PMID: 

Breast Cancer Res Treat. 2019 Aug ;177(1):5-16. Epub 2019 May 24. PMID: 31127466

Abstract Title: 

Yoga has a solid effect on cancer-related fatigue in patients with breast cancer: a meta-analysis.

Abstract: 

PURPOSE: This study was designed to critically evaluate the effect of yoga on cancer-related fatigue in patients with breast cancer.METHODS: Eight databases (Cochrane Library, PubMed, Ovid-Medline, Web of Science, CBM, Wanfang, VIP, and CNKI) were systematically reviewed from inception to January 2019 for randomized controlled trials (RCTs). Two reviewers critically and independently assessed the risk of bias using Cochrane Collaboration criteria and extracted correlated data using the designed form. All analyses were performed with Review Manager 5.3.RESULTS: A total of 17 qualified studies that included 2183 patients (yoga: 1112, control: 1071) were included in the meta-analysis. Yoga had a large effect on fatigue in post-treatment breast cancer patients and had a small effect on intra-treatment patients. The meta-analysis also indicated that supervised yoga class had a significant effect on CRF; the six-week program had a moderate beneficial effect while the 60/90 min/session supervised yoga class and the eight-week program demonstrated a large effect on fatigue in patients with breast cancer. Yoga could markedly mitigate the physical fatigue in breast cancer patients, had a medium impact on cognitive fatigue, and manifested a small effect on mental fatigue. Eight studies reported the adverse events, whereas ten studies did not.CONCLUSIONS: Yoga can be considered as an alternative therapy for relieving fatigue in breast cancer patients who have completed treatment or are undergoing anti-cancer treatment.

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PMID: 

Behav Med. 2019 May 29:1-10. Epub 2019 May 29. PMID: 31141465

Abstract Title: 

Benefits of Yoga on IL-6: Findings from a Randomized Controlled Trial of Yoga for Depression.

Abstract: 

The present research sought to examine whether hatha yoga, implemented as an adjunctive intervention for major depression, influences markers of inflammation. A subset of 84 participants who were enrolled in a randomized controlled trial (RCT) of hatha yoga vs. health education control provided blood samples at baseline (pre-treatment) and at 3-(during treatment) and 10-week (end of treatment) follow-up visits. To be eligible for the RCT, participants met criteria for a current or recent (past two years) major depressive episode, had current elevated depression symptoms, and current antidepressant medication use. Venous blood was drawn between 2 and 6 pm and following at least one hour of fasting, and inflammatory markers (IL-6, CRP, and TNF-α) were assayed. Effects of participation in yoga relative to health education on inflammatory markers over time were examined with latent growth analyses. We observed a significant reduction in IL-6 concentrations in the yoga treatment group relative to the health education control group as demonstrated by a negative interaction between treatment group and slope of IL-6. TNF-α and CRP did not evidence significant interactions of treatment group by mean slope or intercept. In addition to the benefits of hatha yoga as an adjunctive intervention for individuals who have shown inadequate response to antidepressant medications, our findings point to possible benefits of yoga on IL-6 in depressed populations. Further research is needed to explore the effects of hatha yoga on immune function over time.

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PMID: 

Homeopathy. 2019 Aug 21. Epub 2019 Aug 21. PMID: 31434111

Abstract Title: 

A Placebo-Controlled Double-Blind Randomized Trial with Individualized Homeopathic Treatment Using a Symptom Cluster Approach in Women with Premenstrual Syndrome.

Abstract: 

BACKGROUND:  In a double-blind placebo-controlled randomized trial with parallel groups, the efficacy of individually prescribed homeopathic medicines was evaluated in women with premenstrual syndrome (PMS).METHODS:  In an outpatient department of a university clinic in Jerusalem, Israel (1996-1999), women with PMS, aged 18 to 50 years, entered a 2-month screening phase with prospective daily recording of premenstrual symptoms by the Menstrual Distress Questionnaire (MDQ). They were included after being diagnosed with PMS. A reproducible treatment protocol was used: women received a homeopathic prescription based on symptom clusters identified in a questionnaire. The symptoms were verified during a complementary, structured, interview. Only women whose symptoms matched the symptom profile of one of 14 pre-selected homeopathic medicines were included. Each participant was administered active medicine or placebo via random allocation. Primary outcome measures were differences in changes in mean daily premenstrual symptom (PM) scores by the MDQ. Analysis was by intention-to-treat.RESULTS:  A total of 105 women were included: 49 were randomized to active medicine and 56 to placebo. Forty-three women in the active medicine group and 53 in the placebo group received the allocated intervention with at least one follow-up measurement and their data were analyzed. Significantly greater improvement of mean PM scores was measured in the active medicine group (0.443 [standard deviation, SD, 0.32] to 0.287 [SD, 0.20]) compared to placebo (0.426 [SD, 0.34] to 0.340 [SD, 0.39]); = 0.043.CONCLUSIONS:  Individually prescribed homeopathic medicines were associated with significantly greater improvement of PM scores in women with PMS, compared to placebo. Replication, with larger sample size and other refinements, is recommended to confirm the efficacy of this treatment in other settings.

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PMID: 

Work. 2019 ;63(2):181-189. PMID: 31156199

Abstract Title: 

Yoga improves occupational performance, depression, and daily activities for people with chronic pain.

Abstract: 

BACKGROUND: Chronic pain is a complex accumulation of physical, psychological, and social conditions, thus interventions that address pain and promote occupational performance are needed. A holistic intervention, with mind and body components, is likely necessary to best treat the complexities of chronic pain. Thus, we developed and tested a yoga intervention for people with chronic pain.OBJECTIVES: In a randomized control trial (RCT), participants with chronic pain were randomized to a yoga intervention or usual care group. Between and within group differences for pre-and post-outcome measure scores were assessed for: occupational performance, completion of activities, and depression.METHODS: Pilot RCT with participant allocation to 8 weeks of yoga or usual care. Both groups received ongoing monthly self-management programming. Data were collected before and after the 8-week intervention. Participants were randomized to yoga or usual care after baseline assessments. Demographics were collected and measures included: Canadian Occupational Performance Measure (COPM) to assess occupational performance; the 15-item Frenchay Activities Index (FAI)(activities); and the 9-item Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) for depression. Independent t-tests were used to assess differences between groups. Paired t-tests were used to assess differences between pre- and post 8-week intervention for both the yoga and the usual care groups. Percent change scores and effect sizes were calculated.RESULTS: 83 people were recruited for the study and completed baseline assessments; 44 individuals were randomized to yoga and 39 to the control group. The average age of all participants was 51.4±10.5 years, 68% were female; and 60% had at least some college education. There were no significant differences in demographics or outcome measures between groups at baseline or 8 weeks; however, the study was not powered to see such differences. Individuals randomized to the control group did notsignificantly improve in any outcome measure over the 8 weeks. There were significant improvements in COPM performance and COPM satisfaction scores for individuals randomized to the yoga group; both scores significantly improved. COPM performance improved by 27% with a moderate to large effect size(3.66±1.85 vs 4.66±1.93, p 

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PMID: 

Int J Prev Med. 2019 ;10:81. Epub 2019 May 17. PMID: 31198516

Abstract Title: 

Effect of Yoga on Lipid Profile and C-reactive Protein in Women.

Abstract: 

Background: Few scientific studies have been conducted about the effect of yoga on biochemical variables such as total cholesterol (TC), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), triglyceride (TG), and C-reactive protein (CRP) to lay a scientific foundation regarding benefits of yoga, but its effect is not clearly detected yet. This study was conducted to assess the effect of yoga on lipid profile and CRP in women.Methods: This research was designed as an interventional study. After reviewing inclusion and exclusion criteria, selected biochemical variables such as TC, HDL-C, LDL-C, TG, and CRP were measured for each participant. Yoga instruction was done three times a week for 26 weeks by an experienced yoga instructor. After 26 weeks of yoga intervention, the above-mentioned dependent variables were assessed. SPSS Ver. 16 was used for data analysis.Results: After a 26-week follow-up for participants, only 24 women had the necessary criteria to be included in the study. The mean TG was 157.33± 68.416 mg/dL and 134.33 ± 58.80 mg/dL before and after the intervention (= 0.108), respectively. The mean TC was 234.83± 48.47 mg/dL and 183.33 ± 55.09 mg/dL before and after the intervention (= 0.014), respectively. The mean HDL-C was 31.58± 14.22 mg/dL and 38.25 ± 13.5 mg/dL before and after the intervention (= 0.118), respectively. The mean LDL-C was 171.75± 42.69 mg/dL and 142.91 ± 36.4 mg/dL before and after the intervention (= 0.030), respectively. The mean CRP was 0.57± 0.22 mg/L and 0.71 ± 0.77 mg/L before and after the intervention (= 0.779), respectively.Conclusions: The result showed that yoga reduced TC and LDL-C significantly, but had no significant effect on TG, HDL-C, and CRP.

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PMID: 

Altern Ther Health Med. 2018 Dec 15. Epub 2018 Dec 15. PMID: 31221931

Abstract Title: 

Effects of Yoga on Quality of Sleep of Women With Premenstrual Syndrome.

Abstract: 

Objective: Women with premenstrual syndrome (PMS) commonly complain of sleep disturbances, specifically in the luteal phase of the menstrual cycle. Therefore, the effects of yoga on quality of sleep of women experiencing PMS was investigated.Material and Methods: Women (aged 20-45 y) monitored for PMS, who were referred to the private obstetrics and gynecology clinics in Tabriz, Iran, were referred to the private obstetrics and gynecology clinics in Tabriz, Iran. Afterward, 62 women, were selected and divided into 2 groups, randomly: 31 subjects in yoga the yoga group and 31 in the control group. Subjects in yoga performed for 10 wk in 3 sessions, with each session lasting 60 min. Subjects in the control group did not perform any yoga. Subjects completed a demographic questionnaire and the Pittsburgh sleep quality index questionnaire before and after yoga in both groups.Results: After yoga intervention, subjects significantly expressed improvement in sleeping (P

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PMID: 

J Ayurveda Integr Med. 2019 Jun 24. Epub 2019 Jun 24. PMID: 31248778

Abstract Title: 

Yoga as an intervention to manage multiple sclerosis symptoms.

Abstract: 

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.

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PMID: 

Arch Psychiatr Nurs. 2019 Aug ;33(4):371-376. Epub 2019 May 2. PMID: 31280782

Abstract Title: 

East meets west in psychiatry: Yoga as an adjunct therapy for management of anxiety.

Abstract: 

PURPOSE: Provide yoga for coping and symptom management in a locked, adult inpatient psychiatric unit.DESIGN: Hatha yoga was offered to inpatients with mood disorders and/or psychosis 3 times per week in this evidence-based practice change project. Impact on sleep was examined using recorded sleep hours. Anxiety symptoms were assessed using 6 of the 7 symptoms recorded on the Generalized Anxiety Disorders (GAD) 7. Sustainability of benefits was examined. A self-assessment was conducted at discharge to determine acquisition of new coping skills.RESULTS: No difference in sleep hours or interruptions was noted. A statistically significant increase in the total anxiety scores (z = -1.9815, p = 0.02385) and sustainability of benefits (z = -2.0894, p = 0.03662) between the first and second yoga class were observed. A positive change from baseline in sustainability of symptoms for"less anxiety"(k = 0.108) and"more relaxed"(k = 0.083) was found. There was a significant increase in utilization of yoga (p = 0.0015) and meditation (p = 0.013) as coping mechanisms at discharge.CONCLUSIONS: Adults in an acute inpatient psychiatric unit who participated in yoga practice identified yoga and meditation as newly-acquired coping mechanisms and reported significant improvement in anxiety symptoms with sustained benefits ranging from half day to full day.

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PMID: 

Children (Basel). 2019 Jul 22 ;6(7). Epub 2019 Jul 22. PMID: 31336661

Abstract Title: 

Immediate Effect of a Yoga Breathing Practice on Attention and Anxiety in Pre-Teen Children.

Abstract: 

Pre-teen children face stressors related to their transition from childhood to adolescence, with a simultaneous increase in academic pressure. The present study compared the immediate effects of 18 min of (i) high frequency yoga breathing with (ii) yoga-based breath awareness and (iii) sitting quietly, on (a) attention and (b) anxiety, in 61 pre-teen children (aged between 11 and 12 years; 25 girls). Attention was assessed using a six letter cancellation task and Spielberger's State Trait Anxiety Inventory STAI-S was used to measure anxiety before and after the three practices, practiced on separate days. Repeated measures ANOVA, followed by Bonferroni adjustedanalyses showed an increase in total attempts and net scores after high frequency yoga breathing (

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PMID: 

J Altern Complement Med. 2019 Jul 26. Epub 2019 Jul 26. PMID: 31347920

Abstract Title: 

Effectiveness of Hatha Yoga Versus Conventional Therapeutic Exercises for Chronic Nonspecific Low-Back Pain.

Abstract: 

To determine whether the effectiveness of Hatha yoga therapy is comparable to conventional therapeutic exercises (CTEs) for reducing back pain intensity and back-related dysfunction in patients with chronic nonspecific low-back pain (CNLBP).The study was a prospective randomized comparative trial, divided into two phases: an initial 6-weekly supervised intervention period followed by a 6-week follow-up period.This study was conducted at Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation and Centre for Integrative Medicine and Research of a tertiary care hospital.Patients between 18 and 55 years of age with complaint of CNLBP persisting≥12 weeks with pain rating ≥4 on a numerical rating scale (0-10).A total of six standardized 35-min weekly Hatha yoga sessions (yoga group) and similarly 35-min weekly sessions of CTEs (CTE group), designed for people with CNLBP unaccustomed to structured yoga or CTE program. Participants were asked to practice on nonclass days at home.The primary outcome measures were Defense and Veterans Pain Rating Scale (DVPRS) (0-10) and 24-point Roland Morris Disability Questionnaire (RDQ). Secondary outcomes were pain medication usage per week and a postintervention Perceived recovery (Likert seven-point scale) of back-related dysfunction. Outcomes were recorded at the baseline, 6-week follow-up, and 12-week follow-up.Seventy subjects were randomized to either yoga ( = 35) or CTE group ( = 35). Data were analyzed using intention-to-treat, with last observation carried forward. Both yoga and the CTE group have shown significant improvement in back pain intensity and back-related dysfunction within both the groups at 6- and 12-week follow-ups compared to baseline. No statistically significant differences in the pain intensity (DVPRS; at 6 weeks: = 35, difference of medians 1.0, 95% confidence interval [-5.3 to 3.0], = 0.5; at 12 weeks: = 35, 0.0 [-4.2 to 5.0], 0.7) and back-related dysfunction (RDQ; at 6 weeks: = 35, 1.0 [-9.6 to 10.6], 0.4; at 12 weeks: = 35, 0.0 [-8.8 to 10.6], 0.3) were noted between two groups. Improvements in pill consumption and perceived recovery were also comparable between the groups.Yoga provided similar improvement compared with CTEs, in patients with CNLBP.

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