Month: April 2017

Improve Quality of Life and Performance with Multiple Sclerosis with Yoga

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Improve Quality of Life and Performance with Multiple Sclerosis with Yoga

 

By John M. de Castro, Ph.D.

 

“Studies in multiple sclerosis, these have shown that mindfulness can improve quality of life and help people cope better with their MS. The studies also found that it decreased stress, anxiety and depression.” – Multiple Sclerosis Trust

 

MS is a progressive demyelinating disease which attacks the coating on the neural axons which send messages throughout the body and nervous system. It affects about 2 million people worldwide and about 400,000 in the U.S. It is most commonly diagnosed in people between the ages of 20 and 50 years.  Unfortunately, there is no cure for multiple sclerosis. There are a number of approved medications that are used to treat MS but are designed to lessen frequency of relapses and slow the progression of the disease, but they don’t address individual symptoms.

 

Although there is a progressive deterioration, MS is not fatal with MS patients having about the same life expectancy as the general population. Hence, most MS sufferers have to live with the disease for many years. So, quality of life becomes a major issue. Quality of life with MS is affected by fatigue, cognitive decrements, physical impairment, depression, and poor sleep quality. There is a thus a critical need for safe and effective methods to help relieve the symptoms of MS and improve quality of life. Mindfulness has been previously shown to improve depression, sleep quality, cognitive impairments, emotion regulation, and fatigue. Yoga is a mindfulness practice that has the added feature of exercising and stretching the muscles. It would seem likely that yoga practice might be an ideal treatment for improving the quality of life and lessening symptoms in patients with multiple sclerosis.

 

In today’s Research News article “Feasibility and Impact of an 8-Week Integrative Yoga Program in People with Moderate Multiple Sclerosis–Related Disability: A Pilot Study.” See summary below or view the full text of the study at:

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5315321/

Cohen and colleagues performed a pilot, single-group study, of the effectiveness of a specially designed yoga program for treating patients with multiple sclerosis. They recruited adult patients with multiple sclerosis with moderate disability and provided them with 8 weeks of twice weekly, 90-minute yoga sessions, including breathing practices, postures, meditation, and deep relaxation. The patients were encouraged to also practice at home. They assessed the feasibility of widespread implementation of such a program with budget utilization, recruitment rates, retention rates, attendance rates, and safety. They also assessed the patients’ quality of life, walking ability, extremity function, respiration, attention, and concentration, prior to and after the 8-week program and also 8-weeks later.

 

They found that the program was feasible, as it was implemented with acceptable costs, high participation rates and low drop-out rates, no unexpected adverse effects, and all participants reported home yoga practice. Importantly they found that after the intervention the patients were significantly improved on overall health status, quality of life issues, including bladder control, perceived deficits, and fatigue, standing, walking ability, motor control of both hands, hearing, and seeing. Many of these improvements continued to be significant at the 8-week follow-up.

 

Hence, this pilot study demonstrated the feasibility and potential benefits of yoga for patients with multiple sclerosis. This study did not contain a control condition, so any conclusions must be tempered and recognized as preliminary. Any exercise program might have produced similar benefits. A randomized controlled clinical trial is needed and warranted. But, the results were impressive and suggest that yoga for patients with multiple sclerosis can improve their quality of life and physical and mental ability and well-being. Since, multiple sclerosis produces a life-long disability, and yoga was shown to be both safe and effective, can be practiced at home, and substantially improves quality of life and motor ability, it would seem to be ideal to improve the lives of these patients.

 

So, improve quality of life and performance with multiple sclerosis with yoga.

 

“Mind-body therapies like yoga are also a practical therapeutic approach in MS because of their low risk of physical or emotional stress. The exercise of yoga also allows people with MS to engage in their treatment in a very active and engaged manner. there appears to be benefit in MS from participation in any regular physical activity like yoga. yoga may additionally improve cognitive ability by exercising one’s attention on focused breathing and positioning techniques and by generally improving mood and reducing stress.” – Edward Kim

 

CMCS – Center for Mindfulness and Contemplative Studies

 

This and other Contemplative Studies posts are also available on Google+ https://plus.google.com/106784388191201299496/posts and on Twitter @MindfulResearch

 

Study Summary

Cohen, E. T., Kietrys, D., Fogerite, S. G., Silva, M., Logan, K., Barone, D. A., & Parrott, J. S. (2017). Feasibility and Impact of an 8-Week Integrative Yoga Program in People with Moderate Multiple Sclerosis–Related Disability: A Pilot Study. International Journal of MS Care, 19(1), 30–39. http://doi.org/10.7224/1537-2073.2015-046

 

Abstract

Background:

This pilot study determined the feasibility of a specifically designed 8-week yoga program for people with moderate multiple sclerosis (MS)–related disability. We explored the program’s effect on quality of life (QOL) and physical and mental performance.

Methods:

We used a single-group design with repeated measurements at baseline, postintervention, and 8-week follow-up. Feasibility was examined through cost, recruitment, retention, attendance, and safety. Outcomes included the Multiple Sclerosis Quality of Life Inventory (MSQLI), 12-item Multiple Sclerosis Walking Scale (MSWS-12), Timed 25-Foot Walk test (T25FW), 6-Minute Walk Test (6MWT), Nine-Hole Peg Test (NHPT), Five-Times Sit-to-Stand Test (FTSTS), Multidirectional Reach Test (MDRT), maximum expiratory pressure, and Paced Auditory Serial Addition Test-3″ (PASAT-3″).

Results:

Fourteen participants completed the study. The program was feasible. There were significant main effects on the 36-item Short Form Health Status Survey Mental Component Summary (SF-36 MCS), Modified Fatigue Impact Scale (MFIS), Bladder Control Scale (BLCS), Perceived Deficits Questionnaire (PDQ), Mental Health Inventory (MHI), MSWS-12, T25FW, NHPT, PASAT-3″, 6MWT, FTSTS, and MDRT-Back. Improvements were found on the SF-36 MCS, MFIS, BLCS, PDQ, MHI, and MSWS-12 between baseline and postintervention. The effect on PDQ persisted at follow-up. Improvements were found on the T25FW, NHPT, 6MWT, FTSTS, and MDRT-Back between baseline and postintervention that persisted at follow-up. The PASAT-3″ did not change between baseline and postintervention but did between postintervention and follow-up.

Conclusions:

The yoga program was safe and feasible. Improvements in certain measures of QOL and performance were seen at postintervention and follow-up.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5315321/

 

Improve the Brains Attentional and Relaxation Abilities with Qigong

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Improve the Brains Attentional and Relaxation Abilities with Qigong

 

By John M. de Castro, Ph.D.

 

“Qigong is generally practiced in two major categories, “still” and “moving.” “Still” qigong emphasis is on quiet meditation, using methods of internal focus and regulation of breathing. It can be practiced in motionless postures such as the lying, sitting or standing positions. “Moving” qigong involves moving the body under the conscious direction of the mind, and since the movement is expressed externally, it is also known as external qigong.” –  Stacey Nemour

 

Qigong and Tai Chi have been practiced for thousands of years with benefits for health and longevity. Qigong and Tai Chi training are designed to enhance function and regulate the activities of the body through regulated breathing, mindful concentration, and gentle movements. Only recently though have the effects of these practices been scrutinized with empirical research. This research has found that they are effective for an array of physical and psychological issues. They appear to strengthen the immune system, reduce inflammation and increase the number of cancer killing cells in the bloodstream, improve cardiovascular health, reduce arthritis pain, improve balance and reduce falls. They also appear to improve attentional ability and relieve depression.

 

Qigong and Tai Chi are complex practices and research has not begun to address what components of these practices are responsible for which effects. They contain both physical exercise, albeit gentle, and mental mindfulness practice.  In today’s Research News article “EEG Brain Activity in Dynamic Health Qigong Training: Same Effects for Mental Practice and Physical Training?” See summary below or view the full text of the study at:

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5293832/

Henz and Schöllhorn separate the physical and mental practices of Qigong and observe their effects on brain electrical activity.

 

They recruited experienced Qigong practitioners and measured their brain activity, electroencephalogram (EEG), for 2 minutes with eyes open and 2 minutes with eyes closed. They then had the participants perform a 30-minute Qigong exercise which was followed immediately with a second EEG measurement. Each participant was measured 3 times with 3 different practices administered in a randomized within-subjects order. They performed only the physical movements of Qigong in one condition, visualized the Qigong movements without actually moving in another, and watched a video of a Qigong practice in the third without movement or visualization.

 

They found that in comparison to baseline and the video conditions, both the visualization and physical movement Qigong practices, increased brain activity in the theta frequency region, 4-7 cycles per second, Hz. and in the Alpha-1 frequency region, 8-10 cycles per second, Hz. and the Alpha-2 frequency region, 10-12.5 cycles per second, Hz. The theta rhythm has been shown to occur when attention is focused and mind wandering is minimized. The alpha rhythm has been shown to occur when relaxation occurs. These results suggest that both the visualization and physical movement Qigong practices increase the activity of focused attentional systems in the brain. This should not be surprising as both the visualization and physical movement Qigong practices require focused attention. They also increase the activity of the brain’s relaxation systems.

 

Hence, the EEG results reflect Qigong’s ability to focus the individual’s attention and relax the individual. It is interesting that there was very little EEG difference between the visualization and physical movement Qigong practices. This suggests that engagement in Qigong practice either physically, mentally, or both have essentially equivalent effects. But, just watching Qigong practice is insufficient.

 

So, improve the brains attentional and relaxation abilities with qigong.

 

 “Yes, you can rewire your brain with Qigong. You can so alter your mental and emotional makeup that you’ll experience a profound tranquility.” – Longevity Sage

 

CMCS – Center for Mindfulness and Contemplative Studies

 

This and other Contemplative Studies posts are also available on Google+ https://plus.google.com/106784388191201299496/posts and on Twitter @MindfulResearch

 

Study Summary

Henz, D., & Schöllhorn, W. I. (2017). EEG Brain Activity in Dynamic Health Qigong Training: Same Effects for Mental Practice and Physical Training? Frontiers in Psychology, 8, 154. http://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2017.00154

 

Abstract

In recent years, there has been significant uptake of meditation and related relaxation techniques, as a means of alleviating stress and fostering an attentive mind. Several electroencephalogram (EEG) studies have reported changes in spectral band frequencies during Qigong meditation indicating a relaxed state. Much less is reported on effects of brain activation patterns induced by Qigong techniques involving bodily movement. In this study, we tested whether (1) physical Qigong training alters EEG theta and alpha activation, and (2) mental practice induces the same effect as a physical Qigong training. Subjects performed the dynamic Health Qigong technique Wu Qin Xi (five animals) physically and by mental practice in a within-subjects design. Experimental conditions were randomized. Two 2-min (eyes-open, eyes-closed) EEG sequences under resting conditions were recorded before and immediately after each 15-min exercise. Analyses of variance were performed for spectral power density data. Increased alpha power was found in posterior regions in mental practice and physical training for eyes-open and eyes-closed conditions. Theta power was increased after mental practice in central areas in eyes-open conditions, decreased in fronto-central areas in eyes-closed conditions. Results suggest that mental, as well as physical Qigong training, increases alpha activity and therefore induces a relaxed state of mind. The observed differences in theta activity indicate different attentional processes in physical and mental Qigong training. No difference in theta activity was obtained in physical and mental Qigong training for eyes-open and eyes-closed resting state. In contrast, mental practice of Qigong entails a high degree of internalized attention that correlates with theta activity, and that is dependent on eyes-open and eyes-closed resting state.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5293832/

Change the Brain with Different Meditation Practices

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Change the Brain with Different Meditation Practices

 

By John M. de Castro, Ph.D.

 

“Most people tend to believe that all types of meditations are the same. It is common to hear about the benefits of “meditation,” but most people don’t know that there are different benefits to be obtained based specifically on the type of meditation practice pursued.“ – Mental Health Blog

 

Meditation training has been shown to improve health and well-being. It has also been found to be effective for a large array of medical and psychiatric conditions, either stand-alone or in combination with more traditional therapies. As a result, meditation training has been called the third wave of therapies. One problem with understanding meditation effects is that there are, a wide variety of meditation techniques and it is not known which type or which component produce which effects.

 

There are a number of different types of meditation. Many can be characterized on a continuum with the degree of attentional focus. In focused attention meditation, the individual practices paying attention to a single meditation object, learns to filter out distracting stimuli, including thoughts, and learns to stay focused on the present moment, filtering out thoughts centered around the past or future. On the other hand, in open monitoring meditation, the individual opens up awareness to everything that’s being experienced regardless of its origin. These include bodily sensations, external stimuli, and even thoughts. The meditator just observes these stimuli and lets them arise, and fall away without paying them any further attention.

 

One potential method to discern the different effects of these differing meditation techniques is to observe the effects of these techniques on the nervous system. There is evidence that meditation alters the brain. It can produce relatively permanent changes to the nervous system, increasing the activity, size, and connectivity of some structures while decreasing it for others in a process known as neuroplasticity. A common method to study the activity of the nervous system is to measure the electrical signal at the scalp above brain regions. Changes in this activity are measurable with mindfulness training.

 

In today’s Research News article “Increased Gamma Brainwave Amplitude Compared to Control in Three Different Meditation Traditions.” See summary below or view the full text of the study at:

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5261734/

Braboszcz and colleagues investigate the effects of three different kinds of meditation that differ on the degree of attentional focus on the electrical activity of the brain (EEG) under different mental states. They investigated the effects of a focused meditation employing mantra repetition (Himalayan Yoga), an open monitoring meditation focusing on body sensations (Vipassana) and a complete open awareness meditation technique (“Shoonya” meditation). They recruited experienced meditators who practiced one of the three techniques and also a group of comparable participants with no meditation experience. The Electroencephalogram (EEG) of the participants was measured during 20 minutes of meditation and 20 minutes of instructed mind wandering.

 

They found that regardless of the meditation or mind wandering condition the three meditation groups in comparison to the non-meditators had significantly larger amounts of high frequency waves (gamma – 60-110 cycles per second, Hz.) in the EEG. They also found that the amount of gamma activity was associated with the amount of meditative experience of the practitioners, with the more the experience, the greater the gamma activity. In addition, they found that the Vipassana meditation practitioners had significantly larger amounts of low frequency waves (alpha – 8-11 cycles per second, Hz.) than the other meditation groups or the controls regardless of condition.

 

The fact that the differences in the gamma activity in the EEG of the three groups of meditators compared to controls were present regardless of the meditation or the mind wandering condition, suggests that the increased gamma activity results from relatively permanent changes in the brain produced by the meditation training, neuroplasticity. Gamma activity is generally associated with an overall attentive state. Hence, the results suggest that meditation practice, regardless of type, strengthens attentiveness. This is compatible with the findings that meditation training improves attentional ability.

 

The fact that the differences in the alpha activity in the EEG of the Vipassana meditation practitioners compared to controls and the other two meditation groups were present regardless of the meditation or the mind wandering condition, suggests that the increased alpha activity also results from relatively permanent changes in the brain neuroplasticity. It is interesting that this group of meditators differed from the other groups in alpha activity. High levels of alpha waves have been associated with selective attention where the individual ignores most stimuli to focus on only a specific set of stimuli. Hence, this suggests that the Vipassana practice, which focuses on internal sensations of the body, may be superior to the other meditation techniques in developing selective attentional ability.

 

Regardless, the results suggest that practicing meditation produces relatively permanent changes in the brain that results in improved attentional ability and focusing on internal sensations during the meditation produces relatively permanent changes in the brain that results in improved selective attentional ability.

 

“There are many systems of meditation that widely differ from one another in their procedures, contents, objects, beliefs, and goals.  Given these differences, it is not surprising that research has shown they have different subjective and objective effects.” – David Johnson

 

CMCS – Center for Mindfulness and Contemplative Studies

 

This and other Contemplative Studies posts are also available on Google+ https://plus.google.com/106784388191201299496/posts and on Twitter @MindfulResearch

 

Study Summary

Braboszcz, C., Cahn, B. R., Levy, J., Fernandez, M., & Delorme, A. (2017). Increased Gamma Brainwave Amplitude Compared to Control in Three Different Meditation Traditions. PLoS ONE, 12(1), e0170647. http://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0170647

 

Abstract

Despite decades of research, effects of different types of meditation on electroencephalographic (EEG) activity are still being defined. We compared practitioners of three different meditation traditions (Vipassana, Himalayan Yoga and Isha Shoonya) with a control group during a meditative and instructed mind-wandering (IMW) block. All meditators showed higher parieto-occipital 60–110 Hz gamma amplitude than control subjects as a trait effect observed during meditation and when considering meditation and IMW periods together. Moreover, this gamma power was positively correlated with participants meditation experience. Independent component analysis was used to show that gamma activity did not originate in eye or muscle artifacts. In addition, we observed higher 7–11 Hz alpha activity in the Vipassana group compared to all the other groups during both meditation and instructed mind wandering and lower 10–11 Hz activity in the Himalayan yoga group during meditation only. We showed that meditation practice is correlated to changes in the EEG gamma frequency range that are common to a variety of meditation practices.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5261734/

 

Improve Children’s Academic Performance with Mindfulness

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Improve Children’s Academic Performance with Mindfulness

 

By John M. de Castro, Ph.D.

 

“Mindfulness is having a real impact on our students and their ability to focus on the moment, whether in music, sports, exams or just dealing with the pressures of everyday life.” – Jeanette Richardson

 

Childhood is a wonderful time during which the child is dynamically absorbing information from every aspect of its environment. This occurs almost without any intervention from adults as the child appears to be programmed to learn. It is here that behaviors, knowledge, skills, and attitudes are developed that shape the individual. But, what is absorbed depends on the environment. Elementary school is an environment that has a huge effect on development. It is also an excellent time teach children the skills that will insure that the child has the ability to adaptively negotiate its environment.

 

Mindfulness training in school, at all levels has been shown to have very positive effects. These include the academic, cognitive, psychological, and social domains. Importantly, mindfulness training in school appears to improve the student’s self-concept, attention, and cognitive performance and lowers stress responses.  Since, what occurs in these early years and in school can have such a profound, long-term effect on the child it is important to further study the impact of mindfulness training on the academic performance of elementary school children.

 

In today’s Research News article “Enhancing Visual Perception and Motor Accuracy among School Children through a Mindfulness and Compassion Program.” See summary below or view the full text of the study at:

http://journal.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fpsyg.2017.00281/full?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Psychology-w9-2017

Tarrasch and colleagues recruited 4th and 5th grade students and assigned them to either a wait-list control condition or to receive mindfulness and compassion training in 24 weekly sessions of 45 minutes. Before and after the program the students were measured for visual performance, motor accuracy, visual-motor integration, anxiety, and mindfulness.

 

They found that the mindfulness and compassion training in comparison to the wait-list control resulted in significant improvements in visual performance, motor accuracy, and mindfulness, and significant reductions in anxiety. Since, motor accuracy and visual performances are fundamental to academic performance, these results suggest that mindfulness and compassion training strengthens abilities that underlie success in school. In addition, the reduction in anxiety levels, suggests that the training removes one of the impediments to academic performance. Finally, the improvement in mindfulness suggests that mindfulness and compassion training helps the students to become more aware of their present feelings and environment.

 

It is possible, but not examined, that the improvements in mindfulness are responsible for the improvements in motor accuracy and visual performance as real time attention to the task at hand is fundamental to performance of these skills and performance in school overall. Regardless, the results suggest that mindfulness and compassion training improves the students’ ability to thrive in school, improving both ability and emotional tone. The investment of 45 minutes once a week in mindfulness training appears to be well justified and possibly should be considered for inclusion in the standard school curriculum.

 

So, improve children’s academic performance with mindfulness.

 

“Studies find that youth benefit from learning mindfulness in terms of improved cognitive outcomes, social-emotional skills, and well being. In turn, such benefits may lead to long-term improvements in life. For example, social skills in kindergarten predict improved education, employment, crime, substance abuse and mental health outcomes in adulthood.” – Mindful Schools

 

CMCS – Center for Mindfulness and Contemplative Studies

 

This and other Contemplative Studies posts are also available on Google+ https://plus.google.com/106784388191201299496/posts and on Twitter @MindfulResearch

 

Study Summary

Tarrasch R, Margalit-Shalom L and Berger R (2017) Enhancing Visual Perception and Motor Accuracy among School Children through a Mindfulness and Compassion Program. Front. Psychol. 8:281. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2017.00281

 

The present study assessed the effects of the mindfulness/compassion cultivating program: “Call to Care-Israel” on the performance in visual perception (VP) and motor accuracy, as well as on anxiety levels and self-reported mindfulness among 4th and 5th grade students. One hundred and thirty-eight children participated in the program for 24 weekly sessions, while 78 children served as controls. Repeated measures ANOVA’s yielded significant interactions between time of measurement and group for VP, motor accuracy, reported mindfulness, and anxiety. Post hoc tests revealed significant improvements in the four aforementioned measures in the experimental group only. In addition, significant correlations were obtained between the improvement in motor accuracy and the reduction in anxiety and the increase in mindfulness. Since VP and motor accuracy are basic skills associated with quantifiable academic characteristics, such as reading and mathematical abilities, the results may suggest that mindfulness practice has the ability to improve academic achievements.

http://journal.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fpsyg.2017.00281/full?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Psychology-w9-2017

 

Improve Mental and Physical Health with Yoga

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Improve Mental and Physical Health with Yoga

 

By John M. de Castro, Ph.D.

 

“As an osteopathic physician, I focus a lot of my efforts on preventive medicine and practices, and in the body’s ability to heal itself. Yoga is a great tool for staying healthy because it is based on similar principles.” – Natalie Nevins

 

Yoga practice has been repeated demonstrated in research studies to be beneficial for the psychological and physical health of the practitioners. But, yoga is a complex of practices including postures, movements, breathing practices and meditation. In addition, there are a wide variety of practices including Vinyoga, Iyengar, Ashtanga, Bikram, Power, Kundalini, Sivananda, Kripalu, Anusara, and Hatha, and others. To better utilize yoga practice for particular issues, it would be useful to examine which components of yoga practice benefits which areas of mental and physical health.

 

In today’s Research News article “Cross-sectional analysis of health-related quality of life and elements of yoga practice.” See summary below or view the full text of the study at:

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5282804/

Birdee and colleagues recruited a national sample of yoga practitioners and asked them to complete measures of yoga practice characteristics, including adherence, length of practice, the perceived importance, practice of breathing, movement, and meditation practice, and also health related quality of life, which included measures of global mental and global physical health. They then performed correlational analysis to investigate the relationships between the characteristics of the practice and mental and physical health.

 

They found that the greater the inclusion of meditation in the yoga practice and the more the practice was in a group, the better the mental health of the practitioners. On the other hand, the longer they were practicing, the greater the teacher training, Viniyoga style, and practicing in a yoga studio, the greater the physical health of the practitioners. These are, of course, correlational findings and thus causal connections cannot be concluded. But the relationships are interesting and suggestive that how yoga is practiced makes a difference. In addition, the results only apply to yoga practitioners and there was no comparison to non-practitioners. So, the overall benefits were not assessed only the relative benefits within practitioners only.

 

Yoga has been well established to promote physical health. The findings, though, suggest that it is personalized instruction by experienced, and certified instructors, practiced in yoga studios that produces optimum health benefits. Vinyoga is an individualized practice where the instructor develops a personalized yoga program for the student based on such factors as health, age, and physical condition, including past or current injuries or illnesses. This suggests that when it comes to physical health, one size does not fit all. Tailoring the practice to the specific needs of the student is very important. In addition, the more years spent practicing, the greater the health benefits. These results indicate that learning to do yoga properly is a key to better health. Hence, for optimum physical benefit yoga need to be individualized, professionally taught, and practiced over a long period.

 

The mental health benefits of yoga, on the other hand, are more related to the meditative and social aspects of the practice. It is not surprising that the meditative aspect of yoga was related to mental health as meditation has been demonstrated repeatedly to improve mental health. It is interesting, though, that only this aspect along with practicing socially was associated with better mental health. Perhaps, putting one in greater contact with their inner life is a key.

 

So, improve mental and physical health with yoga.

 

“Workout fads come and go, but virtually no other exercise program is as enduring as yoga. It’s been around for more than 5,000 years. Yoga does more than burn calories and tone muscles. It’s a total mind-body workout that combines strengthening and stretching poses with deep breathing and meditation or relaxation.” – WebMD

 

 

CMCS – Center for Mindfulness and Contemplative Studies

 

This and other Contemplative Studies posts are also available on Google+ https://plus.google.com/106784388191201299496/posts and on Twitter @MindfulResearch

 

Study Summary

Birdee, G. S., Ayala, S. G., & Wallston, K. A. (2017). Cross-sectional analysis of health-related quality of life and elements of yoga practice. BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine, 17, 83. http://doi.org/10.1186/s12906-017-1599-1

 

Abstract

Background

Mind-body practices such as yoga have been studied for their generally positive effects on health-related quality of life (HRQOL). The association between how a person practices yoga and the person’s HRQOL is not known.

Materials and methods

Yoga practitioners were sent invitations to participate in an online survey via email. Yoga characteristics, HRQOL, and other sociodemographics were collected. Analyses of data from 309 consenting responders evaluated associations between yoga practice characteristics (use of yoga tools, length of practice, location, method, etc.) and the 10-item PROMIS Global Health scale for both physical and mental health components.

Results

Multivariable regression models demonstrated higher mental health scores were associated with regular meditation practice, higher income, and the method of practicing in a community group class (versus one-on-one). Higher physical health scores were associated with length of lifetime practice, teacher status, Krishnamacharya yoga style, and practicing in a yoga school/studio (versus at home).

Conclusions

Meditation practice in yoga is positively associated with mental health. Length of lifetime yoga practice was significantly associated with better physical health, suggesting yoga has a potential cumulative benefit over time. Different locations and methods of practice may be associated with varying effects on health outcomes. Comparative cross-sectional and longitudinal studies on the variations in yoga practice are needed to further characterize health benefits of yoga.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5282804/

 

 

Improve Migraine Headaches with Mindfulness

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Improve Migraine Headaches with Mindfulness

 

By John M. de Castro, Ph.D.

 

“When we allow our minds, hearts, and bodies to be heard and felt through mindful attention, they will say back to us, “Thank you for listening,” not because we tried to fix anything but just because we paid attention with gentle, nonjudgmental awareness. This nurturing umbrella of awareness is the key. It is both a form of refuge and a means of really being able to take control of and managing our lives. It is a way we can cultivate and honor the wholeness of our being. It is how we heal.” – American Migraine Foundation

 

Migraine headaches are a torment far beyond the suffering of a common headache. It is an intense throbbing pain usually unilateral, focused on only one side of the head. They last from 4 hours to 3 days. They are actually a collection of neurological symptoms. Migraines often include: visual disturbances, nausea, vomiting, dizziness, extreme sensitivity to sound, light, touch and smell, and tingling or numbness in the extremities or face. Migraines are the 8th most disabling illness in the world. They disproportionately affect women with about 18% of American women and 6% of men suffering from migraine. In the U.S. they affect roughly 40 million men, women and children. While most sufferers experience attacks once or twice a month, 14 million people or about 4% have chronic daily headaches. Migraines are very disruptive to the sufferer’s personal and work lives as most people are unable to work or function normally when experiencing a migraine.

 

There is no known cure for migraine headaches. Treatments are targeted at managing the symptoms. Prescription and over-the-counter pain relievers are frequently used. There are a number of drug and drug combinations that appear to reduce the frequency of migraine attacks. These vary in effectiveness but unfortunately can have troubling side effects and some are addictive. Behaviorally, relaxation and sleep appear to help lower the frequency of migraines. Mindfulness practices have been shown to reduce stress and improve relaxation. So, they may be useful in preventing migraines. Indeed, it has been shown that mindfulness practice can reduce headache pain.

 

In today’s Research News article “Mindfulness and pharmacological prophylaxis after withdrawal from medication overuse in patients with Chronic Migraine: an effectiveness trial with a one-year follow-up.” See summary below or view the full text of the study at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5292107/

Grazzi and colleagues recruited patients who were diagnosed with chronic migraine headaches with accompanying overuse of medications. They were withdrawn from medications over a 45-day period. The patients then volunteered to participate in a research study and were assigned to receive and 8-week Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) program or prophylactic (preventive) migraine medication. They were measured before and after treatment and at 6-months and 12-months later for headache frequency, frequency of pain reliever use, headache impact, migraine disability, depression, and anxiety.

 

They found that both MBSR and prophylactic medication treatment produced clinically significant reductions in headache frequency, pain reliever use, headache impact, migraine disability, and depression. These benefits were maintained at 6-monmth and 1-year follow-ups. These are preliminary findings as there wasn’t a control group present. But, the findings are exciting and the effects large, suggesting that mindfulness training is as effective in treating migraine headaches as prophylactic medications. Since the MBSR training, unlike the drugs, has no known adverse effects, it would appear to be a preferred treatment for migraine headaches.

 

Some of the effects of mindfulness practices are to alter thought processes, changing what is thought about. In terms of pain, mindfulness training, by focusing attention on the present moment has been shown to reduce worry and catastrophizing. Pain is increased by worry about the pain and the expectation of greater pain in the future. So, reducing worry and catastrophizing can reduce headache pain. In addition, mindfulness improves self-efficacy, the belief that the individual can adapt to and handle headache pain. Mindfulness training also has been shown to alter not only what is thought, but also how thoughts are processed. Central to this cognitive change is mindfulness and acceptance. By mindfully viewing pain as a present moment experience it can be experienced just as it is and by accepting it, the individual stops fighting against the pain which can amplify the pain.

 

So, improve migraine headaches with mindfulness.

 

“Can you namaste your migraines away? A new, small study published in the journal Headache suggests that meditation may help relieve the intensity and duration of migraines.” – Mandy Oaklander

 

CMCS – Center for Mindfulness and Contemplative Studies

 

This and other Contemplative Studies posts are also available on Google+ https://plus.google.com/106784388191201299496/posts and on Twitter @MindfulResearch

 

Study Summary

Grazzi, L., Sansone, E., Raggi, A., D’Amico, D., De Giorgio, A., Leonardi, M., … Andrasik, F. (2017). Mindfulness and pharmacological prophylaxis after withdrawal from medication overuse in patients with Chronic Migraine: an effectiveness trial with a one-year follow-up. The Journal of Headache and Pain, 18(1), 15. http://doi.org/10.1186/s10194-017-0728-z

 

Abstract

Background

Chronic Migraine (CM) is a disabling condition, worsened when associated with Medication Overuse (MO). Mindfulness is an emerging technique, effective in different pain conditions, but it has yet to be explored for CM-MO. We report the results of a study assessing a one-year course of patients’ status, with the hypothesis that the effectiveness of a mindfulness-based approach would be similar to that of conventional prophylactic treatments.

Methods

Patients with CM-MO (code 1.3 and 8.2 of the International Classification of Headache Disorders-3Beta) completed a withdrawal program in a day hospital setting. After withdrawal, patients were either treated with Prophylactic Medications (Med-Group), or participated in a Mindfulness-based Training (MT-Group). MT consisted of 6 weekly sessions of guided mindfulness, with patients invited to practice 7–10 min per day. Headache diaries, the headache impact test (HIT-6), the migraine disability assessment (MIDAS), state and trait anxiety (STAI Y1-Y2), and the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) were administered before withdrawal and at each follow-up (3, 6, 12 after withdrawal) to patients from both groups. Outcome variables were analyzed in separate two-way mixed ANOVAs (Group: Mindfulness vs. Pharmacology x Time: Baseline, 3-, 6-, vs. 12-month follow-up).

Results

A total of 44 patients participated in the study, with the average age being 44.5, average headache frequency/month was 20.5, and average monthly medication intake was 18.4 pills. Data revealed a similar improvement over time in both groups for Headache Frequency (approximately 6–8 days reduction), use of Medication (approximately 7 intakes reduction), MIDAS, HIT-6 (but only for the MED-Group), and BDI; no changes on state and trait anxiety were found. Both groups revealed significant and equivalent improvement with respect to what has become a classical endpoint in this area of research, i.e. 50% or more reduction of headaches compared to baseline, and the majority of patients in each condition no longer satisfied current criteria for CM.

Conclusions

Taken as a whole, our results suggest that the longitudinal course of patients in the MT-Group, that were not prescribed medical prophylaxis, was substantially similar to that of patients who were administered medical prophylaxis.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5292107/