1 1973 204 SHOULD ACUPUNCTURE, BIOFEEDBACK, MASSAGE, QI GONG, RELAXATION THERAPY, DEVICE-GUIDED BREATHING, YOGA AND TAI CHI BE USED TO REDUCE BLOOD PRESSURE?: RECOMMENDATIONS BASED ON HIGH-QUALITY SYSTEMATIC REVIEWS. BACKGROUND: THIS REVIEW AIMS TO RATE THE QUALITY OF EVIDENCE AND THE STRENGTH OF RECOMMENDATIONS IN HIGH-QUALITY SYSTEMATIC REVIEWS OF NON-DRUG THERAPIES. HYPERTENSIVE PATIENTS WHO ARE RESISTANT OR NON-ADHERENT TO ANTIHYPERTENSIVE DRUGS MAY BE EASIER TO MANAGE IF THEY CHOOSE ALTERNATIVE NON-DRUG THERAPIES FOR HYPERTENSION, BASED ON THIS REVIEW. METHODS: P: ADULTS (>18 YEARS), EXCEPT PREGNANT WOMEN, WITH ESSENTIAL HYPERTENSION. I: CUPPING, MOXIBUSTION, ACUPUNCTURE, ACUPOINT STIMULATION, YOGA, MEDITATION, TAI CHI, QI GONG, CHINESE MASSAGE, MASSAGE, SPINAL MANIPULATION, BIOFEEDBACK, DEVICE-GUIDED BREATHING THERAPY, AROMATHERAPY, MUSIC THERAPY, AND RELAXATION APPROACHES. C: 1. NO TREATMENT. 2. SHAM THERAPY. 3. CONVENTIONAL TREATMENT, INCLUDING ANTIHYPERTENSIVE DRUGS AND LIFESTYLE MODIFICATION (E.G., EXERCISE). O: 1. CHANGE IN THE INCIDENCE OF CARDIOVASCULAR DEATH. 2. CHANGE IN THE INCIDENCE OF MYOCARDIAL INFARCTION. 3. CHANGE IN THE INCIDENCE OF STROKE. 4. CHANGE IN BLOOD PRESSURE (BP). 5. EFFICACY RATE OF BP LOWERING. 6. ADVERSE EFFECTS (REVIEW SPECIFIC). S: SYSTEMATIC REVIEWS OF RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIALS, INCLUDING META-ANALYSES AND ASSESSMENTS OF THE METHODOLOGICAL QUALITY/RISK OF BIAS. INFORMATION SOURCES: COCHRANE DATABASE OF SYSTEMATIC REVIEWS, DATABASE OF ABSTRACTS OF REVIEWS OF EFFECTS, COCHRANE LIBRARY, PUBMED, WEB OF SCIENCE, CHINA NATIONAL KNOWLEDGE INFRASTRUCTURE, AND CHINESE SCIENTIFIC JOURNAL DATABASE WERE SEARCHED. THE BIBLIOGRAPHIES OF THE INCLUDED ARTICLES WERE ALSO SEARCHED FOR RELEVANT SYSTEMATIC REVIEWS. GRADE CRITERIA WERE USED TO RATE THE QUALITY OF EVIDENCE IN SYSTEMATIC REVIEWS CONSIDERING 6 FACTORS, INCLUDING RISK OF BIAS. RESULTS: THIS REVIEW ULTIMATELY INCLUDED 13 SYSTEMATIC REVIEWS OF 14 NON-DRUG THERAPIES (ACUPUNCTURE, WET CUPPING, BADUANJIN, BLOOD LETTING, AURICULAR ACUPUNCTURE, MUSIC, MASSAGE, QI GONG, MOXIBUSTION, RELAXATION THERAPIES, BIOFEEDBACK, DEVICE-GUIDED BREATHING, YOGA AND TAI CHI) BASED ON THE INCLUSION CRITERIA. THE QUALITY OF EVIDENCE WAS GENERALLY LOW, AND WEAK RECOMMENDATIONS WERE GIVEN FOR MOST THERAPIES EXCEPT MASSAGE AND ACUPUNCTURE PLUS ANTIHYPERTENSIVE DRUG. BASED ON THE ANALYZED EVIDENCE, MASSAGE AND ACUPUNCTURE PLUS ANTIHYPERTENSIVE DRUG COULD BENEFIT PEOPLE WHO WANT TO LOWER THEIR BP AND DO NOT HAVE CONTRAINDICATIONS FOR MASSAGE AND ACUPUNCTURE PLUS ANTIHYPERTENSIVE DRUG. DISCUSSION/STRENGTH: THE GRADE APPROACH MAKES THIS REVIEW A UNIQUE REFERENCE FOR PEOPLE WHO ARE CONSIDERING THE GRADE OF QUALITY OF EVIDENCE IN SYSTEMATIC REVIEWS, THE BALANCE OF DESIRABLE AND UNDESIRABLE CONSEQUENCES AND THE STRENGTH OF RECOMMENDATIONS TO DECIDE WHICH INTERVENTION SHOULD BE USED TO REDUCE BP. LIMITATIONS: MANY NON-DRUG THERAPIES WERE EXCLUDED DUE TO THE LOW METHODOLOGICAL QUALITY OF THEIR SYSTEMATIC REVIEWS, AND ONLY 14 THERAPIES WERE EVALUATED IN THIS REVIEW. AS NO PATIENT-IMPORTANT OUTCOMES WERE REVIEWED, SURROGATE OUTCOMES WERE USED TO RATE THE STRENGTH OF RECOMMENDATIONS. THIS APPROACH MAY CAUSE A DECREASE IN EVIDENCE QUALITY ACCORDING TO GRADE, BUT WE ARGUE THAT THIS IS APPROPRIATE IN THE CONTEXT OF THIS REVIEW. 2019 2 722 36 EFFECT OF KARAMARDADI YOGA VERSUS DICLOFENAC SODIUM IN POST-OPERATIVE PAIN MANAGEMENT: A RANDOMIZED COMPARATIVE CLINICAL TRIAL. INTRODUCTION: POST-OPERATIVE PAIN IS NOCICEPTIVE I.E., ANTICIPATED UNAVOIDABLE PHYSIOLOGICAL PAIN WHICH IS CAUSED DUE TO TISSUE TRAUMA. DRUGS SUCH AS NSAIDS (NON STEROIDAL ANTI INFLAMMATORY DRUGS) AND OPIOIDS ARE USED FOR POST-OPERATIVE PAIN MANAGEMENT BUT ARE ASSOCIATED WITH THEIR OWN DRAWBACKS. KARAMARDADI YOGA HAS BEEN IN USE IN AYURVEDIC PRACTICE FOR ANALGESIA. IT IS KNOWN TO RELIEVE PAIN AND CAN BE USED TO SUPPLEMENT ANAESTHESIA AND ALSO GET RID OF ADVERSE EFFECT OF MODERN ANALGESIC DRUGS. AIMS AND OBJECTIVE: TO STUDY THE COMPARATIVE EFFECT OF KARAMARDADI YOGA AND DICLOFENAC SODIUM IN POST-OPERATIVE PAIN MANAGEMENT. MATERIALS AND METHODS: RANDOMIZED CLINICAL TRIAL WITH GROUP A (CONTROL GROUP: TAB DICLOFENAC SODIUM 50 MG AS A SINGLE DOSE) AND GROUP B (TRIAL GROUP: CAP KARAMARDADI YOGA 500 MG AS A SINGLE DOSE). THOSE WHO HAD UNDERGONE HAEMORRHOIDECTOMY OPERATION UNDER LOCAL ANAESTHESIA WERE SELECTED AS PER INCLUSION CRITERIA. VITALS, DESIRABLE EFFECT AND UNDESIRABLE EFFECT, TOTAL SURGICAL TIME, REQUIREMENT OF 1(ST) DOSE OF ANALGESIC, REQUIREMENT OF RESCUE ANALGESIC AND PAIN DETERMINED BY VAS (VISUAL ANALOG SCALE) WERE THE ASSESSMENT CRITERIA AND WERE OBSERVED AND RECORDED. RESULTS: KARAMARDADI YOGA DOES NOT SHOW ANY UNDESIRABLE OR SERIOUS ILL EFFECTS AND ALTERED VALUES OF VITALS AS PER STATISTICAL ANALYSIS. AS PER VAS SCALE, PAIN FELT BY TRIAL GROUP WAS EARLIER THAN CONTROL GROUP. CONCLUSIONS: KARAMARDADI YOGA HAS ANALGESIC PROPERTY BUT ITS ANALGESIC PROPERTY AND PAIN THRESHOLD CAPACITY IS LESSER THAN THOSE OF DICLOFENAC SODIUM. 2016 3 1741 31 PHYSICAL DEMAND PROFILES OF HATHA YOGA POSTURES PERFORMED BY OLDER ADULTS. UNDERSTANDING THE PHYSICAL DEMANDS PLACED UPON THE MUSCULOSKELETAL SYSTEM BY INDIVIDUAL POSTURES MAY ALLOW EXPERIENCED INSTRUCTORS AND THERAPISTS TO DEVELOP SAFE AND EFFECTIVE YOGA PROGRAMS WHICH REDUCE UNDESIRABLE SIDE EFFECTS. THUS, WE USED BIOMECHANICAL METHODS TO QUANTIFY THE LOWER EXTREMITY JOINT ANGLES, JOINT MOMENTS OF FORCE, AND MUSCLE ACTIVITIES OF 21 HATHA YOGA POSTURES, COMMONLY USED IN SENIOR YOGA PROGRAMS. TWENTY OLDER ADULTS, 70.7 YEARS +/- 3.8 YEARS, PARTICIPATED IN A 32-WK YOGA CLASS (2 D/WK) WHERE THEY LEARNED INTRODUCTORY AND INTERMEDIATE POSTURES (ASANAS). THEY THEN PERFORMED THE ASANAS IN A MOTION ANALYSIS LABORATORY. KINEMATIC, KINETIC, AND ELECTROMYOGRAPHIC DATA WAS COLLECTED OVER THREE SECONDS WHILE THE PARTICIPANTS HELD THE POSES STATICALLY. PROFILES ILLUSTRATING THE POSTURES AND INCLUDING THE BIOMECHANICAL DATA WERE THEN GENERATED FOR EACH ASANA. OUR FINDINGS DEMONSTRATED THAT HATHA YOGA POSTURES ENGENDERED A RANGE OF APPRECIABLE JOINT ANGLES, JMOFS, AND MUSCLE ACTIVITIES ABOUT THE ANKLE, KNEE, AND HIP, AND THAT DEMANDS ASSOCIATED WITH SOME POSTURES AND POSTURE MODIFICATIONS WERE NOT ALWAYS INTUITIVE. THEY ALSO DEMONSTRATED THAT ALL OF THE POSTURES ELICITED APPRECIABLE RECTUS ABDOMINIS ACTIVITY, WHICH WAS UP TO 70% OF THAT INDUCED DURING WALKING. 2013 4 1575 29 MANAGING MENTAL HEALTH DISORDERS RESULTING FROM TRAUMA THROUGH YOGA: A REVIEW. THERE ARE MANY AND VARIED TYPES OF TRAUMA. THE EXTENT TO WHICH TRAUMA INFLUENCES THE MENTAL HEALTH OF AN INDIVIDUAL DEPENDS ON THE NATURE OF TRAUMA, AS WELL AS ON THE INDIVIDUAL'S COPING CAPABILITIES. OFTEN TRAUMA IS FOLLOWED BY DEPRESSION, ANXIETY, AND PTSD. AS THE PHARMACOLOGICAL REMEDIES FOR THESE CONDITIONS OFTEN HAVE UNDESIRABLE SIDE-EFFECTS, NONPHARMACOLOGICAL REMEDIES ARE THOUGHT OF AS A POSSIBLE ADD-ON TREATMENT. YOGA IS ONE SUCH MIND-BODY INTERVENTION. THIS PAPER COVERS ELEVEN STUDIES INDEXED IN PUBMED, IN WHICH MENTAL HEALTH DISORDERS RESULTING FROM TRAUMA WERE MANAGED THROUGH YOGA INCLUDING MEDITATION. THE AIM WAS TO EVALUATE THE USE OF YOGA IN MANAGING TRAUMA-RELATED DEPRESSION, ANXIETY, PTSD AND PHYSIOLOGICAL STRESS FOLLOWING EXPOSURE TO NATURAL CALAMITIES, WAR, INTERPERSONAL VIOLENCE, AND INCARCERATION IN A CORRECTIONAL FACILITY. AN ATTEMPT HAS ALSO BEEN MADE TO EXPLORE POSSIBLE MECHANISMS UNDERLYING BENEFITS SEEN. AS MOST OF THESE STUDIES WERE NOT DONE ON PERSONS EXPOSED TO TRAUMA THAT HAD PRACTICED YOGA, THIS IS A DEFINITE AREA FOR FURTHER RESEARCH. 2012 5 78 37 A LARGE-SCALE SURVEY OF ADVERSE EVENTS EXPERIENCED IN YOGA CLASSES. BACKGROUND: YOGA IS A REPRESENTATIVE MIND-BODY THERAPY OF COMPLEMENTARY AND ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE. IN JAPAN, YOGA IS PRACTICED WIDELY TO PROMOTE HEALTH, BUT YOGA-ASSOCIATED ADVERSE EVENTS HAVE ALSO BEEN REPORTED. TO DATE, THE FREQUENCIES AND CHARACTERISTICS OF YOGA-RELATED ADVERSE EVENTS HAVE NOT BEEN ELUCIDATED. THIS STUDY WAS CONDUCTED TO ELUCIDATE THE FREQUENCIES AND CHARACTERISTICS OF ADVERSE EVENTS OF YOGA PERFORMED IN CLASSES AND THE RISK FACTORS OF SUCH EVENTS. METHODS: THE SUBJECTS WERE 2508 PEOPLE TAKING YOGA CLASSES AND 271 YOGA THERAPISTS CONDUCTING THE CLASSES. A SURVEY FOR YOGA CLASS ATTENDEES WAS PERFORMED ON ADVERSE EVENTS THAT OCCURRED DURING A YOGA CLASS ON THE SURVEY DAY. A SURVEY FOR YOGA THERAPISTS WAS PERFORMED ON ADVERSE EVENTS THAT THE THERAPISTS HAD OBSERVED IN THEIR STUDENTS TO DATE. ADVERSE EVENTS WERE DEFINED AS "UNDESIRABLE SYMPTOMS OR RESPONSES THAT OCCURRED DURING A YOGA CLASS". RESULTS: AMONG 2508 YOGA CLASS ATTENDEES, 1343 (53.5%) HAD CHRONIC DISEASES AND 1063 (42.3%) WERE RECEIVING MEDICATION AT HOSPITALS. THERE WERE 687 CLASS ATTENDEES (27.8%) WHO REPORTED SOME TYPE OF UNDESIRABLE SYMPTOMS AFTER TAKING A YOGA CLASS. MUSCULOSKELETAL SYMPTOMS SUCH AS MYALGIA WERE THE MOST COMMON SYMPTOMS, INVOLVING 297 CASES, FOLLOWED BY NEUROLOGICAL SYMPTOMS AND RESPIRATORY SYMPTOMS. MOST ADVERSE EVENTS (63.8%) WERE MILD AND DID NOT INTERFERE WITH CLASS PARTICIPATION. THE RISK FACTORS FOR ADVERSE EVENTS WERE EXAMINED, AND THE ODDS RATIOS FOR ADVERSE EVENTS WERE SIGNIFICANTLY HIGHER IN ATTENDEES WITH CHRONIC DISEASE, POOR PHYSICAL CONDITION ON THE SURVEY DAY, OR A FEELING THAT THE CLASS WAS PHYSICALLY AND MENTALLY STRESSFUL. IN PARTICULAR, THE OCCURRENCE OF SEVERE ADVERSE EVENTS THAT INTERFERED WITH SUBSEQUENT YOGA PRACTICE WAS HIGH AMONG ELDERLY PARTICIPANTS (70 YEARS OR OLDER) AND THOSE WITH CHRONIC MUSCULOSKELETAL DISEASES. CONCLUSIONS: THE RESULTS OF THIS LARGE-SCALE SURVEY DEMONSTRATED THAT APPROXIMATELY 30% OF YOGA CLASS ATTENDEES HAD EXPERIENCED SOME TYPE OF ADVERSE EVENT. ALTHOUGH THE MAJORITY HAD MILD SYMPTOMS, THE SURVEY RESULTS INDICATED THAT ATTENDEES WITH CHRONIC DISEASES WERE MORE LIKELY TO EXPERIENCE ADVERSE EVENTS ASSOCIATED WITH THEIR DISEASE. THEREFORE, SPECIAL ATTENTION IS NECESSARY WHEN YOGA IS INTRODUCED TO PATIENTS WITH STRESS-RELATED, CHRONIC DISEASES. 2015 6 2306 36 TRAINING BENEFITS AND INJURY RISKS OF STANDING YOGA APPLIED IN MUSCULOSKELETAL PROBLEMS: LOWER LIMB BIOMECHANICAL ANALYSIS. STANDING YOGA POSES STRENGTHEN A PERSON'S LEGS AND HELPS TO ACHIEVE THE GOAL OF MUSCULOSKELETAL REHABILITATION, BUT INADEQUATE EXERCISE PLANNING CAN CAUSE INJURIES. THIS STUDY INVESTIGATED CHANGES IN THE ELECTROMYOGRAM AND JOINT MOMENTS OF FORCE (JMOFS) OF LOWER EXTREMITIES DURING COMMON STANDING YOGA POSES IN ORDER TO EXPLORE THE FEASIBILITY AND POSSIBLE INJURY RISK IN DEALING WITH MUSCULOSKELETAL PROBLEMS. ELEVEN YOGA INSTRUCTORS WERE RECRUITED TO EXECUTE FIVE YOGA POSES (CHAIR, TREE, WARRIOR 1, 2, AND 3). THE RESULTS REVEALED SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCES IN HIP, KNEE, AND ANKLE JMOFS AND VARYING DEGREES OF MUSCLE ACTIVATION AMONG THE POSES. AMONG THESE POSES, RECTUS FEMORIS MUSCLE ACTIVATION DURING THE CHAIR POSE WAS THE HIGHEST, WARRIOR 2 PRODUCED THE HIGHEST MUSCLE ACTIVATION IN THE VASTUS LATERALIS OF THE FRONT LIMB, WHILE WARRIOR 1 HAD THE HIGHEST MUSCLE ACTIVATION IN THE VASTUS MEDIALIS OF THE BACK LIMB. THEREFORE, ALL THREE POSES CAN POSSIBLY BE SUGGESTED AS A THERAPEUTIC INTERVENTION FOR QUADRICEPS STRENGTHENING. WARRIOR 1 WAS POSSIBLY SUGGESTED AS A THERAPEUTIC INTERVENTION IN ORDER TO REDUCE EXCESSIVE LATERAL OVERLOAD OF THE PATELLA, BUT THE POSSIBLE ADVERSE EFFECTS OF WARRIOR 2 WITH THE HIGHEST KNEE ADDUCTOR JMOF IN THE BACK LIMB COULD RAISE JOINT REACTION FORCES ACROSS THE MEDIAL CONDYLES. IN SINGLE-LEG BALANCE POSTURES, WARRIOR 3 HAD UNIQUE TRAINING EFFECTS ON THE HAMSTRING, AND IS THEREFORE SUGGESTED AS A PART OF HAMSTRING REHABILITATION EXERCISES. THE TREE POSE INDUCED LOW LOWER-EXTREMITY JMOFS AND A LOW LEVEL OF THIGH MUSCLE ACTIVATIONS WHEN IT WAS PERFORMED BY SENIOR INSTRUCTORS WITH EXCELLENT BALANCE CONTROL; HOWEVER, FOR YOGA BEGINNERS WITH INSUFFICIENT STABILITY, IT WILL BE A USEFUL TRAINING MODE FOR STRENGTHENING THE MUSCLES THAT HELP TO KEEP ONE UPRIGHT. THIS STUDY QUANTIFIED THE PHYSICAL DEMANDS OF YOGA POSES USING BIOMECHANICAL DATA AND ELUCIDATED THE STRUCTURES AND PRINCIPLES UNDERLYING EACH YOGA MOVEMENT. THIS IS CRUCIAL FOR YOGA PRACTITIONERS. 2021 7 2013 38 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 8 1698 28 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 9 1655 21 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 1537 51 KNEE OSTEOARTHRITIS PAIN IN THE ELDERLY CAN BE REDUCED BY MASSAGE THERAPY, YOGA AND TAI CHI: A REVIEW. BACKGROUND AND METHODS: THIS IS A REVIEW OF RECENTLY PUBLISHED RESEARCH, BOTH EMPIRICAL STUDIES AND META-ANALYSES, ON THE EFFECTS OF COMPLEMENTARY THERAPIES INCLUDING MASSAGE THERAPY, YOGA AND TAI CHI ON PAIN ASSOCIATED WITH KNEE OSTEOARTHRITIS IN THE ELDERLY. RESULTS: THE MASSAGE THERAPY PROTOCOLS HAVE BEEN EFFECTIVE IN NOT ONLY REDUCING PAIN BUT ALSO IN INCREASING RANGE OF MOTION, SPECIFICALLY WHEN MODERATE PRESSURE MASSAGE WAS USED AND WHEN BOTH THE QUADRICEPS AND HAMSTRINGS WERE MASSAGED. THE YOGA STUDIES TYPICALLY MEASURED PAIN BY THE WOMAC. MOST OF THOSE STUDIES SHOWED A CLINICALLY SIGNIFICANT REDUCTION IN PAIN, ESPECIALLY THE RESEARCH THAT FOCUSED ON POSES (E.G. THE IYENGAR STUDIES) AS OPPOSED TO THOSE THAT HAD INTEGRATED PROTOCOLS (POSES, BREATHING AND MEDITATION EXERCISES). THE TAI CHI STUDIES ALSO ASSESSED PAIN BY SELF-REPORT ON THE WOMAC AND SHOWED SIGNIFICANT REDUCTIONS IN PAIN. THE TAI CHI STUDIES WERE DIFFICULT TO COMPARE BECAUSE OF THEIR HIGHLY VARIABLE PROTOCOLS IN TERMS OF THE FREQUENCY AND DURATION OF TREATMENT. DISCUSSION: LARGER, RANDOMIZED CONTROL TRIALS ARE NEEDED ON EACH OF THESE THERAPIES USING MORE STANDARDIZED PROTOCOLS AND MORE OBJECTIVE VARIABLES IN ADDITION TO THE SELF-REPORTED WOMAC PAIN SCALE, FOR EXAMPLE, RANGE-OF-MOTION AND OBSERVED RANGE-OF-MOTION PAIN. IN ADDITION, TREATMENT COMPARISON STUDIES SHOULD BE CONDUCTED SO, FOR EXAMPLE, IF THE LOWER-COST YOGA AND TAI CHI WERE AS EFFECTIVE AS MASSAGE THERAPY, THEY MIGHT BE USED IN COMBINATION WITH OR AS SUPPLEMENTAL TO MASSAGE THERAPY. NONETHELESS, THESE THERAPIES ARE AT LEAST REDUCING PAIN IN KNEE OSTEOARTHRITIS AND THEY DO NOT SEEM TO HAVE SIDE EFFECTS. 2016 11 571 22 DEFINING YOGA-NIDRA: TRADITIONAL ACCOUNTS, PHYSIOLOGICAL RESEARCH, AND FUTURE DIRECTIONS. THE TERM YOGA-NIDRA HAS BEEN USED IN MANY EMPIRICAL STUDIES TO REFER TO RELAXATION AND GUIDED IMAGERY. THESE TECHNIQUES DO NOT REPRESENT THE INTENTION OR PHYSIOLOGICAL CORRELATES OF YOGANIDRA DISCUSSED IN THE TRADITIONAL YOGA LITERATURE. WE PROPOSE AN OPERATIONAL DEFINITION OF YOGA-NIDRA THAT IS SUPPORTED BY SEVERAL PHYSIOLOGICALLY TESTABLE HYPOTHESES REGARDING ITS OUTCOMES AND EFFECTS. TRADITIONAL DESCRIPTIONS OF YOGA-NIDRA AND CONTEMPORARY ACCOUNTS OF ITS PRACTICE ARE REVIEWED, AND STUDIES EXAMINING THE PHYSIOLOGICAL CORRELATES OF YOGA-NIDRA ARE EXAMINED. PROPOSED HYPOTHESES FOR FUTURE RESEARCH USING THIS OPERATIONAL DEFINITION ARE PROVIDED. 2013 12 2064 30 THE BIOMECHANICAL DEMANDS OF STANDING YOGA POSES IN SENIORS: THE YOGA EMPOWERS SENIORS STUDY (YESS). BACKGROUND: THE NUMBER OF OLDER ADULTS PARTICIPATING IN YOGA HAS INCREASED DRAMATICALLY IN RECENT YEARS; YET, THE PHYSICAL DEMANDS ASSOCIATED WITH YOGA PERFORMANCE HAVE NOT BEEN REPORTED. THE PRIMARY AIM OF THE YOGA EMPOWERS SENIORS STUDY (YESS) WAS TO USE BIOMECHANICAL METHODS TO QUANTIFY THE PHYSICAL DEMANDS ASSOCIATED WITH THE PERFORMANCE OF 7 COMMONLY-PRACTICED STANDING YOGA POSES IN OLDER ADULTS. METHODS: 20 AMBULATORY OLDER ADULTS (70.7+-3.8 YRS) ATTENDED 2 WEEKLY 60-MINUTE HATHA YOGA CLASSES FOR 32 WEEKS. THE LOWER-EXTREMITY NET JOINT MOMENTS OF FORCE (JMOFS), WERE OBTAINED DURING THE PERFORMANCE OF THE FOLLOWING POSES: CHAIR, WALL PLANK, TREE, WARRIOR II, SIDE STRETCH, CRESCENT, AND ONE-LEGGED BALANCE. REPEATED-MEASURE ANOVA AND TUKEY'S POST-HOC TESTS WERE USED TO IDENTIFY DIFFERENCES IN JMOFS AMONG THE POSES. ELECTROMYOGRAPHIC ANALYSIS WAS USED TO SUPPORT THE JMOF FINDINGS. RESULTS: THERE WAS A SIGNIFICANT MAIN EFFECT FOR POSE, AT THE ANKLE, KNEE AND HIP, IN THE FRONTAL AND SAGITTAL PLANES (P=0.00-0.03). THE CRESCENT, CHAIR, WARRIOR II, AND ONE-LEGGED BALANCE POSES GENERATED THE GREATEST AVERAGE SUPPORT MOMENTS. SIDE STRETCH GENERATED THE GREATEST AVERAGE HIP EXTENSOR AND KNEE FLEXOR JMOFS. CRESCENT PLACED THE HIGHEST DEMANDS ON THE HIP FLEXORS AND KNEE EXTENSORS. ALL OF THE POSES PRODUCED ANKLE PLANTAR-FLEXOR JMOFS. IN THE FRONTAL PLANE, THE TREE GENERATED THE GREATEST AVERAGE HIP AND KNEE ABDUCTOR JMOFS; WHEREAS WARRIOR II GENERATED THE GREATEST AVERAGE HIP AND KNEE ADDUCTOR JMOFS. WARRIOR II AND ONE-LEGGED BALANCE INDUCED THE LARGEST AVERAGE ANKLE EVERTOR AND INVERTOR JMOFS, RESPECTIVELY. THE ELECTROMYOGRAPHIC FINDINGS WERE CONSISTENT WITH THE JMOF RESULTS. CONCLUSIONS: MUSCULOSKELETAL DEMAND VARIED SIGNIFICANTLY ACROSS THE DIFFERENT POSES. THESE FINDINGS MAY BE USED TO GUIDE THE DESIGN OF EVIDENCE-BASED YOGA INTERVENTIONS THAT ADDRESS INDIVIDUAL-SPECIFIC TRAINING AND REHABILITATION GOALS IN SENIORS. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION: THIS STUDY IS REGISTERED WITH NIH CLINICALTRIALS.GOV #NCT 01411059. 2013 13 2490 27 YOGA AS AN INTERVENTION TO MANAGE MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS SYMPTOMS. MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS (MS) IS AN AUTOIMMUNE, DEMYELINATING, INFLAMMATORY DISEASE OF CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM (CNS) WHICH IS CHARACTERIZED BY SPASTICITY, FATIGUE, DEPRESSION, ANXIETY, BOWEL AND BLADDER DYSFUNCTION, IMPAIRED MOBILITY, COGNITIVE IMPAIRMENT ETC. AND AFFECTS APPROXIMATELY 2.5 MILLION PEOPLE WORLDWIDE. DISEASE MODIFYING THERAPIES FOR MS WHICH HELP IN PREVENTING ACCUMULATION OF LESIONS IN WHITE MATTER OF CNS ARE COSTLY AND HAVE SIGNIFICANT ADVERSE EFFECTS. THEREFORE, PATIENTS WITH MS ARE USING COMPLEMENTARY AND ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE (CAM) AND YOGA IS ONE OF THE MOST POPULAR FORM OF CAM WHICH IS BEING USED IMMENSELY TO REDUCE OR OVERCOME THE SYMPTOMS OF MS. IN THE CURRENT REVIEW ATTEMPTED TO PRESENT THE POTENTIAL IMPACT OF YOGA PRACTICES ON REDUCING MS RELATED SYMPTOMS. 2020 14 322 26 ANKLE MOTION IN COMMON YOGA POSES. BACKGROUND: MOTION OF THE ANKLE IS ESSENTIAL FOR MANY YOGA POSES. AN UNDERSTANDING OF RANGE OF ANKLE MOTION DURING TYPICAL YOGA POSES MAY HELP THE CLINICIAN TO UNDERSTAND EXPECTED OUTCOMES OF PATIENTS WHEN RETURNING FROM ANKLE SURGERY OR INJURY TO YOGA. METHODS: THE BIOMECHANICS OF TWENTY HEALTHY ACTIVE YOGIS WERE COLLECTED DURING SEVEN YOGA POSES THAT ARE COMMON WITHIN THEIR PRACTICES. MOTION CAPTURE AND FORCE PLATES WERE USED TO ASSESS THE RANGE OF MOTION AND JOINT MOMENTS OF THE ANKLE FOR EACH POSE. RESULTS: ALL POSES RESULTED IN PLANTARFLEXION AND EXTERNAL ROTATION MOMENTS AT THE ANKLE JOINTS. JOINT LOADING WAS HIGHEST IN SINGLE LEG POSES. THE ARC OF MOTION USED BY THE STUDY PARTICIPANTS IN THE POSES WAS 29 DEGREES OF SAGITTAL MOTION, 20 DEGREES OF FRONTAL MOTION AND 35 DEGREES OF TRANSVERSE MOTION. DISCUSSION: ANKLE MOTION WAS EVALUATED WHEN HEALTHY YOGIS PERFORM STANDARD POSES. THESE RESULTS MAY HELP IN DISCUSSION WITH PATIENTS REGARDING EXPECTED OUTCOMES AFTER ANKLE INJURY OR SURGERY. 2019 15 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 16 2026 30 TAI CHI AND YOGA AS COMPLEMENTARY THERAPIES IN RHEUMATOLOGIC CONDITIONS. TAI CHI AND YOGA ARE COMPLEMENTARY THERAPIES WHICH HAVE, DURING THE LAST FEW DECADES, EMERGED AS POPULAR TREATMENTS FOR RHEUMATOLOGIC AND MUSCULOSKELETAL DISEASES. THIS REVIEW COVERS THE EVIDENCE OF TAI CHI AND YOGA IN THE MANAGEMENT OF RHEUMATOLOGIC DISEASES, ESPECIALLY OSTEOARTHRITIS OF THE KNEE, HIP AND HAND, AND RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS. THERE IS EVIDENCE THAT TAI CHI AND YOGA ARE SAFE, AND SOME EVIDENCE THAT THEY HAVE BENEFIT, LEADING TO REDUCTION OF PAIN AND IMPROVEMENT OF PHYSICAL FUNCTION AND QUALITY OF LIFE IN PATIENTS. RECOMMENDATIONS FOR TAI CHI IN KNEE OSTEOARTHRITIS HAVE RECENTLY BEEN ISSUED BY THE AMERICAN COLLEGE OF RHEUMATOLOGY. TO ALLOW BROADER RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE USE OF TAI CHI AND YOGA IN RHEUMATIC DISEASES, THERE IS A NEED TO COLLECT MORE EVIDENCE RESEARCHED WITH LARGER RANDOMISED CONTROLLED TRIALS. 2012 17 538 30 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 18 2454 44 YOGA AS A COMPLEMENTARY THERAPY FOR METABOLIC SYNDROME: A NARRATIVE REVIEW. METABOLIC SYNDROME (MS) IS ASSOCIATED WITH A SEDENTARY AND STRESSFUL LIFESTYLE AND AFFECTS UNDERACTIVE PEOPLE DISPROPORTIONATELY. YOGA IS CONSIDERED TO BE A LOW-IMPACT MIND-BODY STRESS-RELIEVING EXERCISE, AND RESEARCHERS ARE INCREASING THEIR FOCUS ON THE BENEFITS OF YOGA FOR MANAGING METABOLIC DISORDERS. IT IS ALSO IMPORTANT FOR PHYSICIANS AND HEALTH CARE PROFESSIONALS TO UNDERSTAND THE THERAPEUTIC EFFICACY OF YOGA INTERVENTION, IN TERMS OF ITS TYPE, DURATION AND FREQUENCY ON VARIOUS MS RISK FACTORS. THE PRESENT REVIEW SUMMARIZES THE CURRENT SCIENTIFIC UNDERSTANDING OF THE EFFECTS OF YOGA ON MS RISK FACTORS SUCH AS GLUCOSE HOMEOSTASIS MARKERS, LIPID PROFILE, ADIPOCYTOKINES AND CARDIOVASCULAR RISK FACTORS, AND DISCUSSES THE POSSIBLE MECHANISMS OF ACTION. MEDLINE, PUBMED, SCOPUS AND COCHRANE LIBRARY WERE SEARCHED FROM THEIR INCEPTION UP TO DECEMBER 2019, USING THE KEYWORDS "METABOLIC SYNDROME," "DIABETES," "CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASES," "OBESITY" AND "YOGA." THE LITERATURE SUMMARIZED IN THIS REVIEW HAVE SHOWN MIXED EFFECTS OF YOGA ON MS RISK FACTORS AND DO NOT PROVIDE ROBUST EVIDENCE FOR ITS EFFICACY. MORE RIGOROUS RESEARCH AND WELL-DESIGNED TRIALS THAT HAVE A HIGHER STANDARD OF METHODOLOGY AND EVALUATE YOGA'S LONG-TERM IMPACTS ON MS ARE NEEDED. UNDERSTANDING YOGA'S BIOCHEMICAL AND MOLECULAR MECHANISMS OF ACTION ON VARIOUS METABOLIC PATHWAYS IS ALSO NEEDED. 2021 19 2300 40 THERAPEUTIC YOGA: SYMPTOM MANAGEMENT FOR MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS. MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS (MS) IS THE MOST COMMON AUTOIMMUNE INFLAMMATORY DEMYELINATING DISEASE OF THE CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM, AFFECTING OVER 2.3 MILLION PEOPLE WORLDWIDE. ACCORDING TO THE NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF NEUROLOGICAL DISORDERS AND STROKE, THE AGE OF DISEASE ONSET IS TYPICALLY BETWEEN 20 AND 40 YEARS, WITH A HIGHER INCIDENCE IN WOMEN. INDIVIDUALS WITH MS EXPERIENCE A WIDE RANGE OF SYMPTOMS, INCLUDING DECLINING PHYSICAL, EMOTIONAL, AND PSYCHOLOGICAL SYMPTOMS (E.G., FATIGUE, IMBALANCE, SPASTICITY, CHRONIC PAIN, COGNITIVE IMPAIRMENT, BLADDER AND BOWEL DYSFUNCTION, VISUAL AND SPEECH IMPAIRMENTS, DEPRESSION, SENSORY DISTURBANCE, AND MOBILITY IMPAIRMENT). TO DATE, BOTH THE CAUSE OF AND CURE FOR MS REMAIN UNKNOWN. IN RECENT YEARS, MORE INDIVIDUALS WITH MS HAVE BEEN PURSUING ALTERNATIVE METHODS OF TREATMENT TO MANAGE SYMPTOMS OF THE DISEASE, INCLUDING MIND-BODY THERAPIES SUCH AS YOGA, MEDITATION, BREATHING, AND RELAXATION TECHNIQUES. IT HAS BEEN SUGGESTED THAT THE PRACTICE OF YOGA MAY BE A SAFE AND EFFECTIVE WAY OF MANAGING SYMPTOMS OF MS. THEREFORE, THE PURPOSE OF THIS PAPER IS TO SUMMARIZE THE MOST RELEVANT LITERATURE ON EXERCISE AND MIND-BODY MODALITIES TO TREAT MS SYMPTOMS AND, MORE SPECIFICALLY, THE BENEFITS AND POTENTIAL ROLE OF YOGA AS AN ALTERNATIVE TREATMENT OF SYMPTOM MANAGEMENT FOR INDIVIDUALS WITH MS. THE ARTICLE ALSO DISCUSSES FUTURE DIRECTIONS FOR RESEARCH. 2015 20 1566 16 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