. THE EDUCATIONAL CONTROL INTERVENTION WAS ACCEPTABLE AND APPROPRIATE, WITH PARTICIPANTS REPORTING LITTLE EFFECT ON THEIR WELL-BEING AND NO IMPACT ON MECHANISMS HYPOTHESISED TO EXPLAIN YOGA'S EFFECTIVENESS. THE QUESTIONNAIRES AND HOME PHYSIOLOGICAL TESTING WERE ACCEPTABLE TO PARTICIPANTS. CONCLUSIONS: TELE-YOGA IS AN ACCEPTABLE AND APPROPRIATE INTERVENTION IN PEOPLE WITH HF AND COPD AND FURTHER RESEARCH IS WARRANTED TO REFINE THE TECHNOLOGY USED IN ITS DELIVERY. FINDINGS PROVIDE GUIDANCE FOR RESEARCHERS WORKING IN TELE-INTERVENTIONS, YOGA, AND SIMILAR POPULATIONS. TRIAL REGISTRATION: CLINICALTRIALS.GOV IDENTIFIER: NCT02078739 (4 MARCH 2014). 2015 10 1566 20 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 11 1239 33 FEASIBILITY OF A MANUALIZED MINDFUL YOGA INTERVENTION FOR PATIENTS WITH CHRONIC MOOD DISORDERS. CHRONIC MOOD DISORDERS POSE AN IMPORTANT MENTAL HEALTH PROBLEM. INDIVIDUALS WITH THESE DISORDERS EXPERIENCE A SIGNIFICANT IMPAIRMENT, OFTEN FAIL TO SEEK HELP, AND THEIR ILLNESSES FREQUENTLY DO NOT RESPOND TO TREATMENT. IT IS THEREFORE IMPORTANT TO DEVELOP INNOVATIVE AND ATTRACTIVE TREATMENTS FOR THESE DISORDERS. MINDFUL YOGA REPRESENTS A PROMISING TREATMENT APPROACH. THIS PILOT STUDY TESTED THE FEASIBILITY OF A 9-WEEK MANUALIZED MINDFUL YOGA INTERVENTION FOR PATIENTS WITH CHRONIC MOOD DISORDERS. ELEVEN PATIENTS RECEIVING STANDARD TREATMENT WERE RECRUITED TO COMPLETE A 9-WEEK MINDFUL YOGA INTERVENTION. QUALITATIVE METHODS WERE USED TO ASSESS PATIENTS' EXPERIENCES OF THE INTERVENTION AND QUANTITATIVE METHODS WERE USED TO ASSESS PSYCHOLOGICAL DISTRESS AND MECHANISMS THAT PLAY A ROLE IN CHRONIC MOOD DISORDERS. EIGHT PATIENTS COMPLETED THE INTERVENTION AND RATED THE OVERALL QUALITY OF THE INTERVENTION WITH A MEAN SCORE OF 8.8 (RANGE OF 8 TO 9, USING A SCALE OF 1 TO 10). ALL PARTICIPANTS REPORTED A REDUCTION IN PSYCHOLOGICAL DISTRESS AND NO ADVERSE EVENTS. AMONG THE MECHANISMS THAT PLAY A ROLE IN CHRONIC MOOD DISORDERS, THE MOST POTENTIALLY PROMISING EFFECTS FROM THE INTERVENTION WERE FOUND FOR WORRY, FEAR OF DEPRESSION AND ANXIETY, RUMINATION, AND AREAS RELATED TO BODY AWARENESS, SUCH AS TRUSTING BODILY EXPERIENCES AND NOT DISTRACTING FROM SENSATIONS OF DISCOMFORT. A 9-WEEK MINDFUL YOGA INTERVENTION APPEARS TO BE A FEASIBLE AND ATTRACTIVE TREATMENT WHEN ADDED TO TREATMENT AS USUAL FOR A GROUP OF PATIENTS WITH CHRONIC MOOD DISORDERS. A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL TO STUDY THE EFFECTS OF MINDFUL YOGA IS RECOMMENDED. 2021 12 348 30 ASSESSING THE ACCEPTABILITY OF YOGA AMONG PATIENTS WITH AND WITHOUT CHRONIC PAIN ENROLLED IN A LICENSED OPIOID TREATMENT PROGRAM. THERE IS A PRESSING NEED TO IDENTIFY NON-OPIOID, EVIDENCE-BASED TREATMENTS TO ADDRESS THE HIGH PREVALENCE OF CHRONIC PAIN IN LICENSED OPIOID TREATMENT PROGRAMS (OTP). YOGA IS AN EFFECTIVE PAIN COPING STRATEGY BUT IS NOT WIDELY USED BY OTP PATIENTS. FEW STUDIES HAVE EXAMINED UNDERLYING FACTORS RELATED TO POOR YOGA UTILIZATION IN THIS POPULATION. SEVENTY-ONE PARTICIPANTS WITH AND WITHOUT CHRONIC PAIN ENROLLED IN A HOSPITAL-BASED OTP COMPLETED AN ACCEPTABILITY SURVEY ASSESSING PAIN, CURRENT PAIN COPING STRATEGIES, PRIOR YOGA EXPERIENCE, WILLINGNESS TO TRY YOGA, AND BELIEFS ABOUT YOGA. PARTICIPANTS WITH AND WITHOUT CHRONIC PAIN WERE COMPARED, AS WERE PARTICIPANTS WITH AND WITHOUT PRIOR YOGA EXPERIENCE. THE RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN PRIMARY STUDY VARIABLES IN THE CHRONIC PAIN GROUP WERE ALSO EXPLORED. PARTICIPANTS REPORTED USING OVER-THE-COUNTER MEDICATIONS, MEDITATION, STRETCHING, AND EXERCISE TO MANAGE CHRONIC PAIN, BUT YOGA WAS NOT COMMONLY USED. PARTICIPANTS WITH PRIOR YOGA EXPERIENCE REPORTED HIGHER WILLINGNESS TO TRY YOGA AND MORE FAVORABLE BELIEFS ABOUT YOGA THAN PARTICIPANTS WITHOUT PRIOR YOGA EXPERIENCE. THERE WERE NO SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCES IN WILLINGNESS TO TRY YOGA BETWEEN PARTICIPANTS WITH AND WITHOUT CHRONIC PAIN. AMONG PARTICIPANTS WITH CHRONIC PAIN, THERE WAS A POSITIVE ASSOCIATION BETWEEN TOTAL NUMBER OF PAIN COPING STRATEGIES USED AND WILLINGNESS TO TRY YOGA. THIS STUDY ADDS TO THE EXISTING LITERATURE ON THE IMPLEMENTATION OF YOGA PROGRAMS INTO OTPS BY DEMONSTRATING THE ACCEPTABILITY OF YOGA IN PATIENTS WITH OPIOID USE DISORDER, INCLUDING THOSE EXPERIENCING CHRONIC PAIN, AND ENCOURAGES ADDITIONAL RESEARCH EXPLORING IMPLEMENTATION. 2022 13 721 30 EFFECT OF IYENGAR YOGA THERAPY FOR CHRONIC LOW BACK PAIN. LOW BACK PAIN IS A SIGNIFICANT PUBLIC HEALTH PROBLEM AND ONE OF THE MOST COMMONLY REPORTED REASONS FOR THE USE OF COMPLEMENTARY ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE. A RANDOMIZED CONTROL TRIAL WAS CONDUCTED IN SUBJECTS WITH NON-SPECIFIC CHRONIC LOW BACK PAIN COMPARING IYENGAR YOGA THERAPY TO AN EDUCATIONAL CONTROL GROUP. BOTH PROGRAMS WERE 16 WEEKS LONG. SUBJECTS WERE PRIMARILY SELF-REFERRED AND SCREENED BY PRIMARY CARE PHYSICIANS FOR STUDY OF INCLUSION/EXCLUSION CRITERIA. THE PRIMARY OUTCOME FOR THE STUDY WAS FUNCTIONAL DISABILITY. SECONDARY OUTCOMES INCLUDING PRESENT PAIN INTENSITY, PAIN MEDICATION USAGE, PAIN-RELATED ATTITUDES AND BEHAVIORS, AND SPINAL RANGE OF MOTION WERE MEASURED BEFORE AND AFTER THE INTERVENTIONS. SUBJECTS HAD LOW BACK PAIN FOR 11.2+/-1.54 YEARS AND 48% USED PAIN MEDICATION. OVERALL, SUBJECTS PRESENTED WITH LESS PAIN AND LOWER FUNCTIONAL DISABILITY THAN SUBJECTS IN OTHER PUBLISHED INTERVENTION STUDIES FOR CHRONIC LOW BACK PAIN. OF THE 60 SUBJECTS ENROLLED, 42 (70%) COMPLETED THE STUDY. MULTIVARIATE ANALYSES OF OUTCOMES IN THE CATEGORIES OF MEDICAL, FUNCTIONAL, PSYCHOLOGICAL AND BEHAVIORAL FACTORS INDICATED THAT SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCES BETWEEN GROUPS EXISTED IN FUNCTIONAL AND MEDICAL OUTCOMES BUT NOT FOR THE PSYCHOLOGICAL OR BEHAVIORAL OUTCOMES. UNIVARIATE ANALYSES OF MEDICAL AND FUNCTIONAL OUTCOMES REVEALED SIGNIFICANT REDUCTIONS IN PAIN INTENSITY (64%), FUNCTIONAL DISABILITY (77%) AND PAIN MEDICATION USAGE (88%) IN THE YOGA GROUP AT THE POST AND 3-MONTH FOLLOW-UP ASSESSMENTS. THESE PRELIMINARY DATA INDICATE THAT THE MAJORITY OF SELF-REFERRED PERSONS WITH MILD CHRONIC LOW BACK PAIN WILL COMPLY TO AND REPORT IMPROVEMENT ON MEDICAL AND FUNCTIONAL PAIN-RELATED OUTCOMES FROM IYENGAR YOGA THERAPY. 2005 14 2170 28 THE EFFECTS OF YOGA ON ANXIETY AND STRESS. STRESS AND ANXIETY HAVE BEEN IMPLICATED AS CONTRIBUTORS TO MANY CHRONIC DISEASES AND TO DECREASED QUALITY OF LIFE, EVEN WITH PHARMACOLOGIC TREATMENT. EFFORTS ARE UNDERWAY TO FIND NON-PHARMACOLOGIC THERAPIES TO RELIEVE STRESS AND ANXIETY, AND YOGA IS ONE OPTION FOR WHICH RESULTS ARE PROMISING. THE FOCUS OF THIS REVIEW IS ON THE RESULTS OF HUMAN TRIALS ASSESSING THE ROLE OF YOGA IN IMPROVING THE SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS OF STRESS AND ANXIETY. OF 35 TRIALS ADDRESSING THE EFFECTS OF YOGA ON ANXIETY AND STRESS, 25 NOTED A SIGNIFICANT DECREASE IN STRESS AND/OR ANXIETY SYMPTOMS WHEN A YOGA REGIMEN WAS IMPLEMENTED; HOWEVER, MANY OF THE STUDIES WERE ALSO HINDERED BY LIMITATIONS, SUCH AS SMALL STUDY POPULATIONS, LACK OF RANDOMIZATION, AND LACK OF A CONTROL GROUP. FOURTEEN OF THE 35 STUDIES REPORTED BIOCHEMICAL AND PHYSIOLOGICAL MARKERS OF STRESS AND ANXIETY, BUT YIELDED INCONSISTENT SUPPORT OF YOGA FOR RELIEF OF STRESS AND ANXIETY. EVALUATION OF THE CURRENT PRIMARY LITERATURE IS SUGGESTIVE OF BENEFITS OF YOGA IN RELIEVING STRESS AND ANXIETY, BUT FURTHER INVESTIGATION INTO THIS RELATIONSHIP USING LARGE, WELL-DEFINED POPULATIONS, ADEQUATE CONTROLS, RANDOMIZATION AND LONG DURATION SHOULD BE EXPLORED BEFORE RECOMMENDING YOGA AS A TREATMENT OPTION. 2012 15 9 35 "I'M MORE IN BALANCE": A QUALITATIVE STUDY OF YOGA FOR PATIENTS WITH CHRONIC NECK PAIN. OBJECTIVES: THIS STUDY INVESTIGATED THE PERCEIVED INFLUENCE OF YOGA ON BODY PERCEPTION AND PSYCHOSOCIAL ASPECTS OF LIFE FOR PATIENTS WITH CHRONIC NECK PAIN. DESIGN: THIS QUALITATIVE STUDY WAS CONDUCTED USING SEMISTANDARDIZED INTERVIEWS. SETTING: THE INTERVENTIONS AND INTERVIEWS TOOK PLACE IN A REFERRAL CENTER'S RESEARCH DEPARTMENT. SUBJECTS: EIGHTEEN (18) PATIENTS WITH CHRONIC NONSPECIFIC NECK PAIN WERE RECRUITED FROM A LARGER RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL OF YOGA FOR CHRONIC NECK PAIN. INTERVENTIONS: PARTICIPANTS ATTENDED 90 MINUTES OF IYENGAR YOGA ONCE A WEEK FOR 9 WEEKS. OUTCOME MEASURES: PARTICIPANTS COMPLETED A DRAWING OF THEIR NECK AND SHOULDER REGIONS TO REFLECT THEIR SUBJECTIVE BODY PERCEPTIONS BEFORE AND AFTER THEIR YOGA PROGRAM. SEMISTANDARDIZED INTERVIEWS WERE USED TO EXPLORE THEIR BODY PERCEPTION, EMOTIONAL STATUS, EVERYDAY LIFE AND COPING SKILLS, AS WELL AS ANY PERCEIVED CHANGES IN THESE DIMENSIONS POSTPARTICIPATION. AN INTERDISCIPLINARY GROUP ANALYZED THE STUDY DATA USING CONTENT ANALYSIS TECHNIQUES. RESULTS: PARTICIPANTS REPORTED CHANGE ON FIVE DIMENSIONS OF HUMAN EXPERIENCE: PHYSICAL, COGNITIVE, EMOTIONAL, BEHAVIORAL, AND SOCIAL. PHYSICALLY, MOST PARTICIPANTS CITED RENEWED BODY AWARENESS, BOTH DURING THEIR YOGA PRACTICE AND IN THEIR DAILY LIVES. SUCH CHANGE WAS ECHOED IN THEIR POSTPARTICIPATION BODY DRAWINGS. COGNITIVELY, PARTICIPANTS REPORTED INCREASED PERCEIVED CONTROL OVER THEIR HEALTH. EMOTIONALLY, THEY NOTED GREATER ACCEPTANCE OF THEIR PAIN AND LIFE BURDENS. BEHAVIORALLY, THEY DESCRIBED ENHANCED USE OF ACTIVE COPING STRATEGIES. FINALLY, SOCIALLY, THEY REPORTED RENEWED PARTICIPATION IN AN ACTIVE LIFE. CONCLUSIONS: PARTICIPANTS LINKED YOGA TO CHANGE ON ALL DIMENSIONS OF HUMAN EXPERIENCE, ATTRIBUTING REDUCED PAIN LEVELS, INCREASED COPING ABILITY, BETTER PAIN ACCEPTANCE AND INCREASED CONTROL TO IT. BODY AWARENESS APPEARED A KEY MECHANISM IN THESE CHANGES. 2013 16 2659 42 YOGA IN ADULT CANCER: AN EXPLORATORY, QUALITATIVE ANALYSIS OF THE PATIENT EXPERIENCE. BACKGROUND: SOME PATIENTS RECEIVING TREATMENT IN CONVENTIONAL HEALTH CARE SYSTEMS ACCESS THERAPEUTIC YOGA OUTSIDE THEIR MAINSTREAM CARE TO IMPROVE CANCER SYMPTOMS. GIVEN THE CURRENT KNOWLEDGE GAP AROUND PATIENT PREFERENCES AND DOCUMENTED EXPERIENCES OF YOGA IN ADULT CANCER, THIS STUDY AIMED TO DESCRIBE PATIENT-REPORTED BENEFITS, BARRIERS AND CHARACTERISTICS OF PROGRAMMING FOR YOGA PRACTICE DURING CONVENTIONAL TREATMENT. METHODS: IN DEPTH SEMI-STRUCTURED INTERVIEWS (N=10) WERE CONDUCTED IN MEN AND WOMEN RECRUITED FROM CANCER CARE CLINICS IN VANCOUVER, CANADA USING A PURPOSIVE SAMPLING TECHNIQUE. THE EXPLORATORY INTERVIEWS WERE AUDIO-RECORDED, TRANSCRIBED AND ANALYZED USING INTERPRETIVE DESCRIPTION METHODOLOGY AND CONSTANT COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS METHODS. RESULTS: FOUR THEMES EMERGED FROM THE DATA TO ADDRESS OUR RESEARCH OBJECTIVES: PATIENT-PERCEIVED BENEFITS OF YOGA, REASONS AND MOTIVATIONS FOR PRACTISING YOGA, HURDLES AND BARRIERS TO PRACTISING YOGA, AND ADVICE FOR EFFECTIVE YOGA PROGRAM DELIVERY IN ADULT CANCER. SEVERAL PATIENTS REPORTED YOGA REDUCED STRESS AND OTHER SYMPTOMS ASSOCIATED WITH CANCER TREATMENT. THEMATIC ANALYSIS FOUND THE SOCIAL DIMENSION OF GROUP YOGA WAS IMPORTANT, AS WELL AS YOGA'S ABILITY TO ENCOURAGE PERSONAL EMPOWERMENT AND AWARENESS OF PHYSICAL BODY AND SELF. BARRIERS TO YOGA ADHERENCE FROM THE PATIENT PERSPECTIVE INCLUDED LACK OF TIME, SCHEDULING CONFLICTS AND WORRIES ABOUT FINANCIAL BURDEN. CONCLUSION: THIS SMALL, DIVERSE SAMPLE OF PATIENTS REPORTED POSITIVE EXPERIENCES AND NO ADVERSE EFFECTS FOLLOWING YOGA PRACTICE FOR MANAGEMENT OF CANCER AND ITS SYMPTOMS. RESULTS OF THIS QUALITATIVE STUDY IDENTIFIED PATIENT-REPORTED PREFERENCES, BARRIERS AND CHARACTERISTICS OF YOGA INTERVENTION OPTIMAL DURING ADULT CANCER TREATMENT. 2015 17 149 46 A QUALITATIVE EXPLORATION OF THE IMPACT OF YOGA ON BREAST CANCER SURVIVORS WITH AROMATASE INHIBITOR-ASSOCIATED ARTHRALGIAS. RESEARCH QUESTION: ARTHRALGIA AFFECTS POSTMENOPAUSAL BREAST CANCER SURVIVORS (BCS) RECEIVING AROMATASE INHIBITORS (AI), WHICH MAY RESULT IN REDUCED FUNCTION AND LONG-TERM WELL-BEING. THIS IS AN EXPLORATORY, QUALITATIVE INVESTIGATION OF BCS WHO PARTICIPATED IN A YOGA-BASED PROGRAM TO UNDERSTAND IMPACT ON JOINT PAIN AND VARIOUS ASPECTS OF QUALITY OF LIFE (QOL) THROUGH A YOGA PROGRAM. THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK: SOCIAL COGNITIVE THEORY WAS USED AND PROVIDED THE FOUNDATION FOR DEVELOPING A YOGA INTERVENTION THROUGH SOURCES OF EFFICACY INFORMATION: (1) PERFORMANCE ACCOMPLISHMENT, (2) STRUCTURED EXPERIENCE, (3) VERBAL SUPPORT FROM INSTRUCTOR AND GROUP, AND (4) PHYSICAL FEEDBACK. METHODOLOGY: TEN POSTMENOPAUSAL WOMEN WITH STAGE I-III BREAST CANCER AND AI ASSOCIATED ARTHRALGIA (AIAA) RECEIVED YOGA TWICE A WEEK FOR EIGHT WEEKS FOR 90 MINUTES AND WERE INSTRUCTED TO CONTINUE IN A HOME-BASED YOGA PROGRAM. WE USED SOCIAL COGNITIVE THEORY (SCT) TO STRUCTURE A YOGA INTERVENTION AS AN ONGOING PHYSICAL ACTIVITY TO MANAGE JOINT PAIN AND FUNCTION. PARTICIPANTS COMPLETED JOURNAL REFLECTIONS ON THEIR EXPERIENCE AND RECEIVED WEEKLY PHONE CALLS. ANALYSIS: DATA WAS COLLECTED AND ANALYZED USING QUALITATIVE METHODS. MEMBER CHECKS WERE COMPLETED AND EMERGENT THEMES WERE EXPLORED AND AGREED UPON BY THE RESEARCH TEAM TO ENSURE RELIABILITY AND VALIDITY OF DATA. SEVERAL EMERGENT THEMES WERE DISCOVERED: EMPOWERMENT: IMPORTANCE OF CAMARADERIE, COMMUNITY, AND SHARING; PAIN RELIEF; INCREASED PHYSICAL FITNESS (ENERGY, FLEXIBILITY, AND FUNCTION); RELIEVED STRESS/ANXIETY AND TRANSFERABILITY OF YOGA THROUGH BREATHING. THESE THEMES WERE IDENTIFIED THROUGH INSTRUCTOR OBSERVATION, PARTICIPANT OBSERVATION, AND WEEKLY PHONE CALL DOCUMENTATION. INTERPRETATION: PARTICIPANTS EXPERIENCED AN EIGHT-WEEK YOGA INTERVENTION AS AN EFFECTIVE PHYSICAL ACTIVITY AND SUPPORT GROUP THAT FOSTERED VARIOUS IMPROVEMENTS IN QUALITY OF LIFE (QOL) AND REDUCTION IN AIAA. PARTICIPANTS WERE HIGHLY MOTIVATED TO IMPROVE PHYSICAL FITNESS LEVELS AND REDUCE PAIN. THIS STUDY REVEALED BENEFITS FROM ALTERNATIVE FORMS OF EXERCISE SUCH AS YOGA TO PROVIDE A STRUCTURE, WHICH IS TRANSFERABLE IN OTHER SITUATIONS. INFORMATION, STRUCTURED PHYSICAL GUIDANCE IN YOGA POSTURES, SUPPORT, AND FEEDBACK ARE NECESSARY TO FOSTER PHYSICAL ACTIVITY FOR BCS EXPERIENCING PAIN. IMPLICATIONS FOR CANCER SURVIVORS: RESULTS OF THIS QUALITATIVE ANALYSIS INDICATE THAT INTERVENTIONS TO SUPPORT BCS WITH AIAA ARE WARRANTED. YOGA APPEARS TO POSITIVELY IMPACT THESE SIDE EFFECTS OF HORMONAL THERAPIES. ADDITIONAL RESEARCH WOULD AID IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF OTHER INTERVENTIONS. 2012 18 2379 13 WHY PRACTICE YOGA? PRACTITIONERS' MOTIVATIONS FOR ADOPTING AND MAINTAINING YOGA PRACTICE. WE EXAMINED MOTIVES FOR ADOPTING AND MAINTAINING YOGA PRACTICE IN A NATIONAL SURVEY OF YOGA PRACTITIONERS (360 YOGA STUDENTS, 156 YOGA TEACHERS). BOTH STUDENTS AND TEACHERS ADOPTED YOGA PRACTICE PRIMARILY FOR EXERCISE AND STRESS RELIEF, BUT REPORTED MANY OTHER REASONS, INCLUDING FLEXIBILITY, GETTING INTO SHAPE, AND DEPRESSION/ANXIETY RELIEF. OVER 62 PERCENT OF STUDENTS AND 85 PERCENT OF TEACHERS REPORTED HAVING CHANGED THEIR PRIMARY REASON FOR PRACTICING OR DISCOVERING OTHER REASONS; FOR BOTH, THE TOP CHANGED PRIMARY REASON WAS SPIRITUALITY. FINDINGS SUGGEST THAT MOST INITIATE YOGA PRACTICE FOR EXERCISE AND STRESS RELIEF, BUT FOR MANY, SPIRITUALITY BECOMES THEIR PRIMARY REASON FOR MAINTAINING PRACTICE. 2016 19 1291 36 GROUP ACUPUNCTURE THERAPY WITH YOGA THERAPY FOR CHRONIC NECK, LOW BACK, AND OSTEOARTHRITIS PAIN IN SAFETY NET SETTING FOR AN UNDERSERVED POPULATION: DESIGN AND RATIONALE FOR A FEASIBILITY PILOT. CHRONIC PAIN IS PREVALENT IN THE UNITED STATES, WITH IMPACT ON PHYSICAL AND PSYCHOLOGICAL FUNCTIONING AS WELL AS LOST WORK PRODUCTIVITY. MINORITY AND LOWER SOCIOECONOMIC POPULATIONS HAVE INCREASED PREVALENCE OF CHRONIC PAIN WITH LESS ACCESS TO PAIN CARE, POORER OUTCOMES, AND HIGHER RISK OF FATAL OPIOID OVERDOSE. ACUPUNCTURE THERAPY IS EFFECTIVE IN TREATING CHRONIC PAIN CONDITIONS INCLUDING CHRONIC LOW BACK PAIN, NECK PAIN, SHOULDER PAIN, AND KNEE PAIN FROM OSTEOARTHRITIS. ACUPUNCTURE THERAPY, INCLUDING GROUP ACUPUNCTURE, IS FEASIBLE AND EFFECTIVE, AND SPECIFICALLY SO FOR UNDERSERVED AND DIVERSE POPULATIONS AT RISK FOR HEALTH OUTCOME DISPARITIES. ACUPUNCTURE THERAPY ALSO ENCOURAGES PATIENT ENGAGEMENT AND ACTIVATION. AS CHRONIC PAIN IMPROVES, THERE IS A NATURAL PROGRESSION TO WANT AND NEED TO INCREASE ACTIVITY AND MOVEMENT RECOVERY. DIVERSE MOVEMENT APPROACHES ARE IMPORTANT FOR IMPROVING RANGE OF MOTION, MAINTAINING GAINS, STRENGTHENING, AND PROMOTING PATIENT ENGAGEMENT AND ACTIVATION. YOGA THERAPY IS AN ACTIVE THERAPY WITH PROVEN BENEFIT IN MUSCULOSKELETAL PAIN DISORDERS AND PAIN ASSOCIATED DISABILITY. THE AIM OF THIS QUASI-EXPERIMENTAL PILOT FEASIBILITY TRIAL IS TO TEST THE BUNDLING OF THESE 2 EFFECTIVE CARE OPTIONS FOR CHRONIC PAIN, TO INFORM BOTH THE DESIGN FOR A LARGER RANDOMIZED PRAGMATIC EFFECTIVENESS TRIAL AS WELL AS IMPLEMENTATION STRATEGIES ACROSS UNDERSERVED SETTINGS. 2020 20 2562 35 YOGA FOR CHRONIC NECK PAIN: A PILOT RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED CLINICAL TRIAL. UNLABELLED: YOGA HAS BEEN FOUND EFFECTIVE IN THE TREATMENT OF CHRONIC LOW BACK PAIN. WE AIMED TO EVALUATE THE EFFECTIVENESS OF IYENGAR YOGA IN CHRONIC NECK PAIN BY MEANS OF A RANDOMIZED CLINICAL TRIAL. SEVENTY-SEVEN PATIENTS (AGED 47.9 +/- 7.9, 67 FEMALE) WITH CHRONIC NECK PAIN WHO SCORED >40 MM ON A 100-MM VISUAL ANALOG SCALE (VAS) WERE RANDOMIZED TO A 9-WEEK IYENGAR YOGA PROGRAM WITH WEEKLY 90-MINUTE CLASSES (N = 38) OR TO A SELF-CARE/EXERCISE PROGRAM (N = 38). PATIENTS WERE EXAMINED AT BASELINE AND AFTER 4 AND 10 WEEKS. THE PRIMARY OUTCOME MEASURE WAS CHANGE OF MEAN PAIN AT REST (VAS) FROM BASELINE TO WEEK 10. SECONDARY OUTCOMES INCLUDED PAIN AT MOTION, FUNCTIONAL DISABILITY, QUALITY OF LIFE (QOL), AND PSYCHOLOGICAL OUTCOMES. TWELVE PATIENTS IN THE YOGA GROUP AND 11 PATIENTS IN THE SELF-CARE/EXERCISE GROUP WERE LOST TO FOLLOW-UP, WITH HIGHER STUDY NONADHERENCE IN THE SELF-CARE GROUP (5 VERSUS 10 PATIENTS). MEAN PAIN AT REST WAS REDUCED FROM 44.3 +/- 20.1 TO 13.0 +/- 11.6 AT WEEK 10 BY YOGA AND FROM 41.9 +/- 21.9 TO 34.4 +/- 21.1 BY SELF-CARE/EXERCISE (GROUP DIFFERENCE: -20.1, 95% CONFIDENCE INTERVAL: -30.0, -10.1; P < .001). PAIN AT MOTION WAS REDUCED FROM 53.4 +/- 18.5 TO 22.4 +/- 18.7 AT WEEK 10 BY YOGA AND FROM 49.4 +/- 22.8 TO 39.9 +/- 21.5 BY SELF-CARE/EXERCISE (GROUP DIFFERENCE: -18.7, 95% CONFIDENCE INTERVAL: -29.3, -8.1; P < .001). SIGNIFICANT TREATMENT EFFECTS OF YOGA WERE ALSO FOUND FOR PAIN-RELATED APPREHENSION, DISABILITY, QOL, AND PSYCHOLOGICAL OUTCOMES. SENSITIVITY ANALYSES SUGGESTED MINIMAL INFLUENCE OF DROPOUT RATES. BOTH PROGRAMS WERE WELL TOLERATED. IN THIS PRELIMINARY TRIAL, YOGA APPEARS TO BE AN EFFECTIVE TREATMENT IN CHRONIC NECK PAIN WITH POSSIBLE ADDITIONAL EFFECTS ON PSYCHOLOGICAL WELL-BEING AND QOL. THE EFFECTIVENESS OF YOGA IN CHRONIC NECK PAIN SHOULD BE FURTHER TESTED BY COMPARATIVE EFFECTIVENESS STUDIES WITH LONGER OBSERVATION PERIODS. PERSPECTIVE: THIS ARTICLE PRESENTS THE RESULTS OF A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL ON THE CLINICAL EFFECTS OF A 9-WEEK YOGA PROGRAM OR SELF-CARE EXERCISE IN PATIENTS WITH CHRONIC NECK PAIN. YOGA LED TO SUPERIOR PAIN RELIEF AND FUNCTIONAL IMPROVEMENTS AND MIGHT BE A USEFUL TREATMENT OPTION FOR CHRONIC NECK PAIN. 2012