Current Issue : October - December Volume : 2014 Issue Number : 4 Articles : 5 Articles
Background. Previous studies have demonstrated that once-weekly yoga classes are effective for chronic low back pain (cLBP) in\nwhite adults with high socioeconomic status. The comparative effectiveness of twice-weekly classes and generalizability to racially\ndiverse low income populations are unknown. Methods. We conducted a 12-week randomized, parallel-group, dosing trial for 95\nadults recruited from an urban safety-net hospital and five community health centers comparing once-weekly (???? = 49) versus\ntwice-weekly (???? = 46) standardized yoga classes supplemented by home practice. Primary outcomes were change from baseline to\n12 weeks in pain (11-point scale) and back-related function (23-point modified Roland-Morris Disability Questionnaire). Results.\n82% of participants were nonwhite; 77% had annual household incomes <$40,000.The sample�s baseline mean pain intensity [6.9\n(SD 1.6)] and function [13.7 (SD 5.0)] reflected moderate to severe back pain and impairment. Pain and back-related function\nimproved within both groups (???? < 0.001). However, there were no differences between once-weekly and twice-weekly groups\nfor pain reduction [?2.1 (95% CI ?2.9, ?1.3) versus ?2.4 (95% CI ?3.1, ?1.8), ???? = 0.62] or back-related function [?5.1 (95% CI\n?7.0, ?3.2) versus ?4.9 (95% CI ?6.5, ?3.3), ???? = 0.83]. Conclusions. Twelve weeks of once-weekly or twice-weekly yoga classes\nwere similarly effective for predominantly low income minority adults with moderate to severe chronic low back pain. This trial is\nregistered with ClinicalTrials.gov NCT01761617....
Background. Serotonin and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) are known to be modulators of nociception. However, painrelated\nconnection between yoga and those neuromodulators has not been investigated. Therefore, we aimed to evaluate the effect\nof yoga on pain, BDNF, and serotonin. Methods. Premenopausal women with chronic low back pain practiced yoga three times a\nweek for 12 weeks. At baseline and after 12 weeks, back pain intensity was measured using visual analogue scale (VAS), and serum\nBDNF and serotonin levels were evaluated. Additionally, back flexibility and level of depression were assessed. Results. After 12-\nweek yoga, VAS decreased in the yoga group (P < 0.001), whereas it increased (P < 0.05) in the control group. Back flexibility\nwas improved in the yoga group (P < 0.01). Serum BDNF increased in the yoga group (P < 0.01), whereas it tended to decrease\nin the control group (P = 0.05). Serum serotonin maintained in the yoga group, while it reduced (P < 0.01) in the control group.\nThe depression level maintained in the yoga group, whereas it tended to increase in the control group (P = 0.07). Conclusions. We\npropose that BDNF may be one of the key factors mediating beneficial effects of yoga on chronic low back pain....
Obesity has become a pandemic threat in the latest 30 years. The trend of the prevalence of overweight and obesity has got an\noverall increase in every part of the world, regardless of ethnicity, life-style and social ties. High food intake, genetic, and sedentary\nhave been related to obesity; it has been also hypothesized that gut microbiota could have an impact on the complex mechanism\nunderlying the weight gain. This review aims to illustrate the actual literature about gut microbiota and its relation with obesity and\nto analyze the possible implications of factors such as diet and life-style onto the composition of gut microbiota, that can lead to\noverweight/obesity condition....
Background. Since the incidence of adenocarcinoma of the oesophagus is rising, the prognosis is poor, and surveillance programs\nare expensive and mostly cost ineffective, there is a need to increase the knowledge of risk factors in Barrettâ��s oesophagus and\noesophageal cancer in order to be able to give attention to medical prevention and/or surveillance programs. Aim. To study if there\nis a correlation between the development of Barrettâ��s oesophagus and GOR (gastro oesophageal reflux), family history of GOR, and\nlife style factors, such as alcohol, smoking habits, and mental stress. Methods. Fifty-five consecutively selected patients with Barrettâ��s\noesophagus (BO) examined at Link�¨oping University Hospitalâ��s Oesophageal Laboratory were matched by sex, age, and duration\nof reflux symptoms with 55 GOR patients without Barrettâ��s oesophagus at the Oesophageal Laboratory. The medical charts in\nrespective groups were examined for comparison of life style factors, mental stress, medication, duration of gastroesophageal acid\nreflux at 24 hr-pH-metry, and incidence of antireflux surgery and of adenocarcinoma of the oesophagus (ACO). Also, potential\ngender differences and diagnosis of ACO were studied. Results.Mean percentage reflux time on 24 hr-pH-metry was higher for the\nBarrettâ��s oesophagus group, 18% for women and 17% for men compared to 4% for women and 4% for men in the control group\n(???? < 0.05). Family history of GOR was more frequent in Barrettâ��s oesophagus patients (62%) than in the control group (35%)\n(???? < 0.05). Male patients with Barrettâ��s oesophagus had medical therapy for their GOR symptoms to a higher extent (38%) than\nmale controls (65%) (???? < 0.05). No difference was found in the number of tobacco users or former tobacco users between Barrettâ��s\noesophagus patients and controls. Barrettâ��s oesophagus patients had the same level of alcohol consumption and the same average\nBMI as the control subjects. Female patients with Barrettâ��s oesophagus rated themselves as more mentally stressed (67%) than the\nfemale controls (38%) (???? < 0.05). In the five-year medical chart follow-up, five of 55 patients developed adenocarcinoma among\nthe Barrettâ��s oesophagus patients, none in the control group. Conclusions. Long reflux time and family clustering of GOR seem to\ninfluence the development of Barrettâ��s oesophagus. Smoking habits, alcohol consumption and BMI do not seemto have any impact\non the development of Barrettâ��s oesophagus....
Understanding the physical demands placed upon the musculoskeletal system by individual postures may allow experienced\ninstructors and therapists to develop safe and effective yoga programs which reduce undesirable side effects. Thus, we used\nbiomechanical methods to quantify the lower extremity joint angles, joint moments of force, and muscle activities of 21 Hatha\nyoga postures, commonly used in senior yoga programs. Twenty older adults, 70.7 years �± 3.8 years, participated in a 32-wk yoga\nclass (2 d/wk) where they learned introductory and intermediate postures (asanas). They then performed the asanas in a motion\nanalysis laboratory. Kinematic, kinetic, and electromyographic data was collected over three seconds while the participants held\nthe poses statically. Profiles illustrating the postures and including the biomechanical data were then generated for each asana. Our\nfindings demonstrated thatHatha yoga postures engendered a range of appreciable joint angles, JMOFs, andmuscle activities about\nthe ankle, knee, and hip, and that demands associated with some postures and posturemodifications were not always intuitive.They\nalso demonstrated that all of the postures elicited appreciable rectus abdominis activity, which was up to 70%of that induced during\nwalking....
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