Yoga Therapy

Yoga is the sister science of Ayurvedic medicine. Both together comprise a therapeutic model that has been used for thousands of years for the maintenance and the recovery of health.

As a therapeutic model, yoga is a powerful adjunct to any other therapy or treatment one may undergo. A term in current vogue is "recovery yoga." This term designates a system of exercises, facilitated stretches, bio-energetics, breathing practices, and stress-reducing practices that work well either by themselves, or with any other system used to promote well-being and health in the chronically ill and injured.

Yoga demands only one thing of you, the patient or client, and that is that you take a measure of responsibility for your own life and health. Taking responsibility is also to be empowered. There are very few feelings as personally rewarding as knowing that your life is in your own hands, that you are indeed the captain of your ship, and that you are moving in a positive, self-determined direction.

Please email us with any questions you may have regarding yoga therapy at treeoflife@genesissociety.com

STUDIES

A study of response pattern of non-insulin dependent diabetics to yoga therapy.

Jain SC, Uppal A, Bhatnagar SO, Talukdar B.

Laboratory Division, Central Research Institute for Yoga, Delhi, India.

Changes in blood glucose and glucose tolerance by oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) after 40 days of yoga therapy in 149 non-insulin-dependent diabetics (NIDDM) were investigated. The response to yoga in these subjects was categorized according to a severity scale index (SSI) based on area index total (AIT) under OGTT curve. One hundred and four patients showed a fair to good response to the yoga therapy. There was a significant reduction in hyperglycemia and AIT with decrease in oral hypoglycemia and AIT with decrease in oral hypoglycemic drugs required for maintenance of normoglycemia. It is concluded that yoga, a simple and economical therapy, may be considered a beneficial adjuvant for NIDDM patients.

Yoga therapy in chronic bronchitis.

Behera D.

Department of Pulmonary Medicine, Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh, 160 012.

Fifteen patients of chronic bronchitis received yoga therapy in the form of pranayam and 8 types of 'asans' for a period of 4 weeks. They had a perceptible improvement in dyspnoea as was measured by visual analog. Lung function parameters (VC, FEV1, and PEFR) also improved after the practice of yoga. This preliminary study indicates that, yoga may be an useful adjunct to other conventional form of therapy for COPD.

Evaluation of yoga therapy programme for patients of bronchial asthma.

Jain SC, Talukdar B.

Central Research Institute for Yoga, (Under Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, Government of India), New Delhi.

A study of the effect of yoga therapy programme on 46 indoor patients of chronic bronchial asthma on exercise capacity, pulmonary functions and blood gases was conducted. Exercise capacity was measured by 3 tests: (i) 12 min walk test (12-md); (ii) physical fitness index (PFI) by modified Harvard step test; and (iii) Exercise-Liability index (ELI). Yoga therapy programme resulted in a significant increase in the pulmonary functions and exercise tolerance. A one-year follow-up study showed a good to fair response with reduced symptoms score and drug requirements in these subjects. It is concluded that yoga therapy is beneficial for bronchial asthma.

Yoga for epilepsy.

Ramaratnam S, Sridharan K.

Department of Neurology, Apollo Hospitals, 21 Greams Lane, Off Greams Road, Madras, Tamil Nadu, India, 600006. rsridharan@vsnl.com

BACKGROUND: Stress is considered an important precipitating factor for seizures. Yoga is believed to induce relaxation and stress reduction. The effect of yoga on the EEG and the autonomic nervous system have been reported. Yoga would be an attractive therapeutic option for epilepsy (if proved effective), in view of its nonpharmacological nature, minimal side effects and international acceptance. OBJECTIVES: To assess the efficacy of yoga in the treatment of patients with epilepsy. SEARCH STRATEGY: We searched the Cochrane Epilepsy Group trial register, the Cochrane Controlled Trials Register (The Cochrane Library Issue 4, 1998), MEDLINE for articles published up to the middle of 1998, and also registries of the research council for complimentary medicine were searched. In addition, we searched the references of all the identified studies. Finally, we contacted the members of the Neurological Society of India, several neurophysiology institutions and yoga institutes to seek any ongoing studies or studies published in nonindexed journals or unpublished studies. SELECTION CRITERIA: Randomized control trials and controlled clinical trials of treatment of epilepsy with yoga. DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS: The data were extracted independently by both reviewers and any discrepancies were resolved by discussion. The main outcomes assessed were percentage of patients rendered seizure free, number of patients with more than 50% reduction in seizure frequency or seizure duration and the overall reduction in seizure frequency. Analyses were on an intention to treat basis. MAIN RESULTS: Only one study met the selection criteria, and recruited a total of 32 patients, 10 to sahaja yoga and 22 to control treatments. Antiepileptic drugs were continued in all. Randomization was by roll of a dice. The results of this study are as follows: (i) Four patients treated with yoga were seizure free for six months compared to none in the control groups. The Odds Ratio (OR) (95% Confidence Interval (CI)) for yoga versus sham yoga group was 14.5 (0.7, 316.7) and for yoga versus no treatment group 17.3 (0.8, 373.5). (ii) Nine patients in the yoga group had more than 50% reduction in seizure frequency compared to only one among the controls. The OR (95% CI) for yoga versus sham yoga group was 81 (4.4, 1504.5) and for the yoga versus no treatment group was 158.3 (5.8, 4335.9). (iii) There was a decline in the average number of attacks per month compared to the baseline frequency among the patients treated with yoga. The weighted mean difference ( 95% CI) between yoga versus sham yoga group was -2.1 (-3.1, -1.0) and for the yoga versus no treatment group -1.1 (-1.8, -0.4). (iv) More than 50% reduction in seizure duration was found in seven of the 10 patients treated with yoga, compared to none among the 22 controls. The OR (95%CI) for yoga versus sham yoga group was 45 (2.0, 1006.8) and for yoga versus no treatment group 53.57 (2.4, 1187.3). REVIEWER'S CONCLUSIONS: No reliable conclusions can be drawn regarding the efficacy of yoga as a treatment for epilepsy. Further studies are necessary to evaluate the efficacy of yoga in the treatment of epilepsy.