Treating the climacteric symptoms in Indian women with an integrated approach to yoga therapy: a randomized control study.

Chattha R, Raghuram N, Venkatram P, Hongasandra NR.

Swami Vivekananda Yoga Research Foundation, Bangalore, India. chattha.ritu@yahoo.com

Comment in:

• Menopause. 2008 Sep-Oct;15(5):827-9.

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: To study the effect of yoga on the climacteric symptoms, perceived stress, and personality in perimenopausal women.

DESIGN: One hundred twenty participants (ages 40-55 y) were randomly divided into two study arms, ie, yoga and control. The yoga group practiced an integrated approach to yoga therapy comprising surya namaskara (sun salutation) with 12 postures, pranayama (breathing practices), and avartan dhyan (cyclic meditation), whereas the control group practiced a set of simple physical exercises under supervision of trained teachers for 8 weeks (1 h daily, 5 days per week). The assessments were made by Greene Climacteric Scale, Perceived Stress Scale, and Eysenck's Personality Inventory before and after the intervention.

RESULTS: Of the three factors of the Greene Climacteric Scale, the Mann-Whitney test showed a significant difference between groups (P < p =" 0.06)" size =" 0.43)" size =" 0.21)">

CONCLUSIONS: Eight weeks of an integrated approach to yoga therapy decreases climacteric symptoms, perceived stress, and neuroticism in perimenopausal women better than physical exercise.

PMID: 18463543 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]