Authors |
Design |
N (% Women)
|
Mean Age, Years (SD) |
Type of musculoskeletal disorder |
Interventions |
| Park & McCaffrey 39 |
Time series design (repeated measures) |
10 (86%) |
77 (3.6) |
Osteoarthritis |
Sit ‘N’ Fit Chair yoga: 45 minutes twice/week |
| Park et al. 22 |
Time series design |
21
(76%) |
80
(8.3) |
Osteoarthritis |
8 week sessions Sit ‘N’ Fit Chair yoga: 45 minutes twice/week, Reiki: 30 minutes, once/week, Pain Education: 90 minutes every other week |
| Ebnezar, Nagarathna, Bali, & Nagendra 23 |
prospective randomized parallel active control study |
235
(70 %) |
59 (10) |
Osteoarthritis of knee joints |
Yoga Group: 40 min (per day) after 20 min of physiotherapy for 2 weeks.
Components: (a)Yogic sukshmavyayamas (loosening and strengthening practices), (b) Relaxation techniques, (c) Asanas (physical postures), (d) Pranayama, (e) Meditation
Control Group: 40 min of therapeutic exercises after 20 min of physiotherapy for 2 weeks |
| Taibi & Vitiello47 |
Pretest/
posttest |
13 (100%) |
65.2 (6.9) |
Osteoarthritis |
Gentle Hatha yoga: 75 minutes weekly for 8 weeks
20 min of nightly home practice.
Components: (a) relaxation and body awareness, (b) progressed to seated poses, (c) supine poses, (d) breathing exercises, (e) deep relaxation |
| Ülger & Yaglı 48 |
pretest/ posttest |
27 (100%) |
43.70 (7.35) |
musculoskeletal problems |
Yoga: regular yoga, 60 minutes including asansa, stretching exercise, and breathing techniques; 8 sessions (twice weekly for 4 weeks)
Components: (a) Ardha Kati Chakrasana, (b) Ardhachakrasana (c) Padahastasana, (d) Trikonasana, (e) Vriks, (f) asana, (g) Veerabhadrasana, (h) Sasankasana, (i) Suptavajrasana, (j) Paschimatanasana, (k) Bhujangasana, (l) Salabhasana |
| Bukowski et al. 50 |
Pretest/
posttest |
15 (100%)
|
67.75 |
Osteoarthritis |
Iyengar yoga: 61.5 minutes traditional stretching and strengthening exercise (5 minutes warm-up, stretching, 5 minutes cool-down)
Component: Mountain pose-basic standing pose; Standing extended triangle pose; standing lunge pose; Supine mountain pose; Supine foot pose; Standing-bending pose; Seated restrained angle pose; Seated restrained angle pose; Seated restrained angle pose |
| Garfinkel et al. 24 |
Randomized controlled trial |
25
(56%) |
52–79 |
Hand osteo-arthritis |
Supervised yoga and relaxation techniques and patient education: 60-minute session (Sessions 1 and 10 devoted to pretest/posttest)
Stretching, strengthening exercise. They raised and straightened their arms above their heads, intertwined their fingers, then turned the palms upwards and lifted from the scapulae. |
Kolasinski et al.
25 |
Pretest/
posttest |
7
(100%) |
58.6 |
Knee osteo‑
arthritis |
Modified Iyengar yoga: 90 minutes once weekly for 8 weeks
Posture including standing, sitting, and supine positions
Components: Mountain pose and basic standing pose, standing extended triangle pose; staff pose, Supine Mountain pose; Supine foot pose |
Telles, Dash & Naveen 53
|
Randomized controlled trial |
291
(% not reported) |
31.9 (10.2) -32.8 (8.6) |
Musculoskeletal discomfort |
Yoga group: Daily 1-hour yoga sessions during a period set aside for recreation
Components: asanas, exercises for the joints and back, regulated breathing, visual cleansing exercises, and guided relaxation.
Wait-List Control: spent the same time in their usual recreational activities. |
Tul et al.
51 |
Qualitative in-depth interviews, observation |
7
(% not reported) |
46.6 |
Back pain |
Hatha yoga: 8-weeks of weekly group sessions and at-home practice |
| Tilbrook et al. 27 |
Parallel-group, randomized controlled trial |
313
(100%) |
46.4 (11.3) |
Lower back pain |
Iyengar yoga: 12 weeks, gradually progressing yoga program delivered over 3 months;
Components: Pain-relieving or settling-in relaxing poses; a program of seated, standing, prone, and supine poses; educative postural advice; and 5 to 15 minutes of relaxation.
Usual care: |
Williams et al.
41 |
Randomized controlled trial |
90
(76.7%) |
48.2
(1.27) |
Chronic low back pain |
Iyengar yoga: 90 minutes biweekly for 24 weeks
Components: supine, seated, standing, forward bends, twists, and inversions.
Wait-listed control group: self-directed standard medical care (SMC) |
Saper et al.
52 |
Pilot randomized controlled trial |
30
(83%) |
44
(13) |
Chronic low back pain |
Yoga group: weekly 75-minute Hatha yoga classes for 12 weeks
Each class began and ended with svasana, a relaxation exercise. Classes included postures and berthing techniques.
Usual care control group: offered the yoga intervention after 26 weeks |
Groessl
et al.
39 |
Pretest/
posttest |
33
(21%) |
55.3
(13.7) |
Low back pain |
Hatha yoga: 8 sessions and a 10-week follow-up period.
Components: Energetic breathing exercise, mindfulness/mediation and/or conceration, |
| Tekur et al. 28 |
Randomized controlled trial |
80
(46%) |
49 (3.6) -
48 (4.0) |
Chronic low back pain |
Yoga group: 1-week intensive residential yoga program (integrated approach to yoga therapy)
Components: Supine postures; Prone posture; Quick relaxation technique; Sitting postures; Standing postures; Deep relaxation technique
Control group: physical exercises performed in 1-week intensive program |
Sherman et al.
18 |
Randomized controlled trial |
101 (66%) |
44
(12) |
Low back pain |
Yoga group: 75-minute weekly yoga sessions for 12 weeks
Exercise group: 12-session conventioal therapeutic exercise class
Self-care book: mailed a copy of The Back Pain Helpbook |
Williams et al.
26 |
Randomized controlled trial |
60
(67.9%) |
48.7
(10.6) |
Low back pain |
Yoga group: one 1.5-hour class weekly for 16 weeks at a community yoga studio
Educational control group: two1-hour lectures on occupational/ physical therapy education |
| Galantino et al. 43 |
Randomized controlled trial |
22
(77%) |
Range
30-65 |
Chronic low back pain |
Yoga group: modified Hatha yoga protocol, 1 hour, twice a week for 6 weeks
Control group: Over the same 6-week period, instructed to continue with usual daily activities
Diaphragmatic breathing/relaxation postures; stretching postures; asanas/preparatory exercises; sun salutation; relaxation and meditation. |
| Bosch et al. 31 |
Pretest/posttest design |
16 (% not reported) |
Yoga 56.3 (7.6)
Control 66.7 (5.8) |
RA |
Three yoga classes: 75-minute yoga session 3 times a week for 10 weeks
Supine breathing activities; traditional posture and stretches; meditation. |
| Badsha et al. 29 |
Pretest/posttest design |
47
(% not reported) |
44
(10) |
RA |
Vishwas-Raj Yoga: 1-hour session twice a week for 6 weeks
Components: Stretches, strengthening, meditation and deep breathing |
Dash & Telles
30 |
Pretest/posttest design |
286 |
31 (7.4) |
RA |
Yoga group: 60 minutes (asanas or postures) yoga asanas or postures, pranayama or voluntarily regulated breathing, meditation, and lectures about yoga philosophy.
Control group |
| Curtis et al. 34 |
Time series design |
22 (100%) |
47.4 (13.7) |
Fibromyalgia |
75-minute yoga class twice weekly for 8 weeks
Components: traditional, modified, and restorative yoga postures (asana), breathing exercises (pranayama), a brief meditation (dhyana), intention setting, mindfulness exercise and an introduction to the eight limbs of yoga. |
| Carson et al. 32 |
Randomized controlled trial |
Women
53 (100%) |
53.7
(11.5) |
Fibromyalgia |
Yoga group: 120-minute weekly classes (7-12 patients/group) for 8 weeks
Gentle stretching poses, mindfulness meditation (e.g., awareness of breath), breathing techniques, didactic presentations on the application of yogic principles to optimal coping
Wait-listed control group: standard care |
| da Silva et al. 33 |
Randomized controlled trial |
40
(100%) |
44 (8.0) -46 (8.9)
|
Fibromyalgia |
Relaxing Yoga (RY): 50-minute weekly sessions for 8 weeks
Relaxing Yoga plus Touch (RYT): 50-minute weekly sessions for 8 weeks |
| Yağlı & Ülger Ö 49 |
pre/post design |
12 (100%) |
66.00 (3.87) |
Osteoporosis |
Yoga exercise program 1hour
Components: breathing exercise; warm-up activities; physical poses in the supine, seated, and standing position; corpse pose |
| Tüzün et al.35 |
Randomized controlled trial |
26
(100%) |
60.62 (8.43) |
Osteoporosis |
Yoga education 1 hour twice/week for 12 weeks |
| Fishman et al.36 |
repeated measures |
18
(91%) |
68 |
Osteoporosis or osteopenia |
Yoga: 10 minutes daily for 2 years |
| Balk et al. 37 |
Prospective, pre/post design |
13 (100%) |
55 (4.5) |
Osteoporosis and osteopenia |
Hatha yoga: 60 minutes, once a week for 12 weeks |
Boyle et al.
54 |
Time-series design, repeated measures |
24
(100%) |
38.3 |
Muscle soreness in lower extremity |
Kripaiustyic yoga: 90-minute gentle or moderate session (at the facility where they normally practiced yoga) at 24 and 72 hours after initial testing |
| Oken et al. 38 |
Randomized controlled trial |
57 |
Yoga: 49.8 (7.4) |
Multiple Sclerosis |
Iyengar yoga: 90 minutes once per week for 6 months
Components: breathing for concentration and relaxation during the session. Each class ended with a 10-minute deep relaxation with the subject lying supine. Progressive relaxation, visualization, and mediation techniques were introduced.
Exercise: Aerobic exercise (bicycling on recumbent or dual-action stationary bicycles) Waiting list |
| Garfinkel et al. 17 |
Randomized, single-blind, controlled trial |
42
(64%) |
48.9 |
Carpal tunnel syndrome |
Iyengar approach to Hatha yoga: 1 to 1.5 hours for strengthening, stretching, balancing upper body joints plus relaxation twice weekly for 8 weeks
Wait-list control group |
