Yoga is a mind-body practice that combines stretching exercises, controlled breathing and relaxation. Yoga has many styles, forms and intensities. Yoga benefits many disease conditions, and some examples include lowering blood pressure, reducing anxiety, and improving asthma control. Yoga offers benefits for just about any acute or chronic health condition. There are so many health conditions may be improved by the practice of yoga, but it would be difficult to mentioned every one of them here. Additional benefits of yoga will continue to be added on an ongoing basis. What is yoga good for? Continue reading below:
Yoga and blood pressure:
Yoga and hypertension: Yoga (shavasana) may have beneficial effects for those suffering from hypertension according to a study including 25 patients with hypertension. Study participants were taught Shavasana, which they practiced for 6 months. Individuals either received no antihypertensive drug treatment (n=20, Group A) or took antihypertensive drugs (n=5, Group B). The study showed both groups had a significant reduction in average systolic and diastolic blood pressure. In group B, there were significant reduction in the amount of antihypertensive drugs taken. In group A, 65% of patients’ blood pressure could be controlled with Shavasana without use of medication. Among those who stopped practicing yoga, blood pressure rose significantly to pre-Shavasana levels. (1)
In a study of 34 patients with hypertension randomly assigned to 6 weeks of either yoga relaxation methods or to placebo (general relaxation) blood pressure was reported to have significantly decreased (from 168/100 to 141/84 mm Hg in the yoga group and from 169/101 to 160/96 mm Hg in the placebo group). When the placebo group switched to yoga relaxation, their blood pressure fell further. (2)
Siu PM, et al randomly assigned 182 patients with metabolic syndrome an average of 56 years old to 1 year of yoga or a control group. The intervention was found to reduce central obesity and showed a trend towards lower BP. (13)
Wolf, M et al randomly assigned Kundalini yoga to 95 hypertensive patients to be done at home for 15 min twice daily for 12 weeks and compared to a control group. A reduction was seen in both the systolic and diastolic BP for both groups (-3.8/-1.7 mm Hg for yoga and -4.5/-3.0 mm Hg for control groups, respectively). The reduction of BP was not significantly different than control, but it is unclear in the amount of BP medication used and how compliant the patient reporting was. (14)
Yoga during pregnancy:
During pregnancy, regular yoga practice was shown to have beneficial effects in a study of 335 women who were between 18 and 20 weeks of pregnancy. They were divided into two groups: the yoga group (n=169) practiced for an hour per day, and the control group (n=166) walked 30 minutes twice a day. Both groups practiced every day from the time they enrolled in the study to when they gave birth. The primary measurements for comparison were the baby’s birth weight and week of pregnancy at which birth was given. For the women who practiced yoga, birth weights of 2,500 grams or more were higher, preterm labor was lower, intrauterine growth retardation (IUGR) and pregnancy induced hypertension (PIH) associated with IUGR was also lower in the yoga group. (3)
Yoga and complications of pregnancy:
Performing yoga in a high-risk pregnancy has shown that yoga can potentially be an effective therapy in reducing hypertensive related complications of pregnancy and improving fetal outcome. The study included 68 high-risk pregnant women who were randomized into two groups: yoga and control. The yoga group received standard care plus one-hour yoga sessions, 3 times per week from the 12th to the 28th week of pregnancy. The study showed significantly fewer pregnancies with induced hypertension, preeclampsia, gestational diabetes and intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) cases in the yoga group. There were also significantly fewer Small for Gestational Age (SGA) babies and newborns with low APGAR scores, used to quickly evaluate a newborn’s physical condition, in the yoga group. (4)
Yoga and asthma:
Yoga breathing was demonstrated to have positive effects on patients with asthma in this study that included 18 patients with mild asthma. Participants were asked to breath using a machine that slowed their breathing similar to that achieved in pranayama yoga or to placebo device. This study demonstrated an improvement in the measured breathing parameters of all patient. It also showed a statistically significant increase in the dose of histamine needed to cause a 20% reduction in average forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1 which is the maximum amount of air you can forcefully exhale in one second) during pranayam (but not in placebo device), demonstrating a tendency towards reduction in allergic asthma. (5)
Yoga and asthma control:
Fifty three patients with asthma underwent training for two weeks in an integrated set of yoga exercises, including breathing exercises, suryanamaskar, yogasana (physical postures), pranayama (breath slowing techniques), dhyana (meditation), and a devotional session, and were told to practice these exercises for 65 minutes daily. They were then compared with a control group of 53 patients with asthma matched for age, sex, and type and severity of asthma, who continued to take their usual drugs. There was a significantly greater improvement in the group who practiced yoga in the weekly number of attacks of asthma, scores for drug treatment, and peak flow rate. This study shows the efficacy of yoga in the long term management of bronchial asthma, but the physiological basis for this beneficial effect needs to be examined in more detail. (6)
Yoga for cancer patients:
A meta-analysis of 13 randomized controlled trials examining yoga for patients with cancer, specifically breast cancer patients, found yoga was associated with reduced stress, anxiety, depression, and fatigue. Furthermore, among participants, yoga moderately increased quality of life, emotional and social function, and functional well-being. Physical function and sleep were not significantly affected. (7)
Yoga and fibromyalgia:
A meta-analysis of 7 randomized controlled trials (n=362) that compared meditative movement therapy interventions (including yoga, tai chi and qigong) to controls found patients with fibromyalgia experienced improvements in sleep, fatigue, depression, and overall quality of life. When yoga was analyzed separately, it was found to be the only therapy that significantly reduced pain, fatigue, depression and limitations to health-related quality of life (HRQOL) at final treatment, demonstrating yoga’s positive impact. No serious adverse events were reported for any of the therapies. (8)
Yoga and multiple sclerosis:
Patients with multiple sclerosis, a nervous system disease that affects your brain and spinal cord, were found to benefit from yoga or aerobic exercise. Sixty-nine participants were randomized to either weekly Iyengar yoga class with home practice, weekly exercise class on a stationary bicycle along with home exercise, or a waiting-list control group. At the end of the 6-month study, compared to a waiting-list control group, individuals taking yoga class or exercise class reported significant improvements in fatigue. There were no clear changes in mood or cognitive function related to yoga or exercise. (9)
Yoga and migraines:
Authors investigated yoga’s effectiveness as a migraine therapy in 72 patients suffering from migraine headaches. For 3 months, the patients either practiced yoga on a regular basis or continued with their usual self-care. By the study’s end, members of the yoga group had experienced a significantly greater decrease in migraine intensity, frequency, and duration compared to the self-care group. What’s more, the yoga-practicing participants reported less anxiety and depression than the other study members and better functional status and less use of medication. (10)
Yoga, depression, and anxiety:
Yoga may be used as an effective intervention for those suffering from anxiety. In a study of 65 women with symptoms of depression and anxiety, scientists discovered that attending a twice-weekly 90-minute yoga class for two months led to a significant decrease in anxiety. (11)
Yoga, depression, anxiety, and fatigue:
A meta-analysis of 13 randomized controlled trials examining yoga for patients with cancer, specifically breast cancer patients, found yoga was associated with reduced stress, anxiety, depression, and fatigue. Furthermore, among participants, yoga moderately increased quality of life, emotional and social function, and functional well-being. Physical function and sleep were not significantly affected. (7)
Yoga and insomnia:
Insomnia may be alleviated with yoga according to a 4-month study of 44 healthy post-menopausal women. The researchers divided the women into three groups: a yoga group (two, one-hour yoga classes per week), a passive stretching group (two, one-hour sessions per week) and a control group. After four months, the reduction in insomnia severity in the yoga group was significantly higher than in the passive stretching or control group. Yoga not only had a major improvement in insomnia but also major improvements in mental health issues, including stress, anxiety and depression. (12)
Summary and Conclusion: Yoga
- 65% of patients with hypertension who performed yoga for 6 months were able to control their bp with Shavasana without using of medication but the high bp returned after yoga was stopped. (1)
- Blood-pressure was reduced from 168/100 to 141/84 mm Hg in a study with 34 patients doing yoga for 6 weeks. (2)
- Siu PM, et al randomly assigned 182 patients with metabolic syndrome an average of 56 years old to 1 year of yoga or a control group. The intervention was found to reduce central obesity and showed a trend towards lower BP. (13)
- Wolf, M et al randomly assigned Kundalini yoga to 95 hypertensive patients to be done at home for 15 min twice daily for 12 weeks and compared to a control group. A reduction was seen in both the systolic and diastolic BP for both groups (-3.8/-1.7 mm Hg for yoga and -4.5/-3.0 mm Hg for control groups, respectively). The reduction of BP was not significantly different than control, but it is unclear in the amount of BP medication used and how compliant the patient reporting was. (14)
- A meta-analysis of 13 randomized controlled trials examining yoga for patients with cancer, specifically breast cancer patients, found yoga was associated with reduced stress, anxiety, depression, and fatigue. Anxiety was relieved by the breathing techniques used in this type of exercise
- Yoga was found to increase quality of life, emotional health, social function, and well-being.
- For the women who practiced yoga, birth weights of 2,500 grams or more were higher, preterm labor was lower, intrauterine growth retardation (IUGR) and pregnancy induced hypertension (PIH) associated with IUGR was also lower in the yoga group. (3)
- A study showed less pregnancies with induced hypertension, preeclampsia, gestational diabetes and intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) cases in those performing yoga. There were also fewer Small for Gestational Age (SGA) babies and fewer newborns with low APGAR scores in the yoga group. (4)
- Yoga improved breathing parameters in patients with asthma (5, 6). There was a significantly greater improvement in the group who practiced yoga in the weekly number of attacks of asthma, scores for drug treatment, and peak flow rate. (6)
- Attending a twice-weekly 90-minute yoga class for two months led to a significant decrease in anxiety. (11)
- Yoga moderately increased quality of life, emotional and social function, and functional well-being. Physical function and sleep were not significantly affected. Yoga was associated with reduced stress, anxiety, depression, and fatigue in breast cancer patients. (7)
- Patients with fibromyalgia experienced improvements in sleep, fatigue, depression, and overall quality of life. (8)
- At the end of a 6-month study, compared to a waiting-list control group, multiple sclerosis patients taking yoga class or exercise class reported significant improvements in fatigue. (9)
- Yoga decreased migraine intensity, frequency, and duration compared to the self-care group, and yoga-practicing participants also reported less anxiety and depression. (10)
- After four months of yoga, insomnia severity of post-menopausal women performing yoga was lower than in the passive stretching or control group. Yoga also improved stress, anxiety and depression in this group. (12)
References:
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8.Langhorst J, Klose P, Dobos GJ, Bernardy K, Hauser W. Efficacy and safety of meditative movement therapies in fibromyalgia syndrome: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Rheumatology International 2013; 33(1): 193-207. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22350253
9.Oken BS, Kishiyama S, Zajdel D, et al., Randomized controlled trial of yoga and exercise in multiple sclerosis. Neurology. 2004 Jun 8;62(11):2058-64. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15184614
10.John PJ, Sharma N, Sharma CM, Kankane A. Effectiveness of yoga therapy in the treatment of migraine without aura: a randomized controlled trial. Headache. 2007 May;47(5):654-61. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17501846
11.Javnbakht M, Hejazi Kenari R, Ghasemi M. Effects of yoga on depression and anxiety of women. Complement Ther Clin Pract. 2009 May;15(2):102-4. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19341989
12.Afonso RF, Hachul H, Kozasa EH, et al., Yoga decreases insomnia in postmenopausal women: a randomized clinical trial. Menopause. 2012 Feb;19(2):186-93. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22048261
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14.Wolff M, Rogers K, Erdal B, Chalmers JP, Sundquist K, Midlöv P. Impact of a short home-based yoga programme on blood pressure in patients with hypertension: a randomized controlled trial in primary care. J Hum Hypertens. 2016 Jan 21. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26791478