Yoga Medical News Daily

Benefits of yoga for heart failure patients

This doctoral dissertation completed in 2009 by Paula Rei Pullen, Georgia State University, examined the "effects of yoga on cardio-vascular endurance [functional capacity (FC)], flexibility, inflammatory markers, and quality of life (QoL) on medically stable HF patients."  Conclusions: "Yoga therapy offered additional benefits to the standard medical care of HF patients by improving QoL, exercise capacity, FLEX, and biomarkers of inflammation." A PDF version of the dissertation available for download at the Georgia State University site.   

Google Trends pinpoints geographic sources of top "yoga therapy" searches

Google Trends reveals how frequently a topic has been searched and the countries and cities from which the search originated. A search for the phrase "yoga therapy" done on September 28, 2009, showed that the country from which the most Google browser searches for "yoga therapy" were entered from 2006 to the present was India, followed by Ireland, Canada, Singapore, United States, United Kingdom, Australia, and finally Germany. Narrowing down "yoga therapy" searches by city showed Chennai, India (photo) was the city from which the phrase "yoga therapy" was most searched followed by Dublin, Ireland; Delhi, India, Mumbai, India; Vancouver, Canada; Austin, TX; Calgary, Canada; Pleasanton, CA.; Toronto, Canada; and finally Boston, MA.Results will vary slightly if you search for yoga therapy (with no quotes).

An evaluation of yoga for the reduction of fall risk factors in older adults

This doctoral dissertation study by Dawn Marie Morris, Florida State University, 2008, evaluated "the effects of an 8-week yoga intervention, balance training, and awareness class on measures of postural control, attention and visual search strategy, confidence, fear, and awareness to environmental hazards." The study concluded that "yoga and balance training may have potential as an intervention for improving physiological and psychological fall risk factors among older adults."  Dissertation available for download at the Florida State University dissertations site.

Benefits of yoga for rheumatoid arthritis: results of a preliminary, structured 8-week program

Done at the Dubai Bone and Joint Center, United Arab Emirates, and published in Rheumatology International,  this "pilot study of 12 sessions of yoga for RA was able to demonstrate statistically significant improvements in RA disease parameters. We believe that a longer duration of treatment could result in more significant improvements." Abstract:  PubMed.

Yoga for Osteoporosis: A Pilot

The author Loren M. Fishman, MD describes in this article appearing in Topics in Geriatric Rehabilitation (July/September 2009, vol. 33, issue 3, pp. 244-50) a pilot study involving eighteen patients with osteoporosis or osteopenia, average age 68.  After 10-minute daily yoga over a 2-year period, the yoga practitioners gained 0.76 and 0.94 for spine and hips, respectively on the T-scale. Conclusion: "Yoga appears to be an effective way to build bone mineral density after menopause."

Characteristics and outcomes of individuals self-selecting yoga versus physical therapy for the treatment of chronic low back pain

Dissertation by Dian Dowling Evans, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, 2009, 133 pages. Full-text of the dissertation available for download in pdf format.

Efficacy of Mindfulness-Based Medication Therapy . . . in Japanese patients with cancer

This study, published in the Journal of Palliative Medicine  (August 2009), assessed "the efficacy of mindfulness-based meditation therapy on anxiety, depression, and spiritual well-being of Japanese patients undergoing anticancer treatment. A secondary goal was to assess the relationships among anxiety, depression, spiritual well-being, growth, appreciation, pain, and symptoms."  The subjects participated in two sessions of mindfulness-based meditation therapy, including breathing, yoga movement and meditation. The study concluded: "Mindfulness-based meditation therapy may be effective for anxiety and depression in Japanese cancer patients, and spiritual well-being is related to anxiety and depression, growth, and pain. The negative correlation of spirituality with growth differs from the results of previous studies and the mechanism of this effect needs to be investigated further."  Full abstract:  PubMed.              

Utilization of 3-month yoga program for adults at high risk for Type 2 diabetes

This pilot study published in Evidence-based Complementary and Alternative Medicine (August 2009), "indicates that a yoga program would be a possible risk reduction option for adults at high risk for type 2 diabetes. In addition, yoga holds promise as an approach to reducing cardiometabolic risk factors and increasing exercise self-efficacy" for this group. Abstract and open access article: PubMed.

Evaluation of the effectiveness and efficacy of iyengar yoga therapy on chronic low back pain

This study published in Spine (2009 Sept;34(19): 2066-76) concluded that yoga improves functional disability, pain intensity, and depression in adults with chronic low back pain. There was also a clinically important trend for the yoga group to reduce their pain medication usage compared to the control group. Abstract at: PubMed. More on these findings at: Yoga Can Ease Lower Back Pain, by Jennifer Thomas, HealthDay Reporter.

Effect of yoga on professional computer users

This study out of Bangalore, India, describes the assessment of professional computer users.  The Yoga Group did yoga 60 minutes daily for 5 days a week for 60 days and the Wait-List Group did their usual recreational activities (unspecified).  At the end of 60 days, the Yoga Group showed a significant decrease in the frequency, intensity and degree of interference due to musculoskeletal discomfort, an increase in bilateral hand grip strength, the right hand tapping speed, and low back and hamstring flexibility.  For details see the abstract at:  PubMed