The Benefits of Yoga for Stroke

In this systematic review and meta-analysis, the potential benefits of yoga in chronic stroke care are explored.

Go to the profile of Heather Mason
Heather Mason
Founder of the Minded Institute, The Minded Institute
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https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28100160

Systematic reviews, where researchers pull together all the research in a particular area and analyse it over-archingly, are extraordinarily highly-esteemed in the scientific community, and with very good reason. In this systematic review and meta-analysis, the potential benefits of yoga in chronic stroke care are explored.

The search yielded five eligible papers from four randomised controlled trials (the gold standard in terms of singular studies). Yoga was found to be beneficial in reducing state anxiety symptoms and depression in the intervention group compared to the control group. Consistent but non statistically significant improvements were demonstrated for balance, trait anxiety, and overall quality of life.

Researchers have concluded that yoga may be effective for ameliorating some of the long-term consequences of stroke. Large well-designed randomised controlled trials are needed to confirm these findings.

Fancy conducting a bit of research anyone! :) !

Go to the profile of Heather Mason

Heather Mason

Founder of the Minded Institute, The Minded Institute

Heather Mason is a leader in the field of mind-body therapy and the founder of Yoga Therapy for the Mind. She develops innovative methods for mental health treatment drawing on her robust educational background including an MA in Psychotherapy, an MA in Buddhist Studies, studies in Neuroscience and a current MSc in Medical Physiology.. She is also a 500 RYT, a yoga therapist and an MBCT facilitator. Heather offers various professional trainings for yoga teachers, healthcare professionals and therapists, lectures around the world, and delivers training to medical students. She also develops protocols for different client populations by translating cutting edge research from the psycho-biology and neuro-biology of stress into yoga practices, breathwork, mindfulness interventions and therapeutic holding. Further she is involved in research on the efficacy of these practices, holds the annual UK yoga therapy conference and is blazing the trail for the integration of yoga therapy into the NHS