Scientific yoga module for hypothyroidism: A study protocol for tele-yoga RCT.

Background: Management of thyroid dysfunction has a direct effect on the quality of life and studies have recognized that hypothyroidism has become a public health challenge. Although conventional medicine is widely used, its long-term side effects are elucidated. This study aims to conduct a randomized controlled trial (RCT) through tele-mode to assess the effectiveness of the newly developed and validated "Scientific Yoga Module" as a telehealth concept for improving the quality of life in patients with hypothyroidism along with management of other symptoms as compared to the standard of care. Method: This is a single-blinded, two-arm, parallel-group RCT in which at least a total of 120 primary hypothyroid subjects both male and female between the age group 18 to 60 will be recruited from the database of Swami Vivekananda Yoga Anusandhana Samsthana (SVYASA). Participants will be randomly divided into a yoga intervention group (n = 60) and a waitlist control group (n = 60) as per the inclusion and exclusion criteria of the study. A tele-yoga intervention for six months will be administered and pre-interim-post data will be recorded for both groups. This protocol is designed to study the effect of Scientific Yoga Module intervention on primary assessments of SF-36 scale [health-related quality of life (HRQOL) that includes physical, mental, emotional, and social states] along with secondary assessments on the biochemical test of thyroid profile-{Triiodothyronine (T3), Thyroxine (T4), Thyroid Stimulating Hormones (TSH)}, Body Mass Index (BMI), Blood Pressure (BP), Fatigue Assessment Scale (FAS), Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), Gita Inventory of personality scale (GIP). Conclusion: To the best of our knowledge, this tele-yoga RCT for hypothyroidism will be the first clinical trial to analyze the effectiveness of a "Scientific Yoga Module" imparted through tele-mode.

Role of yoga in managing the consequences of work stress-a review.

The purpose of this study is to systematically review the literature on the role of yoga in managing the consequences of work stress to examine the current body of knowledge in this field and to provide directions for future research in this domain. A comprehensive literature search of 14 databases using 12 different search term combinations in the area of 'yoga and work stress' was carried out till the period January 2022 following the PRISMA guidelines to select the relevant English-language peer-reviewed SCImago Ranked articles for review. Two broad classification areas were considered to understand the research question of interest in this study: (i) consequences of work stress [which includes-(a) behavioural; (b) physical; and (c) psychological] and; (ii) schools of thought in yoga for work stress management [which includes-(a) Hatha yoga (HY); (b) Vini yoga (VY); (c) Dru yoga (DY); (d) Integrated yoga (IY); (e) Kundalini yoga (KUY); (f) Kripalu yoga (KRY); (g) Iyengar yoga; (h) Ashtanga yoga (AY); (i) Power yoga (PY); and (j) Yoga (General)]. The main contribution of this study is that it is the first of its kind comprehensive review in the area of 'yoga and its role in managing the consequences of work stress' collating the dispersed knowledge in this area by indicating the various understudied stand-alone and combined consequences of work stress and the less researched schools of thought in yoga and yoga practices administered to manage these consequences of work stress, to provide promising avenues for further examination for the development of this research field.

Knowledge, Attitude, and Practice of Yoga for Thyroid Dysfunction: A Cross-sectional Survey Using a Tableau Approach.

Context: Thyroid dysfunction is a common endocrine disorder. Lifestyle changes such as the use of complementary therapies namely yoga, regular physical activity, and proper diet may reduce the risk of endocrinal dysfunction and may help individuals to maintain a healthy weight. Objective: The study intended to evaluate thyroid patients' knowledge gaps with respect to, cultural beliefs about, and attitudes towards the practice of yoga as a therapeutic tool in India. Design: The research team conducted a cross-sectional survey electronically using a snowball sampling technique. Setting: The study took place at Swami Vivekananda Yoga Anusandhana Samsthana (S-VYASA) Yoga University in Bengaluru, Karnataka, India. Participants: Participants were patients with thyroid dysfunction in India. Outcome Measures: The research team: (1) evaluated the overall awareness of, opinions about, and practice of yoga among participants, (2) correlated the findings with participants' sociodemographic characteristics, specific thyroid disease and comorbidities using the knowledge, attitude, and practice (KAP) model and Tableau analysis. Results: Among respondents, 192 patients were eligible to participate in the survey, out of which 31.8% were yoga practitioners and 68.2% weren't. All participants confirmed that they had heard the term yoga. The second group's awareness of yoga's use as a therapy was limited. Many nonpractitioners stated that they lacked knowledge of and feared injury from the practice of yoga, yet they showed interest in receiving yogic counseling. Of the 192 participants, 85.94% had received a clinical diagnosis of hypothyroidism, out of which 64% were female and 22% were male. The remaining 14% of participants had received other diagnosis along the spectrum of thyroid dysfunction. The prominent comorbidity was obesity at 28.13% among both genders, and in addition, 20.83% of females had polycystic ovarian syndrome. Conclusions: This study found an inadequate level of knowledge of yoga as a therapy among thyroid patients. Because yoga is progressive in improving endocrinal functions and is one of the complementary therapies for managing thyroid dysfunction, the research team recommends its integration into conventional medicine as an adjunct therapy. This study provides the scope for future studies about yoga and thyroid dysfunction among a wide range of age groups across the globe.