1 2480 107 YOGA AS AN ALTERNATIVE AND COMPLEMENTARY APPROACH FOR STRESS MANAGEMENT: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW. STRESS HAS BECOME A GLOBAL PUBLIC HEALTH PROBLEM. YOGA OFFERS ONE POSSIBLE WAY OF REDUCING STRESS. THE PURPOSE OF THIS STUDY WAS TO LOOK AT STUDIES FROM 2011 TO MAY 2013 AND EXAMINE WHETHER YOGA CAN BE AN EFFICACIOUS APPROACH FOR MANAGING STRESS. A SYSTEMATIC SEARCH OF MEDLINE, CINAHL, AND ALT HEALTHWATCH DATABASES WAS CONDUCTED FOR QUANTITATIVE ARTICLES INVOLVING ALL SCHOOLS OF YOGA. A TOTAL OF 17 ARTICLES MET THE INCLUSION CRITERIA. SIX OF THESE WERE FROM THE UNITED STATES, 3 FROM INDIA, 2 FROM THE UNITED KINGDOM, AND 1 EACH FROM AUSTRALIA, BRAZIL, GERMANY, IRAQ, SWEDEN, AND TAIWAN. OF THE 17 STUDIES, 12 DEMONSTRATED POSITIVE CHANGES IN PSYCHOLOGICAL OR PHYSIOLOGICAL OUTCOMES RELATED TO STRESS. DESPITE THE LIMITATIONS, NOT ALL STUDIES USED A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED DESIGN, HAD SMALLER SAMPLE SIZES, HAD DIFFERENT OUTCOMES, HAD NONSTANDARDIZED YOGA INTERVENTION, AND HAD VARYING LENGTHS, YOGA APPEARS TO BE A PROMISING MODALITY FOR STRESS MANAGEMENT. 2014 2 2479 80 YOGA AS AN ALTERNATIVE AND COMPLEMENTARY APPROACH FOR ARTHRITIS: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW. IN THE UNITED STATES, APPROXIMATELY 21% OF THE ADULTS SUFFER FROM ARTHRITIS. YOGA OFFERS ONE POSSIBLE WAY OF MANAGING ARTHRITIS. THE PURPOSE OF THIS STUDY WAS TO LOOK AT STUDIES FROM 2010 TO JUNE 2013 AND EXAMINE WHETHER YOGA CAN BE AN EFFICACIOUS APPROACH FOR MANAGING ARTHRITIS. A SYSTEMATIC SEARCH FROM MEDLINE, CUMULATIVE INDEX TO NURSING AND ALLIED HEALTH, AND ALT HEALTHWATCH DATABASES WAS CONDUCTED FOR QUANTITATIVE ARTICLES INVOLVING ALL SCHOOLS OF YOGA. A TOTAL OF 9 ARTICLES MET THE INCLUSION CRITERIA. FIVE OF THESE WERE FROM THE UNITED STATES AND 4 FROM INDIA. OF THE 9 STUDIES, 6 DEMONSTRATED POSITIVE CHANGES IN PSYCHOLOGICAL OR PHYSIOLOGICAL OUTCOMES RELATED TO ARTHRITIS. DESPITE THE LIMITATIONS NOT ALL STUDIES USING RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED DESIGN, HAVING SMALLER SAMPLE SIZES, HAVING DIFFERENT OUTCOMES, HAVING NONSTANDARDIZED YOGA INTERVENTION, NOT USING BEHAVIORAL THEORY, AND HAVING VARYING LENGTHS, YOGA APPEARS TO BE A PROMISING MODALITY FOR ARTHRITIS. 2014 3 1145 27 ELEMENTARY STUDENT AND TEACHER PERCEPTIONS OF A MINDFULNESS AND YOGA-BASED PROGRAM IN SCHOOL: A QUALITATIVE EVALUATION. RESEARCH QUESTION: WHAT ARE THE QUALITATIVE INSIGHTS AND PERSPECTIVES ABOUT THE IMPLEMENTATION OF A MINDFULNESS AND YOGA-BASED PROGRAM FROM ELEMENTARY YOUTH AND TEACHERS? CONTEXT: A MINDFULNESS AND YOGA-BASED CURRICULUM WAS IMPLEMENTED IN 15 SCHOOLS. THE CURRICULUM WAS TAUGHT TO STUDENTS DURING A PHYSICAL EDUCATION OR DANCE CLASS BY INSTRUCTORS WHO WERE WITHIN EACH SCHOOL AND RECEIVED TRAINING ON THE CURRICULUM. SAMPLE SELECTION: VOLUNTEER FOCUS GROUP ELEMENTARY STUDENTS WHO PARTICIPATED FOR ONE YEAR AND TEACHERS WHO DID NOT IMPLEMENT THE PROGRAM WERE QUALITATIVELY INTERVIEWED, BY THREE TRAINED UNIVERSITY RESEARCHERS. DATA COLLECTION: NINE FOCUS GROUPS WERE COMPLETED WITHIN THREE DIFFERENT ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS. SIX FOCUS GROUPS WERE COMPLETED WITH 3RD AND 5TH GRADE STUDENTS. THREE FOCUS GROUPS WERE CONDUCTED WITH TEACHERS WITHIN EACH SCHOOL WHICH RECEIVED THE PROGRAM, EXCLUDING INSTRUCTORS. ANALYSIS: FOCUS GROUP DATA WERE CODED AND A THEMATIC ANALYSIS WAS COMPLETED AMONG THE 40 STUDENTS AND 23 TEACHERS. INTERPRETATION AND MAIN RESULTS: TEACHERS HAD VARYING DEGREES OF INVOLVEMENT WITH THE PROGRAM AND COMMUNICATION EMERGED AS A CRITICAL THEME FOR BUY-IN AS COMMUNICATION REPRESENTS THE UNDERPINNINGS OF CREATING AND RETAINING STAKEHOLDERS. MOST STUDENTS TALKED ABOUT PERCEIVED IMPROVEMENTS IN FOCUS, EMOTIONAL REGULATION, FLEXIBILITY, BREATHING, AND SCHOOL WORK. A COMMON THEME TO DESCRIBE BENEFITS OF THE PROGRAM EMERGED WITH THE IDEA OF "INCREASED FOCUS". CONCEPTUALLY, IT MAY BE THAT INCREASING MINDFULNESS INCREASES "FOCUS" THUS INCREASING POSITIVE OUTCOMES. MORE RESEARCH IS NEEDED TO UNDERSTAND IF "FOCUS" MAY SERVE AS A MEDIATING VARIABLE ON EMOTIONAL REGULATION, COGNITIVE IMPROVEMENTS, AND OTHER HEALTH OUTCOMES. 2020 4 234 61 A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW OF YOGA INTERVENTIONS AS INTEGRATIVE TREATMENT IN BREAST CANCER. PURPOSE: BREAST CANCER IS A SIGNIFICANT PUBLIC HEALTH PROBLEM ALL OVER THE WORLD. THE TREATMENT OF BREAST CANCER HAS MANY SIDE EFFECTS. YOGA HAS BEEN SUGGESTED AS AN INTEGRATIVE FORM OF THERAPY FOR BREAST CANCER. THE PURPOSE OF THIS STUDY WAS TO SYSTEMATICALLY REVIEW YOGA INTERVENTIONS FOR BREAST CANCER AND DETERMINE THE EFFICACY OF THESE INTERVENTIONS AS INTEGRATIVE MODALITIES OF TREATMENT IN ALTERING VARIOUS OUTCOMES RELATED TO BREAST CANCER. METHODS: STUDIES WERE INCLUDED IF (1) EXCLUSIVELY TARGETED BREAST CANCER PATIENTS; (2) PUBLISHED BETWEEN 2013 AND MAY 2016; (3) WRITTEN IN THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE; (4) PUBLISHED IN A PEER-REVIEWED JOURNALS INDEXED IN MEDLINE (PUBMED), CINAHL, ERIC AND ALT HEALTH WATCH; (5) THEY USED ANY TYPE OF YOGA AS A PART OF OR THE WHOLE INTERVENTION; AND (6) UTILIZED A QUANTITATIVE DESIGN FOR EVALUATION. RESULTS: A TOTAL OF 23 INTERVENTIONS MET THE INCLUSION CRITERIA. MAJORITY OF THE STUDIES HAD BEEN DONE IN USA (N = 9), FOLLOWED BY GERMANY (N = 3), INDIA (N = 3) AND TURKEY (N = 2). ONE STUDY EACH WAS FROM AUSTRALIA, CANADA, IRAN, TAIWAN, POLAND, AND UK. TWENTY-TWO OF THE 23 INTERVENTIONS HAD STATISTICALLY SIGNIFICANT CHANGES IN STUDIED OUTCOME MEASURES. CONCLUSIONS: DESPITE THE LIMITATIONS OF WIDE VARIABILITIES IN SAMPLE SIZE, LACK OF STANDARDIZED APPROACH IN CONDUCTING YOGA, MULTIPLICITY OF OUTCOME MEASURES, VARYING DURATIONS OF INTERVENTIONS AND LACK OF USING BEHAVIORAL THEORIES, YOGA AS AN INTEGRATIVE FORM OF THERAPY FOR BREAST CANCER IS A PROMISING APPROACH. MORE INTERVENTIONS UTILIZING YOGA NEED TO BE TESTED. 2016 5 2247 25 THE INTEGRATION OF YOGA IN PHYSICAL THERAPY CLINICAL PRACTICE. HEALTH PROFESSIONALS ARE BEGINNING TO USE YOGA AS A TREATMENT MODALITY. HOWEVER, EVIDENCE EXPLAINING PHYSICAL THERAPISTS' INTEGRATION OF YOGA IN CLINICAL PRACTICE IS LACKING. OBJECTIVE: THE PURPOSE OF THIS STUDY WAS TO EXPLORE HOW, WHY, AND WITH WHOM PHYSICAL THERAPISTS INTEGRATE YOGA INTO CLINICAL PRACTICE. DESIGN: THIS STUDY IS A SECONDARY ANALYSIS OF QUALITATIVE DATA COLLECTED DURING A LARGER MULTI-METHODS STUDY. THEMATIC ANALYSIS OF 13 INTERVIEWS WAS CONDUCTED. RESULTS: ANALYSIS INDICATED FOUR THEMES, AND SIX SUBTHEMES. FACILITATING YOGA IN CLINICAL PRACTICE AND YOGA TRAINING THEMES; INCLUDING EVALUATION OF OUTCOMES, BILLING, TERMINOLOGY, AND SAFETY SUBTHEMES DESCRIBE HOW PHYSICAL THERAPISTS ARE USING YOGA IN CLINICAL PRACTICE. THE PERCEIVED CLIENT OUTCOMES THEME, INCLUDING PHYSICAL AND PSYCHOSOCIAL OUTCOMES EXPLAIN WHY PHYSICAL THERAPISTS USE YOGA IN PRACTICE. THE YOGA WITH CLINICAL POPULATIONS THEME ADDRESSES WITH WHOM PHYSICAL THERAPISTS ARE USING YOGA. CONCLUSION: PHYSICAL THERAPISTS ARE USING YOGA WITH INDIVIDUALS WITH VARIOUS HEALTH CONDITIONS TO IMPROVE THEIR PHYSICAL AND MENTAL HEALTH. FINDINGS SUPPORT THE NEED FOR PHYSICAL THERAPISTS TO INCREASE THEIR ASSESSMENT AND DOCUMENTATION OF FUNCTIONAL OUTCOMES ASSOCIATED WITH CLIENT'S YOGA PARTICIPATION. DOCUMENTATION COULD CONTRIBUTE TO EVIDENCE-BASED LITERATURE RELATED TO HOW, WHY, AND WITH WHOM PHYSICAL THERAPISTS ARE USING YOGA. DOCUMENTED OUTCOMES COULD ALSO PROVIDE RATIONALE FOR YOGA TO RECEIVE CLASSIFICATION AS A REIMBURSABLE COMPLEMENTARY AND INTEGRATIVE HEALTH APPROACH. FUTURE RESEARCH INVOLVING A LARGER, DIVERSE SAMPLE (E.G., PHYSICAL THERAPISTS WITH VARYING LEVELS OF EDUCATION AND YOGA TRAINING) FOCUSED ON HOW, WHY, AND WITH WHOM PHYSICAL THERAPISTS INTEGRATE YOGA INTO CLINICAL PRACTICE IS RECOMMENDED. 2021 6 563 26 CROSS-SECTIONAL ANALYSIS OF HEALTH-RELATED QUALITY OF LIFE AND ELEMENTS OF YOGA PRACTICE. BACKGROUND: MIND-BODY PRACTICES SUCH AS YOGA HAVE BEEN STUDIED FOR THEIR GENERALLY POSITIVE EFFECTS ON HEALTH-RELATED QUALITY OF LIFE (HRQOL). THE ASSOCIATION BETWEEN HOW A PERSON PRACTICES YOGA AND THE PERSON'S HRQOL IS NOT KNOWN. MATERIALS AND METHODS: YOGA PRACTITIONERS WERE SENT INVITATIONS TO PARTICIPATE IN AN ONLINE SURVEY VIA EMAIL. YOGA CHARACTERISTICS, HRQOL, AND OTHER SOCIODEMOGRAPHICS WERE COLLECTED. ANALYSES OF DATA FROM 309 CONSENTING RESPONDERS EVALUATED ASSOCIATIONS BETWEEN YOGA PRACTICE CHARACTERISTICS (USE OF YOGA TOOLS, LENGTH OF PRACTICE, LOCATION, METHOD, ETC.) AND THE 10-ITEM PROMIS GLOBAL HEALTH SCALE FOR BOTH PHYSICAL AND MENTAL HEALTH COMPONENTS. RESULTS: MULTIVARIABLE REGRESSION MODELS DEMONSTRATED HIGHER MENTAL HEALTH SCORES WERE ASSOCIATED WITH REGULAR MEDITATION PRACTICE, HIGHER INCOME, AND THE METHOD OF PRACTICING IN A COMMUNITY GROUP CLASS (VERSUS ONE-ON-ONE). HIGHER PHYSICAL HEALTH SCORES WERE ASSOCIATED WITH LENGTH OF LIFETIME PRACTICE, TEACHER STATUS, KRISHNAMACHARYA YOGA STYLE, AND PRACTICING IN A YOGA SCHOOL/STUDIO (VERSUS AT HOME). CONCLUSIONS: MEDITATION PRACTICE IN YOGA IS POSITIVELY ASSOCIATED WITH MENTAL HEALTH. LENGTH OF LIFETIME YOGA PRACTICE WAS SIGNIFICANTLY ASSOCIATED WITH BETTER PHYSICAL HEALTH, SUGGESTING YOGA HAS A POTENTIAL CUMULATIVE BENEFIT OVER TIME. DIFFERENT LOCATIONS AND METHODS OF PRACTICE MAY BE ASSOCIATED WITH VARYING EFFECTS ON HEALTH OUTCOMES. COMPARATIVE CROSS-SECTIONAL AND LONGITUDINAL STUDIES ON THE VARIATIONS IN YOGA PRACTICE ARE NEEDED TO FURTHER CHARACTERIZE HEALTH BENEFITS OF YOGA. 2017 7 152 30 A QUALITATIVE STUDY EXPLORING COMMUNITY YOGA PRACTICE IN ADULTS WITH RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS. OBJECTIVE: YOGA MAY IMPROVE PHYSICAL FUNCTION AND REDUCE DISEASE SYMPTOMS IN ADULTS WITH RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS (RA). HOWEVER, LITTLE IS KNOWN ABOUT HOW PATIENTS WITH RA ARE PRACTICING YOGA IN THE COMMUNITY. THE OBJECTIVE OF THIS QUALITATIVE STUDY WAS TO EXPLORE COMMUNITY YOGA PRACTICE CHARACTERISTICS AND THOUGHTS ABOUT YOGA PRACTICE FOR ADULTS WITH RA. DESIGN: PARTICIPANTS COMPLETED A SEMI-STRUCTURED TELEPHONE INTERVIEW WITH OPEN-ENDED QUESTIONS. THEMATIC ANALYSIS WAS USED TO ANALYZE INTERVIEW TRANSCRIPTS. PARTICIPANTS: A CONVENIENCE SAMPLE OF 17 ADULTS WITH RHEUMATOLOGIST-DIAGNOSED RA WHO HAD PARTICIPATED IN YOGA WITHIN THE PAST YEAR WERE ASKED ABOUT THE DECISION TO START, CONTINUE, AND STOP YOGA; THE PERCEIVED BENEFITS OF YOGA; COMPONENTS OF YOGA SESSIONS; AND GENERAL THOUGHTS ABOUT YOGA AS IT RELATES TO RA. RESULTS: ALTHOUGH EIGHT DIFFERENT STYLES OF YOGA WERE PRACTICED, COMMONALITIES IN YOGA CLASS COMPONENTS (SUCH AS STRETCHING, STRENGTHENING, DEEP BREATHING, MEDITATION, AND POSITIVE MESSAGING FROM THE INSTRUCTOR) REVEAL EXAMPLES OF PREFERRED TYPES OF YOGA FOR PATIENTS WITH RA. THREE MAIN THEMES EMERGED, EACH WITH MULTIPLE SUBTHEMES: (1) MOTIVATORS (PHYSICAL FITNESS, INFLUENCE OF OTHERS, REDUCED PRICE), (2) BARRIERS (COST, SYMPTOM BURDEN, CLASS DIFFICULTY), AND (3) BENEFITS OF YOGA PRACTICE (MIND-BODY, A TOOL FOR COPING, PRIDE/ACHIEVEMENT, SOCIAL, AND "YOGA MEETS YOU WHERE YOU ARE"). CONCLUSION: IN THIS STUDY, PATIENTS WITH RA DESCRIBED HOW YOGA PRACTICE HELPED IMPROVE PHYSICAL AND PSYCHOSOCIAL SYMPTOMS RELATED TO THEIR DISEASE. YOGA PRACTICE, A DYNAMIC EXERCISE, ENCOMPASSING MANY DIFFERENT STYLES, CAN PROVIDE MANY BENEFITS FOR ADULTS WITH RA; HOWEVER, YOGA MAY NOT BE BENEFICIAL FOR EVERY ADULT WITH RA. 2017 8 472 31 CHARACTERISTICS OF YOGA PROVIDERS AND THEIR SESSIONS AND ATTENDEES IN THE UK: A CROSS-SECTIONAL SURVEY. YOGA IS AN ANCIENT INDIAN PHILOSOPHY AND WAY OF LIFE THAT IS BEING USED AS A METHOD OF IMPROVING HEALTH AND WELLBEING. EVIDENCE SHOWS THAT YOGA HAS SEVERAL HEALTH BENEFITS, SUCH AS MANAGING MANY NONCOMMUNICABLE DISEASES, SUCH AS HYPERTENSION, AND IMPROVING MENTAL HEALTH. THE POPULARITY OF YOGA IS GROWING IN THE UK, BUT IT IS MOSTLY UNREGULATED WITH LITTLE INFORMATION AVAILABLE ABOUT YOGA PROVIDERS AND THEIR SESSIONS AND ATTENDEES. THIS STUDY AIMED TO EXPLORE WHO IS PROVIDING YOGA; WHAT SESSIONS ARE AVAILABLE, WHERE, AND AT WHAT COST; AND WHO ATTENDS THESE SESSIONS IN THE UK AND WHETHER YOGA PROVIDERS WERE AWARE OF HEALTH CONDITIONS IN THEIR SESSIONS. A CROSS-SECTIONAL SURVEY WAS UNDERTAKEN AMONG YOGA PROVIDERS IN THE UK. THEY WERE APPROACHED THROUGH FOUR MAJOR UK YOGA ASSOCIATIONS. IN TOTAL, 407 YOGA PROVIDERS PARTICIPATED. MOST PROVIDERS WERE AGED 45-64 YEARS (69%), FEMALE (93%), AND WHITE (93%). THE MEDIAN NUMBER OF GROUP SESSIONS AND ONE-TO-ONE SESSIONS DELIVERED PER WEEK WAS FOUR AND TWO, RESPECTIVELY. THE MOST COMMON STYLES WERE HATHA (28%), IYENGAR (26%), AND VINYASA (15%). SESSIONS HAD A VARYING EMPHASIS ON DIFFERENT YOGIC PRACTICES, BUT 59% OF PROVIDERS ALLOCATED MOST TIME TO YOGIC POSES (ASANA), 18% TO BREATHING PRACTICES (PRANAYAMA), AND 12% TO MEDITATION (DHYANA) AND RELAXATION PRACTICES. MOST (73%) REPORTED THAT THEIR ATTENDEES DISCLOSED THEIR HEALTH CONDITIONS TO THEM, MOST COMMONLY MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES (41%), HYPERTENSION (25%), AND HEART DISEASES (9%). THIS STUDY SHOWED THAT YOGA SESSIONS ARE WIDELY AVAILABLE IN THE UK, OFTEN PROVIDED AND PRACTICED BY WOMEN, AND CONCENTRATE ON YOGIC POSES. SESSIONS CONCENTRATE ON THE ASANA AND TEND NOT TO INCLUDE MANY OF THE MORE HOLISTIC ASPECTS OF YOGA THAT ARE PRACTICED IN SOUTH ASIAN COUNTRIES. YOGA PROVIDERS ARE OFTEN AWARE OF HEALTH CONDITIONS BUT MAY BENEFIT FROM TRAINING TO DELIVER SESSIONS SUITABLE FOR SPECIFIC HEALTH CONDITIONS. 2022 9 1584 29 MEDICAL THERAPEUTIC YOGA FOR MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS: EXAMINING SELF-EFFICACY FOR PHYSICAL ACTIVITY, MOTIVATION FOR PHYSICAL ACTIVITY, AND QUALITY OF LIFE OUTCOMES. PURPOSE: MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS (MS) IS AN INCURABLE NEURODEGENERATIVE DISEASE THAT RESULTS IN DEFICITS IN PHYSICAL AND COGNITIVE FUNCTION, AND OFTEN FOSTERS LOW LEVELS OF SELF-EFFICACY FOR PHYSICAL ACTIVITY, MOTIVATION FOR PHYSICAL ACTIVITY, AND QUALITY OF LIFE [1]. DRUG THERAPIES, PHYSICAL THERAPY REHABILITATION, AND LIFESTYLE MODIFICATIONS SUCH AS INCREASED PHYSICAL ACTIVITY ARE STANDARD PROTOCOL FOR SYMPTOM MANAGEMENT, YET PERSONS WITH MS TEND TO BE PHYSICALLY INACTIVE [2,3]. ADDITIONALLY, SINGLE-MODALITY INTERVENTIONS DO NOT INHERENTLY ADDRESS THE CHALLENGES FACED CONCURRENTLY BY INDIVIDUALS WITH MS [4,5]. METHODS: THIS PROJECT EXAMINED THE EFFECTS OF A 5-WEEK HOLISTIC BIOPSYCHOSOCIAL MEDICAL THERAPEUTIC YOGA PROGRAM ON PHYSICAL ACTIVITY BEHAVIOR OUTCOMES IN INDIVIDUALS DIAGNOSED WITH MS. A MIXED-METHODS APPROACH WAS USED TO EXAMINE SELF-EFFICACY FOR PHYSICAL ACTIVITY, MOTIVATION FOR PHYSICAL ACTIVITY, AND QUALITY OF LIFE OUTCOMES IN 15 PARTICIPANTS. RESULTS: QUANTITATIVE MEASURES DEMONSTRATED INCREASED SELF-EFFICACY (T(14) = -2.23, P = 0.042), AND EMOTIONAL QUALITY OF LIFE (T(14) = -2.66, P = 0.019). RESPONSES TO AN OPEN-ENDED WRITTEN QUESTIONNAIRE AND FOLLOW-UP INTERVIEWS INDICATED OVERALL POSITIVE RESPONSE TO THE PROGRAM INCLUDING INCREASES IN SELF-EFFICACY FOR PHYSICAL ACTIVITY, MOTIVATION FOR PHYSICAL ACTIVITY, AND QUALITY OF LIFE. THESE RESULTS MAY HELP FUTURE HOLISTIC PROGRAMMING FOR INDIVIDUALS WITH MS INCORPORATE BEHAVIORAL INTERVENTIONS WITH THERAPEUTIC REHABILITATION TO INCREASE PHYSICAL ACTIVITY ADHERENCE.IMPLICATIONS FOR REHABILITATIONMULTIPLE SCLEROSIS IS A NEUROLOGICAL DISEASE IMPACTING PHYSICAL AND COGNITIVE FUNCTIONING THAT MAY BE MANAGED WITH A COMBINATION OF DRUG THERAPIES, REHABILITATION, AND PHYSICAL ACTIVITY.INDIVIDUALS DIAGNOSED WITH MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS TEND TO BE PHYSICALLY INACTIVE AND PHYSICAL INACTIVITY IS A CHALLENGE FOR OPTIMAL DISEASE MANAGEMENT.MEDICAL THERAPEUTIC YOGA OFFERS AN INTERDISCIPLINARY BIOPSYCHOSOCIAL FRAMEWORK TO SIMULTANEOUSLY ADDRESS THE BEHAVIORAL CHALLENGES AND PHYSICAL IMPAIRMENTS FACING INDIVIDUALS DIAGNOSED WITH MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS.HEALTH CARE PROVIDERS SHOULD CONSIDER DEVELOPING PROGRAMS THAT USE A BIOPSYCHOSOCIAL FRAMEWORK TO AID IN DEVELOPING LONG-TERM ADHERENCE IN HEALTH BEHAVIORS SUCH AS PHYSICAL ACTIVITY PARTICIPATION. 2022 10 1025 23 EFFECTS OF YOGA ASANA PRACTICE APPROACH ON TYPES OF BENEFITS EXPERIENCED. CONTEXT: MODERN SCIENCE AND THE CLASSIC TEXT ON HATHA YOGA, HATHA YOGA PRADIPIKA, REPORT PHYSICAL, MENTAL, EMOTIONAL, SPIRITUAL, AND RELATIONAL BENEFITS OF YOGA PRACTICE. WHILE ALL HAVE SPECIFIC SUGGESTIONS FOR HOW TO PRACTICE, LITTLE RESEARCH HAS BEEN DONE TO ASCERTAIN WHETHER SPECIFIC PRACTICE APPROACHES IMPACT THE BENEFITS EXPERIENCED BY PRACTITIONERS. AIMS: OUR AIM WAS TO RELATE THE EXPERIENCE LEVEL OF THE PRACTITIONER, THE CONTEXT OF PRACTICE APPROACHES (TIME OF DAY, DURATION OF PRACTICE, FREQUENCY OF PRACTICE, ETC.), AND EXPERIENCE LEVEL OF THE TEACHER, TO THE LIKELIHOOD OF REPORTING PARTICULAR BENEFITS OF YOGA. METHODS: WE CONDUCTED A CROSS-SECTIONAL DESCRIPTIVE SURVEY OF YOGA PRACTITIONERS ACROSS LEVELS AND STYLES OF PRACTICE. DATA WERE COMPILED FROM A LARGE VOLUNTARY CONVENIENCE SAMPLE (N = 2620) REGARDING RESPONDENTS' METHODS OF PRACTICE, YOGA EXPERIENCE LEVELS, AND BENEFITS EXPERIENCED. MULTIPLE LOGISTIC REGRESSION WAS USED TO IDENTIFY APPROACHES TO YOGA PRACTICE THAT POSITIVELY PREDICTED PARTICULAR BENEFITS. RESULTS: FREQUENCY OF PRACTICE, EITHER WITH OR WITHOUT A TEACHER, WAS A POSITIVE PREDICTOR OF REPORTING NEARLY ALL BENEFITS OF YOGA, WITH AN INCREASED LIKELIHOOD OF EXPERIENCING MOST BENEFITS WHEN THE PRACTITIONER DID YOGA FIVE OR MORE DAYS PER WEEK. OTHER ASPECTS OF PRACTICE APPROACH, EXPERIENCE LEVEL OF THE PRACTITIONER, AND THE EXPERIENCE LEVEL OF THE TEACHER, HAD LESS EFFECT ON THE BENEFITS REPORTED. CONCLUSIONS: PRACTICE FREQUENCY OF AT LEAST 5 DAYS PER WEEK WILL PROVIDE PRACTITIONERS WITH THE GREATEST AMOUNT OF BENEFIT ACROSS ALL CATEGORIES OF BENEFITS. OTHER PRACTICE APPROACHES CAN VARY MORE WIDELY WITHOUT HAVING A MARKED IMPACT ON MOST BENEFITS EXPERIENCED. 2019 11 836 31 EFFECT OF YOGA ON PATIENTS WITH CANCER: OUR CURRENT UNDERSTANDING. OBJECTIVE: TO DETERMINE WHETHER THERAPEUTIC YOGA IMPROVES THE QUALITY OF LIFE OF PATIENTS WITH CANCER. DATA SOURCES: SEARCH OF MEDLINE DATABASE (1950-2010) USING KEY WORDS YOGA, CANCER, AND QUALITY OF LIFE. STUDY SELECTION: PRIORITY WAS GIVEN TO RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED CLINICAL STUDIES CONDUCTED TO DETERMINE THE EFFECT OF YOGA ON TYPICAL SYMPTOMS OF PATIENTS WITH CANCER IN NORTH AMERICA. SYNTHESIS: INITIALLY, 4 RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED CLINICAL STUDIES WERE ANALYZED, THEN 2 STUDIES WITHOUT CONTROL GROUPS WERE ANALYZED. THREE STUDIES CONDUCTED IN INDIA AND THE NEAR EAST PROVIDED INTERESTING INFORMATION ON METHODOLOGIES. THE INTERVENTIONS INCLUDED YOGA SESSIONS OF VARYING LENGTH AND FREQUENCY. THE PARAMETERS MEASURED ALSO VARIED AMONG STUDIES. SEVERAL SYMPTOMS IMPROVED SUBSTANTIALLY WITH YOGA (HIGHER QUALITY OF SLEEP, DECREASE IN SYMPTOMS OF ANXIETY AND DEPRESSION, IMPROVEMENT IN SPIRITUAL WELL-BEING, ETC). IT WOULD APPEAR THAT QUALITY OF LIFE, OR SOME ASPECTS THEREOF, ALSO IMPROVED. CONCLUSION: THE VARIETY OF BENEFITS DERIVED, THE ABSENCE OF SIDE EFFECTS, AND THE COST-BENEFIT RATIO OF THERAPEUTIC YOGA MAKE IT AN INTERESTING ALTERNATIVE FOR FAMILY PHYSICIANS TO SUGGEST TO THEIR PATIENTS WITH CANCER. CERTAIN METHODOLOGIC SHORTCOMINGS, INCLUDING THE LIMITED SIZE OF THE SAMPLES AND VARYING LEVELS OF ATTENDANCE ON THE PART OF THE SUBJECTS, MIGHT HAVE REDUCED THE STATISTICAL STRENGTH OF THE STUDIES PRESENTED. IT IS ALSO POSSIBLE THAT THE MEASUREMENT SCALES USED DID NOT SUIT THIS TYPE OF SITUATION AND PATIENT POPULATION, MAKING IT IMPOSSIBLE TO SEE A SIGNIFICANT EFFECT. HOWEVER, FAVOURABLE COMMENTS BY PARTICIPANTS DURING THE STUDIES AND THEIR LEVEL OF APPRECIATION AND WELL-BEING SUGGEST THAT FURTHER RESEARCH IS CALLED FOR TO FULLY UNDERSTAND THE MECHANISMS OF THESE EFFECTS. 2012 12 372 25 AWARENESS OF YOGA FOR SUPPORTIVE CARE IN CANCER: IMPLICATIONS FOR DISSEMINATION. OBJECTIVES: EVIDENCE INDICATES THERE ARE BENEFICIAL PHYSICAL AND PSYCHOSOCIAL EFFECTS FROM PRACTICING YOGA IN CANCER PATIENTS AND SURVIVORS. DESPITE YOGA HAVING BEEN INCORPORATED INTO NATIONAL COMPREHENSIVE CANCER NETWORK GUIDELINES FOR SYMPTOMS RANGING FROM FATIGUE TO PAIN, PATIENTS' USE OF YOGA FOR SUPPORTIVE CARE IS LOW, RANGING FROM 6% TO 12%. THIS STUDY AIMS TO EVALUATE THE AWARENESS OF YOGA AS THERAPY IN AN ACADEMIC CANCER CENTER AND THE PREFERENCES FOR INFORMATION DELIVERY IN THIS POPULATION. DESIGN: WE CONDUCTED A CROSS-SECTIONAL SURVEY STUDY AT AN URBAN ACADEMIC CANCER CENTER. RESPONSES REGARDING AWARENESS AND USE OF YOGA WERE EVALUATED; THOSE RESPONDING "NOT AWARE" WERE ANALYZED FOR PREFERENCES IN INFORMATION DELIVERY. UNIVARIATE ANALYSIS WAS USED TO FURTHER CHARACTERIZE AWARENESS OF YOGA FOR SUPPORTIVE CARE. RESULTS: OF 303 RESPONDENTS, 68% WERE FEMALE, 77% WERE WHITE, AND 75% WERE COLLEGE EDUCATED. DESPITE ACCESS TO YOGA AT THE CANCER CENTER, 171 (56%) PATIENTS EXPRESSED THEY WERE NOT AWARE OF THE AVAILABILITY OF YOGA. MALE PATIENTS WERE MORE LIKELY TO BE UNAWARE OF YOGA (72.4% VS. 48.8%, P = 0.045). AWARENESS DID NOT VARY BY AGE, RACE, EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT, MARITAL STATUS, CANCER TYPE, OR CANCER STAGE. OF THE 171 "NOT AWARE" PATIENTS, 87.6% EXPRESSED DESIRE FOR INFORMATION IN THE FORM OF PRINTED MATERIAL, FOLLOWED BY 80.4% FOR E-MAIL, 37.6% FOR SMARTPHONE APPLICATION, AND 27.6% FOR SOCIAL MEDIA. NON-WHITE RESPONDENTS WERE MORE LIKELY TO EXPRESS INTEREST IN RECEIVING INFORMATION BY SMARTPHONE. CONCLUSIONS: MORE THAN HALF OF CANCER PATIENTS WERE UNAWARE OF THE YOGA PROGRAM DESPITE ADVERTISING ACROSS THE INSTITUTION. PATIENTS PREFER VARYING METHODS FOR INFORMATION RECEIPT, WITH PREFERENCES DIFFERING BY SOCIODEMOGRAPHIC FACTORS. TARGETED EDUCATION AND OUTREACH USING APPROPRIATE ENGAGEMENT IS NEEDED TO IMPROVE THE AWARENESS OF YOGA FOR SYMPTOM CONTROL IN CANCER PATIENTS. 2019 13 2451 37 YOGA AS A COMPLEMENTARY APPROACH TO HEALING FOR ADULT VICTIMS AND SURVIVORS OF INTERPERSONAL VIOLENCE. PURPOSE: YOGA IS INCREASINGLY ACCEPTED TO IMPROVE OVERALL HEALTH AND WELLNESS AND IS CONSIDERED A MEANINGFUL ADJUNCT TREATMENT FOR MENTAL AND PHYSICAL HEALTH AILMENTS ASSOCIATED WITH INTERPERSONAL VIOLENCE (IV). THIS REVIEW PROVIDES BACKGROUND INFORMATION ABOUT THE USE OF YOGA AMONG INDIVIDUALS WITH IV HISTORIES AND AIMS TO INFORM RESEARCHERS AND PRACTITIONERS ABOUT THE AVAILABLE EVIDENCE ON YOGA'S APPLICATION AND EFFECTIVENESS. METHODS: USING SIX DATABASES, WE SYSTEMATICALLY REVIEWED EMPIRICAL LITERATURE EXAMINING YOGA AMONG IV SURVIVORS. CRITERIA FOR STUDY INCLUSION: YOGA INCLUDED A PHYSICAL COMPONENT AND WAS THE PRIMARY INTERVENTION; PARTICIPANTS HAD AN IV HISTORY; PEER-REVIEWED; AND PARTICIPANTS WERE 17 YEARS AND OLDER. AFTER REVIEW, 10 ARTICLES REPORTING FINDINGS FROM SEVEN INDEPENDENT SAMPLES WERE INCLUDED. FINDINGS: YOGA DEMONSTRATED PRELIMINARY, POSITIVE IMPLICATIONS AS A COMPLEMENTARY TREATMENT FOR INDIVIDUALS WITH AN IV HISTORY. SYNTHESIZING ACROSS ARTICLES FOUR THEMES EMERGED: (1) ACCEPTABILITY AND FEASIBILITY, (2) ENHANCEMENT OF MENTAL AND PHYSICAL HEALTH, (3) PROMOTION OF PERSONAL GROWTH, AND (4) FACILITATORS AND BARRIERS TO PRACTICE. CONCLUSIONS: THE NASCENT LITERATURE INDICATES POTENTIAL BENEFITS OF INTEGRATING YOGA INTO INTERVENTIONS FOR IV SURVIVORS TO ENHANCE PHYSICAL AND PSYCHOLOGICAL FUNCTIONING. THE PRIMARY BARRIERS TO INTERVENTION WERE RESOURCES (E.G., ACCESS) AND INCOMPATIBILITY WITH SPIRITUAL BELIEFS FOR SELECT CLIENTS. DESPITE CONSISTENT BARRIERS, PRELIMINARY FINDINGS INDICATE YOGA HAS MANY POSITIVE IMPLICATIONS FOR INDIVIDUALS WITH AN IV HISTORY. GIVEN THE SMALL EVIDENCE BASE AND INSUFFICIENT METHODOLOGY, ADDITIONAL EMPIRICAL RESEARCH WITH DIVERSE SAMPLES AND SITES, AND ROBUST DESIGNS, COULD IMPROVE THE STATE OF KNOWLEDGE AND STRENGTHEN THE EFFICACY OF THIS PROMISING PRACTICE. 2021 14 2623 33 YOGA FOR SYMPTOM MANAGEMENT IN ONCOLOGY: A REVIEW OF THE EVIDENCE BASE AND FUTURE DIRECTIONS FOR RESEARCH. BECAUSE YOGA IS INCREASINGLY RECOGNIZED AS A COMPLEMENTARY APPROACH TO CANCER SYMPTOM MANAGEMENT, PATIENTS/SURVIVORS AND PROVIDERS NEED TO UNDERSTAND ITS POTENTIAL BENEFITS AND LIMITATIONS BOTH DURING AND AFTER TREATMENT. THE AUTHORS REVIEWED RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIALS (RCTS) OF YOGA CONDUCTED AT THESE POINTS IN THE CANCER CONTINUUM (N = 29; N = 13 DURING TREATMENT, N = 12 POST-TREATMENT, AND N = 4 WITH MIXED SAMPLES). FINDINGS BOTH DURING AND AFTER TREATMENT DEMONSTRATED THE EFFICACY OF YOGA TO IMPROVE OVERALL QUALITY OF LIFE (QOL), WITH IMPROVEMENT IN SUBDOMAINS OF QOL VARYING ACROSS STUDIES. FATIGUE WAS THE MOST COMMONLY MEASURED OUTCOME, AND MOST RCTS CONDUCTED DURING OR AFTER CANCER TREATMENT REPORTED IMPROVEMENTS IN FATIGUE. RESULTS ALSO SUGGESTED THAT YOGA CAN IMPROVE STRESS/DISTRESS DURING TREATMENT AND POST-TREATMENT DISTURBANCES IN SLEEP AND COGNITION. SEVERAL RCTS PROVIDED EVIDENCE THAT YOGA MAY IMPROVE BIOMARKERS OF STRESS, INFLAMMATION, AND IMMUNE FUNCTION. OUTCOMES WITH LIMITED OR MIXED FINDINGS (EG, ANXIETY, DEPRESSION, PAIN, CANCER-SPECIFIC SYMPTOMS, SUCH AS LYMPHEDEMA) AND POSITIVE PSYCHOLOGICAL OUTCOMES (SUCH AS BENEFIT-FINDING AND LIFE SATISFACTION) WARRANT FURTHER STUDY. IMPORTANT FUTURE DIRECTIONS FOR YOGA RESEARCH IN ONCOLOGY INCLUDE: ENROLLING PARTICIPANTS WITH CANCER TYPES OTHER THAN BREAST, STANDARDIZING SELF-REPORT ASSESSMENTS, INCREASING THE USE OF ACTIVE CONTROL GROUPS AND OBJECTIVE MEASURES, AND ADDRESSING THE HETEROGENEITY OF YOGA INTERVENTIONS, WHICH VARY IN TYPE, KEY COMPONENTS (MOVEMENT, MEDITATION, BREATHING), DOSE, AND DELIVERY MODE. 2019 15 470 20 CHARACTERISTICS OF YOGA PRACTICE AND PREDICTORS OF PRACTICE FREQUENCY. YOGA IS A GLOBALLY POPULAR MIND-BODY PRACTICE USED FOR HEALTH. THE OBJECTIVE OF THIS STUDY WAS TO CHARACTERIZE YOGA PRACTICE AND FACTORS ASSOCIATED WITH FREQUENCY OF PRACTICE. YOGA PRACTITIONERS WERE SENT INVITATIONS VIA EMAIL TO PARTICIPATE IN AN ONLINE SURVEY. YOGA CHARACTERISTICS AND OTHER SOCIODEMOGRAPHICS WERE COLLECTED. DATA FROM 309 CONSENTING RESPONDENTS WERE ANALYZED FOR PATTERNS IN PRACTICE CHARACTERISTICS (YOGA TECHNIQUES, LOCATION OF PRACTICE, METHOD OF INSTRUCTION, TEACHER STATUS, AND YOGA TYPE). ASSOCIATIONS BETWEEN CHARACTERISTICS OF PRACTICE AND YOGA PRACTICE FREQUENCY WERE COMPUTED. THE FOLLOWING CHARACTERISTICS WERE THEN ANALYZED AS PREDICTORS OF PRACTICE FREQUENCY IN A REGRESSION MODEL: LOCATION OF PRACTICE, METHOD OF INSTRUCTION, TEACHER STATUS, YOGA TYPE, AND TECHNIQUES. MOST RESPONDENTS REPORTED USE OF ALL THREE YOGA TECHNIQUES (MOVEMENTS, BREATHING, AND MEDITATION) AND PRACTICED AN AVERAGE OF 4.5 +/- 1.9 DAYS A WEEK. KEY CHARACTERISTICS SUCH AS LOCATION OF PRACTICE, METHOD OF INSTRUCTION, AND FREQUENCY SIGNIFICANTLY DIFFERED BY TEACHER STATUS AND BY YOGA TYPE (VINIYOGA PRACTITIONERS VS. OTHER YOGA STYLES). IN OUR REGRESSION MODEL, BEING A YOGA TEACHER, BEING TAUGHT A ONE-ON-ONE YOGA PRACTICE BY SOMEONE ELSE, AND REGULAR USE OF MOVEMENT WERE POSITIVELY ASSOCIATED WITH INCREASED PRACTICE FREQUENCY. OUR ANALYSES PROVIDE INSIGHT INTO HOW YOGA FACTORS SUCH AS TEACHER STATUS, METHOD OF INSTRUCTION, AND USE OF TOOLS RELATE TO PRACTICE FREQUENCY. UNDERSTANDING THE RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN PRACTICE CHARACTERISTICS AND PRACTICE FREQUENCY MAY ALLOW FOR THE IMPROVED IMPLEMENTATION OF YOGA FOR HEALTH. 2018 16 493 21 COGNITIVE BEHAVIORAL THERAPY FOR INSOMNIA, MINDFULNESS, AND YOGA IN PATIENTS WITH BREAST CANCER WITH SLEEP DISTURBANCE: A LITERATURE REVIEW. THE NUMBER OF PATIENTS WITH BREAST CANCER DIAGNOSED WITH SLEEP DISTURBANCE HAS GROWN SUBSTANTIALLY WITHIN THE UNITED STATES OVER THE PAST 20 YEARS. MEANWHILE, THERE HAVE BEEN SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENTS IN THE PSYCHOLOGICAL TREATMENT OF SLEEP DISTURBANCE IN PATIENTS WITH BREAST CANCER. MORE SPECIFICALLY, COGNITIVE BEHAVIORAL THERAPY FOR INSOMNIA (CBT-I), MINDFULNESS, AND YOGA HAVE SHOWN TO BE 3 PROMISING TREATMENTS WITH VARYING DEGREES OF BENEFIT, SUPPORTING DATA, AND INHERENT LIMITATIONS. IN THIS ARTICLE, WE WILL OUTLINE THE TREATMENT APPROACH FOR SLEEP DISTURBANCE IN PATIENTS WITH BREAST CANCER AND CONDUCT A COMPREHENSIVE REVIEW OF CBT-I, MINDFULNESS, AND YOGA AS THEY PERTAIN TO THIS PATIENT POPULATION. 2017 17 129 30 A POPULATION-PRACTICE-BASED MODEL TO UNDERSTAND HOW YOGA IMPACTS ON HUMAN GLOBAL FUNCTIONING: A QUALITATIVE STUDY. INTRODUCTION:RESEARCH IS INCREASINGLY DEMONSTRATING A RANGE OF BENEFITS OF PRACTICING YOGA, SUCH AS IMPROVED PHYSICAL AND MENTAL HEALTH, SOCIAL CONNECTEDNESS, AND SELF-CARE. MECHANISMS OF ACTION ARE LESS WELL UNDERSTOOD, BUT MAY INCLUDE BOTH PSYCHOLOGICAL AND PHYSIOLOGICAL CHANGES. THE AIM OF THIS STUDY WAS TO UNDERSTAND MORE ABOUT BENEFITS AND MECHANISMS OF YOGA PRACTICE, USING QUALITATIVE DATA COLLECTED FROM A LARGE-SCALE SURVEY OF YOGA USE IN THE UNITED KINGDOM. METHODS: THE MIXED METHODS, CROSS-SECTIONAL ONLINE SURVEY COLLECTED DATA ON YOGA USE AND PERCEIVED BENEFITS FROM 2434 U.K. YOGA PRACTITIONERS. THE QUALITATIVE SURVEY ELEMENT USED OPEN-ENDED QUESTIONS TO GAIN "REAL LIFE" DATA REGARDING PRACTICE AND PERCEIVED BENEFITS. DATA WERE ANALYZED THEMATICALLY AND DEDUCTIVELY. A PRACTICE-BASED MODEL DESCRIBING YOGA PRACTICE, MECHANISMS, AND BENEFITS, BASED ON THE KHALSA LOGIC MODEL OF YOGA, WAS DEVELOPED TO EXPLAIN THE DATA. FINDINGS: FINDINGS HIGHLIGHTED THAT A DIVERSE RANGE OF YOGA PRACTICES AND NONSPECIFIC CONTEXTUAL FACTORS RELATED TO PRACTICING YOGA, NEEDED TO BE CONSIDERED TO UNDERSTAND HOW YOGA WAS BENEFITTING PEOPLE. THESE PRACTICES ENCOMPASSED BOTH MODERN AND TRADITIONAL CONCEPTIONS OF YOGA AS A DEEPER LIFESTYLE PRACTICE. KEY MECHANISMS FOR CHANGE INCLUDED IMPROVEMENTS IN PHYSICAL STRENGTH AND FLEXIBILITY, STRESS REGULATION, RESILIENCE, EQUANIMITY, MIND-BODY AWARENESS, AND SPIRITUAL/PERSONAL GROWTH. THESE MECHANISMS RESULTED IN DIVERSE IMPROVEMENTS IN GLOBAL HEALTH FUNCTIONING, PARTICULARLY PHYSICAL AND MENTAL HEALTH AND WELL-BEING. CONCLUSIONS: THE KHALSA MODEL PROVIDED A USEFUL BASE UPON WHICH TO GUIDE THE NEW POPULATION-PRACTICE-BASED MODEL, TO UNDERSTAND PARTICIPANTS' "REAL LIFE" EXPERIENCES OF YOGA, HOW YOGA IS HELPING PEOPLE AND WHY. IT PROVIDES IMPORTANT INFORMATION FOR PRACTITIONERS, TEACHERS, AND THOSE DELIVERING YOGA INTERVENTIONS AS TO THE RANGE OF SKILLS AND POTENTIAL BENEFITS OF YOGA PRACTICE. IN ADDITION, FINDINGS INDICATE DIRECTIONS FOR FUTURE RESEARCH, BY HIGHLIGHTING KEY YOGA MECHANISMS THAT RESEARCHERS MAY CHOOSE TO FOCUS ON IN FUTURE STUDIES. 2021 18 2481 45 YOGA AS AN ALTERNATIVE AND COMPLEMENTARY TREATMENT FOR CANCER: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW. OBJECTIVES: CANCER IS AN IMPORTANT PUBLIC HEALTH CONCERN, WITH MILLIONS OF PATIENTS AFFECTED WORLDWIDE. GIVEN THE PHYSICAL, PSYCHOLOGICAL, AND PHYSIOLOGIC CHANGES ASSOCIATED WITH CANCER, HOLISTIC THERAPIES ARE NEEDED TO TREAT ALL ASPECT OF THE DISEASE. DESIGN: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW WAS CONDUCTED TO DETERMINE THE EFFICACY OF YOGA AS A TREATMENT OPTION FOR CANCER SINCE 2010. INCLUDED STUDIES WERE PUBLISHED FROM JANUARY 2010 TO JULY 2012 AND WERE INDEXED IN MEDLINE, CINAHL, AND ALT HEALTHWATCH. RESULTS: THIRTEEN STUDIES MET THE INCLUSION CRITERIA. EIGHT OF THESE STUDIES WERE PERFORMED IN THE UNITED STATES, AND ONE EACH WAS CONDUCTED IN SLOVENIA, ITALY, THE UNITED KINGDOM, CANADA, AND TURKEY. CONCLUSIONS: THE EVIDENCE FOR EFFICACY OF YOGA AS AN ALTERNATIVE AND COMPLEMENTARY TREATMENT FOR CANCER IS MIXED, ALTHOUGH GENERALLY POSITIVE. LIMITATIONS OF THE REVIEWED INTERVENTIONS INCLUDED A MIXED USE OF INSTRUMENTS, WEAK QUANTITATIVE DESIGNS, SMALL SAMPLE SIZES, AND A LACK OF THEORY-BASED STUDIES. 2013 19 1515 26 IS YOGA A SUITABLE TREATMENT FOR RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS: CURRENT OPINION. WE REVIEWED PUBLISHED LITERATURE REGARDING THE USE OF YOGA FOR MANAGING RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS TO DETERMINE WHETHER ADEQUATE EVIDENCE EXISTS TO SUGGEST ITS USEFULNESS AS A THERAPY. A SEARCH FOR PREVIOUS STUDIES INVOLVING YOGA AND RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS IN PUBMED YIELDED EIGHT REPORTS. THESE STUDIES REPORTED THE BENEFITS OF YOGA IN THE PHYSICAL AND MENTAL HEALTH OF PATIENTS WITH RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS (RA), SUGGESTING THAT YOGA IS A USEFUL ADD-ON THERAPY FOR RA PATIENTS. HOWEVER, ALL STUDIES SHOWED LIMITATIONS WITH RESPECT TO SAMPLE SIZE, STUDY DESIGN, DESCRIPTION AND DURATION OF YOGA INTERVENTION, AND ASSESSMENT TOOLS AND STATISTICAL METHODS USED. ADDITIONALLY, THE STUDIES DID NOT ATTEMPT TO UNDERSTAND THE MECHANISMS UNDERLYING OBSERVED BENEFITS. HENCE, EVIDENCE SUGGESTS A DEFINITE ROLE OF YOGA IN RA IMPROVEMENT, REDUCING PAIN, IMPROVING FUNCTION, AND CREATING A POSITIVE MENTAL STATE. HOWEVER, DETAILED ANALYSIS AND ADDITIONAL STUDIES ARE NECESSARY TO VERIFY THESE OBSERVATIONS. 2012 20 121 25 A PILOT STUDY OF THE FEASIBILITY AND OUTCOMES OF YOGA FOR LUNG CANCER SURVIVORS. PURPOSE/OBJECTIVES: TO DETERMINE THE FEASIBILITY OF A STANDARDIZED YOGA INTERVENTION FOR SURVIVORS OF NON-SMALL CELL LUNG CANCER (NSCLC) AND, EFFECTS ON SLEEP, MOOD, SALIVARY CORTISOL LEVELS, AND QUALITY OF LIFE (QOL). DESIGN: THIS 14-WEEK, ONE-GROUP, REPEATED-MEASURES STUDY INCLUDED A THREE-WEEK PREINTERVENTION PHASE, EIGHT WEEKS OF YOGA CLASSES (40 MINUTES ONCE PER WEEK) AND HOME PRACTICE, AND A THREE-WEEK POSTINTERVENTION PHASE. FOLLOW-UP OCCURRED AT THREE AND SIX MONTHS POSTSTUDY. SETTING: A COMMUNITY-BASED CANCER SUPPORT CENTER IN THE MIDWESTERN UNITED STATES. SAMPLE: 7 ADULTS WHO HAD COMPLETED INITIAL TREATMENT FOR STAGES I-IIIA NSCLC. METHODS: A STANDARDIZED YOGA PROTOCOL WAS DEVELOPED PRIOR TO THE STUDY BY EXPERTS IN THE FIELD. BREATHING EASE WAS MONITORED BEFORE, DURING, AND AFTER CLASSES TO ASSESS FEASIBILITY OF MOVEMENT WITHOUT COMPROMISING RESPIRATORY STATUS WHILE DOING YOGA. DATA ANALYSIS INCLUDED DESCRIPTIVE STATISTICS, REPEATED-MEASURES ANALYSIS OF VARIANCE, AND SALIVARY CORTISOL ANALYSIS. MAIN RESEARCH VARIABLES: SLEEP QUALITY, MOOD, SALIVARY CORTISOL, AND QOL WERE ASSESSED USING THE PITTSBURGH SLEEP QUALITY INDEX, PROFILE OF MOOD STATES-BRIEF, A CORTISOL MEASUREMENT, AND THE MEDICAL OUTCOMES SURVEY SF-36(R), RESPECTIVELY. BREATHING EASE WAS ASSESSED USING A DYSPNEA NUMERIC RATING SCALE AS WELL AS OBSERVATION OF PARTICIPANTS. FINDINGS: PARTICIPANTS WITH VARYING STAGES OF DISEASE AND LENGTH OF SURVIVORSHIP WERE ABLE TO PERFORM YOGA WITHOUT RESPIRATORY DISTRESS. CLASS ATTENDANCE EXCEEDED 95%, AND ALL PRACTICED AT HOME. MOOD, SLEEP EFFICIENCY, AND QOL SIGNIFICANTLY IMPROVED; SALIVARY CORTISOL LEVELS DECREASED OVER TIME. CONCLUSIONS: YOGA WAS FEASIBLE FOR NSCLC SURVIVORS WITHOUT FURTHER COMPROMISING BREATHING WITH MOVEMENT. POTENTIAL BENEFITS WERE IDENTIFIED, SUPPORTING THE NEED FOR FUTURE CLINICAL TRIALS WITH LARGER SAMPLES STRATIFIED BY CANCER STAGE, TREATMENT, AND LENGTH OF SURVIVORSHIP. IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING: NURSES AND HEALTHCARE PROVIDERS SHOULD CONSIDER YOGA AS A MIND-BODY PRACTICE TO MANAGE STRESS, IMPROVE MOOD AND SLEEP, AND POTENTIALLY ENHANCE QOL FOR NSCLC SURVIVORS. 2014