1 443 158 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 2 892 16 EFFECT OF YOGA-BASED OCULAR EXERCISES IN LOWERING OF INTRAOCULAR PRESSURE IN GLAUCOMA PATIENTS: AN AFFIRMATIVE PROPOSITION. GLAUCOMA IS THE MOST COMMON CAUSE OF IRREVERSIBLE BLINDNESS WORLDWIDE, WITH >65 MILLION SUFFERERS. IT IS INCURABLE AND THE ONLY THERAPEUTIC APPROACH ACCEPTED TILL NOW IS THE LOWERING OF INTRAOCULAR PRESSURE (IOP) MEDICALLY AND/OR SURGICALLY. THESE KNOWN INTERVENTIONS MIGHT HAVE MANY SIDE EFFECTS AND COMPLICATIONS. YOGA-BASED INTERVENTIONS ARE NOW WELL ACCEPTED AS ALTERNATIVE THERAPY IN MANY CHRONIC DISEASES. THE EFFECTS OF YOGA IN GLAUCOMA, HOWEVER, HAVE NOT BEEN STUDIED ADEQUATELY. ACCOMMODATION (THE PROCESS OF ADJUSTMENT OF OPTICAL POWER TO MAINTAIN CLEAR VISION) OF EYES LEADS TO INSTANT LOWERING OF IOP. THEREFORE, WE HYPOTHESIZE THAT ONE OF THE YOGA-BASED INTERVENTIONS, TRATAK KRIYA, WHICH INCLUDES OCULAR EXERCISES MIGHT LEAD TO LOWERING OF IOP IN GLAUCOMA PATIENTS. THE PROPOSED TRATAK KRIYA LEADS TO CONTRACTION AND RELAXATION OF CILIARY MUSCLES WHICH MIGHT INCREASE OUTFLOW OF AQUEOUS HUMOR. IN ADDITION, THIS YOGA-BASED INTERVENTION MIGHT DECREASE STRESS AND IMPROVE QUALITY OF LIFE IN GLAUCOMA PATIENTS. 2018 3 2199 22 THE EFFICACY OF TAI CHI AND YOGA IN RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS AND SPONDYLOARTHROPATHIES: A NARRATIVE BIOMEDICAL REVIEW. RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS (RA) AND SPONDYLOARTHROPATHIES (SPA) ARE AMONG THE MOST COMMON INFLAMMATORY RHEUMATIC DISEASES, WHICH MIGHT INDUCE CHRONIC PAIN FOR THEIR SUFFERERS. MIND-BODY INTERVENTIONS LIKE TAI CHI AND YOGA ARE AMONG THE MANY ALTERNATIVE THERAPIES FOR COMBATTING CHRONIC PAIN. THIS REVIEW AIMS TO OVERVIEW THE ARTICLES ABOUT THEIR EFFECTIVENESS IN RA AND SPA. WE SEARCHED PUBMED/MEDLINE, SCOPUS, AND WEB OF SCIENCE FOR ENGLISH-LANGUAGE SOURCES FROM THEIR INCEPTION THROUGH SEPTEMBER 2017. CASE-CONTROL STUDIES, INTERVENTIONAL STUDIES, AND CASE SERIES THAT INCLUDED MORE THAN THREE CASES AND RANDOMIZED CROSSOVER STUDIES WERE INCLUDED. THE LITERATURE SEARCH RETRIEVED 133 NON-DUPLICATE RECORDS, AND 15 OF THEM WERE ELIGIBLE AND WERE INCLUDED IN THIS REVIEW. THE INFLUENCE OF TAI CHI REMAINS DEBATABLE IN RA, WHILE THERE IS ONLY ONE STUDY THAT INVESTIGATED ITS EFFICACY IN SPA. YOGA SEEMS EFFECTIVE IN DECREASING PAIN AND INFLAMMATION WHILE INCREASING QUALITY OF LIFE. THERE ARE NO DATA AVAILABLE ABOUT ITS EFFECT ON SPA. EVEN AFTER A THOROUGH RESEARCH, THE NUMBER OF ARTICLES IS QUITE LIMITED ON THE EFFECTIVENESS OF TAI CHI AND YOGA IN RA AND SPA. WHILE THESE COMPLEMENTARY APPROACHES STILL SHOW SOME PROMISE AS ALTERNATIVE THERAPIES IN RA AND SPA, THE LITERATURE LACKS LONG-TERM STUDIES WITH LARGER PATIENT GROUPS. 2018 4 2221 21 THE IMPACT OF LAUGHTER YOGA ON THE STRESS OF CANCER PATIENTS BEFORE CHEMOTHERAPY. BACKGROUND: CANCER IS USUALLY ACCOMPANIED BY CONSIDERABLE STRESS FOR THE SUFFERER, AND THE STRESS HAS DESTRUCTIVE EFFECTS ON CHEMOTHERAPY TREATMENT PROCESS. THEREFORE, THE CURRENT RESEARCH DEALS WITH THE EFFECT OF YOGA LAUGHTER ON THE CANCER PATIENTS' STRESS BEFORE CHEMOTHERAPY. METHODS: IN THIS RESEARCH, AS THE FIRST STEP, 37 CANCER SUFFERERS , WHO HAD BEEN HOSPITALIZED IN SHOHADA TAJRISH HOSPITAL (BEHNAM DANESHPOOR CHARITY ORGANIZATION) AND HAD THE REQUIREMENTS NECESSARY FOR BEING TAKEN AS RESEARCH SAMPLES, WERE SELECTED FOR DATA COLLECTION. THE MENTIONED PATIENTS WERE CLASSIFIED RANDOMLY IN EXPERIMENTAL AND CONTROL GROUPS. COLLECTED DATA WERE ANALYZED BY THE MULTI-VARIABLE COVARIANCE ANALYSIS TEST. RESULTS: THE RESULTS SHOW THERE IS A MEANINGFUL DIFFERENCE IN THE STRESS AVERAGE BEFORE AND AFTER INTERFERENCE IN THE TEST GROUP (P<0.05). CONCLUSION: LAUGHTER YOGA CAN DECREASE THE STRESS IN CANCER SUFFERERS BEFORE CHEMOTHERAPY. 2014 5 2804 28 YOGA THERAPY IN JAPAN. THIS PERSPECTIVE PIECE GIVES AN OVERVIEW OF THE CURRENT SITUATION OF YOGA THERAPY IN JAPAN TODAY. TRADITIONAL YOGA IN JAPAN SUFFERED A SERIOUS SETBACK IN 1995 WITH A NERVE GAS TERRORIST ATTACK ON THE TOKYO SUBWAY, WHICH WAS CARRIED OUT BY A CULT THAT RECRUITED MEMBERS THROUGH YOGA CLASSES. BUT WITH THE INCREASE IN POPULARITY WITH MODERN FORMS OF YOGA SUCH AS IYENGAR YOGA, ASHTANGA YOGA AND HOT YOGA IN THE WEST, THE GENERAL PUBLIC IN JAPAN TODAY IS FORGETTING ITS AVERSION TO YOGA AND CONSIDERS IT TO BE SOMETHING THAT CAN CONTRIBUTE TO GOOD HEALTH. IN 2012, THE JAPAN YOGA THERAPY SOCIETY (JYTS) CONDUCTED A STUDY ON ADVERSE EVENTS IN YOGA CLASSES THROUGHOUT JAPAN WITH THE UNIVERSITY OF KYUSHU SCHOOL OF MEDICINE, WITH SUPPORT FROM THE MINISTRY OF HEALTH, LABOUR AND WELFARE. THIS STUDY INDICATED THAT MORE THAN HALF OF PEOPLE ATTENDING YOGA CLASSES HAVE SOME FORM OF CHRONIC ILLNESS, WITH 42.3% RECEIVING OUTPATIENT CARE. THIS SURVEY WAS THE BEGINNING OF GROWING INTEREST FROM BOTH THE GOVERNMENT AND UNIVERSITIES IN YOGA THERAPY. JYTS IS BEGINNING TO MAKE INROADS INTO BRINGING YOGA THERAPY INTO CANCER AND PALLIATIVE CARE, SENIOR CITIZEN HOMES, ALCOHOL AND DRUG ADDICTION REHABILITATION, CARDIOVASCULAR REHABILITATION, AND RESEARCH ON TRAUMA AND SCHIZOPHRENIA. WHILE THERE ARE STILL LIMITED OPPORTUNITIES FOR YOGA THERAPISTS TO WORK IN MAINSTREAM HEALTHCARE SERVICES, THERE IS GROWING INTEREST AMONG MEDICAL PROFESSIONALS IN BOTH PHYSICAL AND MENTAL HEALTH. JYTS IS BEGINNING TO MAKE INROADS INTO BRINGING YOGA THERAPY INTO CANCER AND PALLIATIVE CARE, SENIOR CITIZEN HOMES, ALCOHOL AND DRUG ADDICTION REHABILITATION, CARDIOVASCULAR REHABILITATION, AND RESEARCH ON TRAUMA AND SCHIZOPHRENIA. WHILE THERE ARE STILL LIMITED OPPORTUNITIES FOR YOGA THERAPISTS TO WORK IN MAINSTREAM HEALTHCARE SERVICES, THERE IS GROWING INTEREST AMONG MEDICAL PROFESSIONALS IN BOTH PHYSICAL AND MENTAL HEALTH. THIS PERSPECTIVE PIECE INTRODUCES SOME OF THE DEVELOPMENTS IN YOGA THERAPY RESEARCH AND PRACTICE IN JAPAN. 2017 6 2413 14 YOGA AND ITS INTEGRATION IN MODERN EDUCATION. THIS PAPER DISCUSSES THE INTEGRATION OF YOGA WITH THE MODERN EDUCATION, WHICH WILL HELP THE DEVELOPMENT OF HUMAN POTENTIALITIES. THE AMOUNT OF TIME THAT HAS TO BE ALLOTTED FOR TEACHING YOGA AND THE DIFFERENT ASPECTS OF YOGA TO BE INTRODUCED AT VARIOUS STAGES IN THE EDUCATION SYSTEM ARE ALSO TRACED HERE. 1987 7 2157 27 THE EFFECTS OF UPPER LIMB EXERCISE THROUGH YOGA ON LIMB SWELLING IN CHINESE BREAST CANCER SURVIVORS - A PILOT STUDY. PURPOSE: BREAST CANCER IS THE MOST COMMON FEMALE CANCER. THE AIM OF THIS STUDY WAS TO ASSESS THE IMPACT OF YOGA ON LYMPHEDEMA IN BREAST CANCER SURVIVORS. DESIGN: REPEATED MEASURES BEFORE AND AFTER THE INTERVENTION. WE ENROLLED 15 WOMEN WITH BREAST CANCER WHO HAD NOT PREVIOUSLY WORN ELASTIC CLOTHING TO TREAT LYMPHEDEMA. METHODS: THE PROGRAM WAS LED BY A CERTIFIED TRAINER AND CONSISTED OF 60-MINUTE SESSIONS, THREE TIMES A WEEK FOR 12 WEEKS. THE VOLUMES OF THE AFFECTED AND NORMAL LIMBS WERE MEASURED. A SELF-ASSESSED EDEMA SCORE WAS ALSO RECORDED. FINDINGS: FIFTEEN PATIENTS COMPLETED THE PROGRAM, NONE OF WHOM SUFFERED FROM COMPLICATIONS RELATED TO EXERCISE. THERE WAS NO SIGNIFICANT EDEMA AFTER EXERCISE. NO SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCES WERE NOTED IN SUBGROUP ANALYSIS BY AGE OR THE AFFECTED ARM. CONCLUSIONS: YOGA DOES NOT INDUCE LYMPHEDEMA. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: LYMPHEDEMA IS USUALLY TREATED WITH UNCOMFORTABLE ELASTIC CLOTHING, AND HIGH-RESISTANCE EXERCISE MAY INDUCE EDEMA. YOGA MAY BE SUITABLE FOR THESE PATIENTS. 2017 8 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 9 1655 22 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 10 538 20 COMPLEMENTARY AND ALTERNATIVE TREATMENT FOR NECK PAIN: CHIROPRACTIC, ACUPUNCTURE, TENS, MASSAGE, YOGA, TAI CHI, AND FELDENKRAIS. OF THE MULTITUDE OF TREATMENT OPTIONS FOR THE MANAGEMENT OF NECK PAIN, NO OBVIOUS SINGLE TREATMENT MODALITY HAS BEEN SHOWN TO BE MOST EFFICACIOUS. AS SUCH, THE CLINICIAN SHOULD CONSIDER ALTERNATIVE TREATMENT MODALITIES IF A MODALITY IS ENGAGING, AVAILABLE, FINANCIALLY FEASIBLE, POTENTIALLY EFFICACIOUS, AND IS LOW RISK FOR THE PATIENT. AS EVIDENCE-BASED MEDICINE FOR NECK PAIN DEVELOPS, THE CLINICIAN IS FACED WITH THE CHALLENGE OF WHICH TREATMENTS TO ENCOURAGE PATIENTS TO PURSUE. TREATMENT MODALITIES EXPLORED IN THIS ARTICLE, INCLUDING CHIROPRACTIC, ACUPUNCTURE, TENS, MASSAGE, YOGA, TAI CHI, AND FELDENKRAIS, REPRESENT REASONABLE COMPLEMENTARY AND ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE METHODS FOR PATIENTS WITH NECK PAIN. 2011 11 2502 18 YOGA AS THERAPY IN PSYCHOSOMATIC MEDICINE. YOGA AS THERAPY WITH PSYCHOSOMATIC DISORDERS HAS BEEN PRACTICED FOR MANY CENTURIES IN INDIA, AND ONLY RECENTLY HAS BECOME UTILIZED FOR THIS PURPOSE IN OTHER COUNTRIES. THE YOGA SYSTEM EVOLVED AS A 'SYSTEM OF LIBERATION' TO ALLOW MAN TO DISCRIMINATE BETWEEN HIS EGO-SELF AND PURE CONSCIOUSNESS, AND AS SUCH, ITS MEDICAL BENEFITS ARE REALLY 'SIDE-EFFECTS'. INTEGRAL YOGA PRACTICE, HOWEVER, WITH WHICH MANY OTHER SELF-REGULATORY SOMATOPSYCHIC APPROACHES HAVE MUCH IN COMMON, CONSISTS OF A HOLISTIC TECHNOLOGY WHICH FUNCTIONS TO RESTORE OPTIMAL HOMEOSTATIS BY A VARIETY OF SPECIAL TECHNIQUES NOT FOUND IN OTHER APPROACHES. CLINICAL OBSERVATIONS OF PSYCHOSOMATIC PATIENTS INDICATE THAT THEIR DISTORTED SOMATOPSYCHIC FUNCTIONING NECESSITATES THEIR PRACTICE OF YOGA-LIKE THERAPY. A REVIEW OF THE CLINICAL EVIDENCE AVAILABLE INDICATES THAT YOGA PRACTICE HAS PROVEN MOST EFFECTIVE WITH A WIDE RANGE OF PSYCHOSOMATIC AND PSYCHIATRIC DISORDERS. THE EFFECTIVENESS OF YOGA CAN BE PARTIALLY UNDERSTOOD IN TERMS OF NEUROPHYSIOLOGICAL THEORY. 1979 12 1300 23 HATHA YOGA FOR DEPRESSION: CRITICAL REVIEW OF THE EVIDENCE FOR EFFICACY, PLAUSIBLE MECHANISMS OF ACTION, AND DIRECTIONS FOR FUTURE RESEARCH. BACKGROUND: THE PURPOSE OF THIS ARTICLE IS TO REVIEW THE EVIDENCE FOR THE EFFICACY OF HATHA YOGA FOR DEPRESSION AND POSSIBLE MECHANISMS BY WHICH YOGA MAY HAVE AN IMPACT ON DEPRESSION, AND TO OUTLINE DIRECTIONS FOR FUTURE RESEARCH. METHODS: LITERATURE REVIEW AND SYNTHESIS. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: A LITERATURE SEARCH FOR CLINICAL TRIALS EXAMINING YOGA FOR DEPRESSION UNCOVERED EIGHT TRIALS: 5 INCLUDING INDIVIDUALS WITH CLINICAL DEPRESSION, AND 3 FOR INDIVIDUALS WITH ELEVATED DEPRESSION SYMPTOMS. ALTHOUGH RESULTS FROM THESE TRIALS ARE ENCOURAGING, THEY SHOULD BE VIEWED AS VERY PRELIMINARY BECAUSE THE TRIALS, AS A GROUP, SUFFERED FROM SUBSTANTIAL METHODOLOGICAL LIMITATIONS. WE WOULD ARGUE, HOWEVER, THAT THERE ARE SEVERAL REASONS TO CONSIDER CONSTRUCTING CAREFUL RESEARCH ON YOGA FOR DEPRESSION. FIRST, CURRENT STRATEGIES FOR TREATING DEPRESSION ARE NOT SUFFICIENT FOR MANY INDIVIDUALS, AND PATIENTS HAVE SEVERAL CONCERNS ABOUT EXISTING TREATMENTS. YOGA MAY BE AN ATTRACTIVE ALTERNATIVE TO OR A GOOD WAY TO AUGMENT CURRENT DEPRESSION TREATMENT STRATEGIES. SECOND, ASPECTS OF YOGA-INCLUDING MINDFULNESS PROMOTION AND EXERCISE-ARE THOUGHT TO BE "ACTIVE INGREDIENTS" OF OTHER SUCCESSFUL TREATMENTS FOR DEPRESSION. THIRD, THERE ARE PLAUSIBLE BIOLOGICAL, PSYCHOLOGICAL, AND BEHAVIORAL MECHANISMS BY WHICH YOGA MAY HAVE AN IMPACT ON DEPRESSION. WE PROVIDE SUGGESTIONS FOR THE NEXT STEPS IN THE STUDY OF YOGA AS A TREATMENT FOR DEPRESSION. 2010 13 1890 21 REGULATION OF GENE EXPRESSION BY YOGA, MEDITATION AND RELATED PRACTICES: A REVIEW OF RECENT STUDIES. INTEGRATIVE MEDICINE (IM) APPROACHES HAVE GAINED SIGNIFICANT INTEREST IN RECENT YEARS TO PROVIDE A SOLUTION FOR THE HEALTH CARE CHALLENGES WE FACE TODAY. YOGIC COGNITIVE-BEHAVIORAL PRACTICES ARE AMONG THE MOST WIDELY USED IM APPROACHES AND INCLUDE DIVERSE PRACTICES SUCH AS YOGA ASANAS, MEDITATION, BREATHING EXERCISES, QI GONG, TAI CHI CHIH, AND VARIOUS OTHERS. STUDIES TO DATE SUGGEST THAT THESE YOGIC/MEDITATIVE PRACTICES HAVE SIGNIFICANT POSITIVE EFFECTS ON THE MIND-BODY SYSTEM AND THEREBY CAN INCREASE WELLNESS AND SUPPORT THE HEALING PROCESS FROM DISEASE. PREVIOUS WORK HAS PROVIDED EVIDENCE FOR BOTH PSYCHOLOGICAL AND PHYSIOLOGICAL EFFECTS OF THESE PRACTICES; HOWEVER, THE MECHANISMS OF THESE EFFECTS, ESPECIALLY AT THE MOLECULAR LEVEL, HAVE LARGELY BEEN MISSING. THREE RECENT STUDIES STARTED TO PROVIDE SOME OF THIS INFORMATION THROUGH GENE EXPRESSION PROFILING IN CIRCULATING IMMUNE CELLS, WHICH SUPPORT THE HYPOTHESIS THAT YOGIC/MEDITATIVE PRACTICES HAVE A MEASURABLE EFFECT AT THE MOLECULAR LEVEL. THESE STUDIES ARE REVIEWED HEREIN AND SOME FUTURE PERSPECTIVES ARE CONSIDERED. 2013 14 2924 21 [YOGA AND MEDITATION: HELPFUL TECHNIQUES TO IMPROVE THE LIFE OF CANCER PATIENTS]. CANCER IS CERTAINLY ONE OF THE MOST UPSETTING THINGS THAT CAN HAPPEN IN A LIFE TIME, IT MANAGES TO TOTALLY DESTROY THE BALANCE OF THOSE AFFECTED. THE PERSON CAN SUFFER FROM ANXIETY AND FEAR TO SUCH A POINT THAT THEY SEE THEIR FUTURE WITH TERROR. THESE DIFFICULTIES HAVE A DEVASTATING EFFECT ON THE QUALITY OF LIFE OF THE PATIENT AND THEIR FAMILIES, THE LATTER OFTEN BEING GIVEN LITTLE CONSIDERATION BY CARERS. SOMETIME TAILORED PSYCHOTHERAPY OR MEDICAL CARE CAN PARTIALLY CONTRIBUTE ONLY TO HELP THE PATIENT AND THEIR FAMILIES-CAREGIVER. TECHNIQUES SUCH AS YOGA AND SOME STRUCTURED MEDITATION, E.G. MINDFULNESS WHICH WORK ON THE "FEELING" OF MIND AND BODY CAN BE OF HELP. THESE TECHNIQUES LEAD TO A REDUCTION IN DISTRESS AND SO ADD TO A BETTER QUALITY OF LIFE, FUNDAMENTAL IN EACH STAGE OF THE ILLNESS. 2012 15 1347 26 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 16 1464 28 INFLUENCES OF A YOGA INTERVENTION ON THE POSTURAL SKILLS OF THE ITALIAN SHORT TRACK SPEED SKATING TEAM. INTRODUCTION: IN PREPARATION FOR A SHORT TRACK SPEED SKATING SEASON, EIGHT MEN AND SEVEN WOMEN WERE GIVEN YOGA SESSIONS DURING AN 8-WEEK HIGH VOLUME TRAINING CYCLE. THE SESSIONS WERE PLANNED ACCORDING TO THE POSTURAL ASPECTS SPECIFIC TO SHORT TRACK SPEED SKATING TECHNICAL REQUIREMENTS. THREE SPECIFIC GOALS WERE SELECTED FOR THE INTERVENTION: 1) TO OBSERVE WHETHER THE PRACTICE OF YOGA AS POSTURAL TRAINING COULD IMPROVE THE EFFICIENCY AND THE ATHLETE'S REPERTOIRE ALONG THE MUSCULAR SYNERGIES SOLICITED IN THE SHORT TRACK SPEED SKATING SPECIFIC TECHNIQUE; 2) TO ENHANCE AND DIVERSIFY THE MOTOR TIME-ON-TASK OF ATHLETES WITHOUT CHANGING THE PRESCRIPTION OF OTHER TRAINING STIMULUS; AND 3) TO LOWER THE RISK OF INJURY DURING PERIODS WITH HIGH VOLUMES OF TRAINING. METHODS: A TOTAL OF 36 SESSIONS OF YOGA WERE GIVEN. THREE POSTURAL TESTS WERE ADMINISTERED BEFORE AND AFTER THE INTERVENTION WITH 14 ANGLES ANALYZED. NON-PARAMETRIC WILCOXON TEST WAS USED TO COMPARE ANGLES' VARIATIONS. RESULTS: THE 36 YOGA SESSIONS TOTALIZED 986 MINUTES OF MOTOR TIME-ON-TASK, REGISTERING A PROPORTION OF 30% OF THE GLOBAL MOTOR TIME-ON-TASK OF THE TRAINING CYCLE. IMPROVEMENTS WERE FOUND IN ELEVEN OF THE 14 ANGLES MEASURED WHEN COMPARING PRE- AND POST-POSTURAL TESTS (P-VALUE FROM 0.01 TO 0.005). DURING THE 8 WEEKS, EXCEPTING TRAUMATIC INJURIES DUE TO SHORT TRACK SPEED SKATING ACCIDENTS, NO SKATERS SUFFERED INJURIES LINKED TO THE HIGH VOLUME OF TRAINING. FOLLOWING THE INTERVENTION, COACHES NOTICED, FOLLOWING THEIR ON-ICE FEEDBACKS, AN ADJUSTMENT IN THE EFFICIENCY OF THE SKATING TECHNIQUE, IN PARTICULAR REGARDING HIP DISSOCIATION. CONCLUSION: THESE RESULTS SUGGEST THAT YOGA COULD BE INSERTED INTO OUT-OF-SEASON TRAINING CYCLES, EVEN IN A HIGH VOLUME TRAINING CYCLE. PLANNED WITH THE DECISION TRAINING TOOLS, IT ALLOWS ATHLETES TO DIVERSIFY THEIR MOTOR TIME-ON-TASK BY INTEGRATING A NEW FUNCTIONAL RANGE OF GENERIC MOVEMENTS WITH THE SOLICITATION OF NEUROMUSCULAR SYNERGIES RELATED TO THE SPECIFICITY OF THEIR SPORT. 2015 17 2697 26 YOGA INTERVENTION AND FUNCTIONAL PAIN SYNDROMES: A SELECTIVE REVIEW. THE DEFINITION OF FUNCTIONAL PAIN SYNDROMES IS VARIED ACROSS LITERATURE. NO EFFORT HAS BEEN MADE TO SEE ALL FUNCTIONAL PAIN DISORDER GROUPS UNDER BROAD NOMENCLATURE WHICH WOULD EXCLUDE CONDITIONS FOR WHICH PATHOPHYSIOLOGY IS STRONGLY KNOWN. SINCE THESE DISORDERS ARE COMMONLY TREATED WITH ALTERNATIVE TREATMENT MODALITIES AND IMPOSE SIGNIFICANT BURDEN ON HEALTH UTILIZATION, AN EFFORT TO LOOK INTO STUDIES ON YOGA-BASED INTERVENTIONS ON 'FUNCTIONAL PAIN SYNDROMES' (FPS) WAS MADE. THIS STUDY DEFINED FPS AS 'CHRONIC RELAPSING REMITTING PAIN CONDITIONS, THE ORIGIN OF WHICH IS DIFFICULT TO TRACE WITH NO DEFINITE PHYSICAL PATHOLOGY ON CLINICAL SUSPICION OR AVAILABLE LABORATORY MEASURES AND ARE VALID BASED ON SUBJECTIVE PAIN REPORTING, ASSOCIATED DISTRESS AND SOCIO-OCCUPATIONAL DYSFUNCTION'. CHRONIC HEADACHE, NECK PAIN, BACK PAIN, FIBROMYALGIA, PELVIC PAIN, IRRITABLE BOWEL SYNDROME, CHRONIC FATIGUE SYNDROME, AND SOMATOFORM PAIN DISORDERS WERE INCLUDED FOR THIS REVIEW. THE REVIEW FOUND FOUR META-ANALYSES ON THE SELECTED TOPIC BOTH INDICATING MODEST EFFICACY AND BENEFIT OF YOGA IN THESE DISORDERS. FUTURE EFFORTS SHOULD BE DIRECTED TO DO A LARGE META-ANALYSIS OF FUNCTIONAL PAIN SYNDROMES. 2016 18 142 25 A PROTOCOL AND PILOT STUDY FOR MANAGING FIBROMYALGIA WITH YOGA AND MEDITATION. FIBROMYALGIA IS A CHRONIC SYNDROME CHARACTERIZED BY WIDESPREAD PAIN, SLEEP DISTURBANCE, STIFFNESS, FATIGUE, HEADACHE, AND MOOD DISORDERS. RECENT RESEARCH HAS RESULTED IN AN IMPROVED UNDERSTANDING OF FIBROMYALGIA AND ITS POSSIBLE CAUSES. THIS ARTICLE HIGHLIGHTS SOME OF THE CURRENT RESEARCH, DISCUSSES A STRATEGY FOR USING YOGA AND MEDITATION AS A THERAPY FOR FIBROMYALGIA SUFFERERS, AND PRESENTS THE RESULTS OF A PRELIMINARY 8-WEEK STUDY USING YOGA AND MEDITATION TO HELP MANAGE FIBROMYALGIA SYMPTOMS. THE STUDY OF 11 PARTICIPANTS FOUND SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENT IN THE OVERALL HEALTH STATUS OF THE PARTICIPANTS AND IN SYMPTOMS OF STIFFNESS, ANXIETY, AND DEPRESSION. SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENTS WERE ALSO SEEN IN THE REPORTED NUMBER OF DAYS "FELT GOOD" AND NUMBER OF DAYS "MISSED WORK" BECAUSE OF FIBROMYALGIA. NONSIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENTS WERE SEEN IN MEASURES OF PAIN, FATIGUE, AND HOW ONE FELT IN THE MORNING. EFFECT SIZES WERE MEDIUM TO LARGE FOR MOST TESTED AREAS. THIS STUDY SUPPORTS THE BENEFITS OF YOGA AND MEDITATION FOR INDIVIDUALS WITH FIBROMYALGIA AND ENCOURAGES FURTHER RESEARCH TO EXPLORE THEIR USE AS STANDARD THERAPIES FOR FIBROMYALGIA. 2011 19 2211 24 THE HEALTH IMAGINARY OF POSTURAL YOGA. THIS PAPER EXPLORES THE CAPACITY OF YOGA NARRATIVES AND PRACTICES TO CONTRIBUTE TO AND RELATE IDEAS ABOUT HEALTH. IT ADDS THEORETICALLY TO EXISTING LITERATURE ON YOGA BY INTRODUCING THE CONCEPT OF THE 'HEALTH IMAGINARY' AS AN ANALYTIC LENS FOR CONSIDERING YOGA DISCOURSES IN LATE MODERN TIMES, WHERE PERSONAL HEALTH CARE AND SPIRITUAL AMBITIONS ARE ONCE AGAIN BECOMING BLURRED. WITH THIS PERSPECTIVE, THE PAPER PROVIDES A THOROUGH ANALYSIS OF HOW YOGA POSTURES (ASANAS) ARE CONCEIVED TO WORK THERAPEUTICALLY, IN YOGA'S RECENT HISTORY AND IN PRESENT-DAY YOGA THERAPY. TAKING CASE STUDIES FROM INDIA AND GERMANY, IT IS SHOWN EMPIRICALLY HOW THE APPLICATION OF ASANAS IS RATIONALIZED DIFFERENTLY IN SPECIFIC GEOGRAPHICAL AND THERAPEUTIC ENVIRONMENTS - PARTICULARLY REGARDING THE PRESUMED THEORY OF THE BODY. THUS, THE CONCEPT OF THE HEALTH IMAGINARY NOT ONLY PROVIDES ANALYTIC SPACE TO EXPLORE THE IMPLICIT LOGICS AND GOALS OF HEALING IN DIFFERENT CONTEXTS, BUT ALSO OFFERS CLUES ABOUT THE DISTINCT SOCIAL, CULTURAL/RELIGIOUS, AND LOCAL INFLUENCES THAT DRAW PEOPLE INTO YOGA AND CONTRIBUTE TO ITS SELECTIVE APPROPRIATION ACROSS THE GLOBE. 2021 20 1280 16 GENERIC YOGA MODULES FOR CLINICAL AND RESEARCH SETTINGS-NEED OF THE HOUR. YOGA-BASED INTERVENTIONS OFFER SIGNIFICANT PROMISE IN HEALTHCARE. HOWEVER, META-ANALYSES OF VARIOUS YOGA TRIALS SUGGEST THAT COMPARISONS OF TRIALS ARE EITHER NOT POSSIBLE OR DIFFICULT DUE TO HETEROGENEITY IN THERAPEUTIC YOGA INTERVENTIONS. ALSO, IN VIEW OF EMERGING EVIDENCE FOR THE ROLE OF THERAPEUTIC YOGA, IT IS IMPORTANT TO IDENTIFY THE SPECIFICITY AND VALIDITY OF VARIOUS YOGA COMPONENTS BEING USED IN DIFFERENT TRIALS. EFFORTS IN THIS DIRECTION WILL BE FRUITFUL ONLY IF A SYSTEMATIC APPROACH IS ADOPTED TO DEVELOP YOGA PROGRAMS FOR VARIOUS AILMENTS. IN THIS ARTICLE, WE EMPHASIZE THE NEED FOR A "GENERIC YOGA" CONCEPT FOR DESIGNING A THERAPEUTIC YOGA PROGRAM FOR PARTICULAR HEALTH ISSUES, WITH THE OBJECTIVES OF PROMOTING SCIENTIFIC GROWTH OF THERAPEUTIC APPLICATIONS OF YOGA AND WIDESPREAD APPLICATION OF STANDARDIZED THERAPEUTIC YOGA PROGRAMS WITHIN A BIOMEDICAL FRAMEWORK. THIS GENERIC THERAPEUTIC YOGA WILL ESSENTIALLY HIGHLIGHT THE DEVELOPMENT-VALIDATION PROCESS OF UNCOPYRIGHTED YOGA PROGRAMS; THEIR COMPONENTS, BENEFITS, AND POSSIBLE SIDE-EFFECTS; AND REQUIREMENT FOR NEED-BASED MODIFICATIONS. 2021