Yoga can help relieve mood disorders in Parkinson's patients

(Reuters Health) – A small experiment suggests that people with Parkinson's can experience less anxiety and depression by practicing mindfulness yoga and breathing exercises.

Parkinson's disease is one of the most common chronic neurodegenerative diseases. Typical motor symptoms include tremors, stiffness, sluggishness, and postural instability – but Parkinson's patients may also experience various cognitive problems as well as psychiatric disorders such as depression and anxiety. researchers from JAMA Neurology.

For the study, researchers randomly badigned 138 adults with Parkinson's disease to a mindfulness yoga program or an exercise program focused on stretching and resistance training to improve mobility and stability. All participants could stand and walk without walking sticks or walkers.

The study found that yoga was as effective as stretching and resistance training to improve motor dysfunction and mobility.

But people who practiced yoga experienced a greater reduction in anxiety, depression and perceived difficulties related to their illness. Patients in the yoga group also reported a greater improvement in what is known as health-related quality of life or their ability to function in daily activities despite illness.

"Before the study, we knew that mind-body exercises such as yoga and stretching improved the physical health of patients with Parkinson's disease (PD), but the benefits to their mental health did not improve." were not known, "said Jojo Kwok, senior author of the study, University of Hong Kong.

"This study concludes that mindfulness yoga alleviates psychological distress, improves spiritual well-being and quality of life, not to mention motor symptoms and mobility," Kwok said by e-mail. "What's exciting is that yoga has proven to be a better strategy than just stretching."

Each week during the study, members of the stretch and resistance group had a weekly 60-minute group session. They were also encouraged to practice exercises at home for 20 minutes twice a week.

The members of the yoga group followed a 90-minute weekly session of hatha yoga, which focuses on breathing and meditation in addition to specific poses. They were also asked to train at home for 20 minutes twice a week.

Mindfulness-based training programs are designed to help people focus on the present moment and accept any pain or discomfort they may feel. This may involve meditation techniques to cultivate the awareness of the present moment during daily activities such as driving or eating, or breathing exercises and practices such as yoga to encourage body awareness and focus on the present.

Four participants in the yoga group reported mild temporary knee pain, as did two people from the stretching and resistance training group. None of the patients had more serious side effects.

One of the drawbacks of the study is that many participants dropped out. In addition, the results could be different for Parkinson's patients with more mobility limitations, excluded from the trial.

Nevertheless, the results add to the evidence that hatha and other forms of yoga could be beneficial for Parkinson's patients, said Catherine Justice, an integrative physical therapist at Hennepin Healthcare in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Particularly with respect to the motor symptoms of Parkinson's disease, it is essential that people with this disease discuss it with their yoga instructor before trying a course to minimize the risk of injury, Justice advised. .

"The risk of falls could be quite high in standing or balancing postures or during the transition to and from the ground," said Justice. "For this reason, I recommend anyone with Parkinson's disease to practice yoga near a wall, with a sturdy chair placed at hand with at least 2 feet of chair on the carpet."

Patients with Parkinson's disease could still benefit from the physical and mental activity of yoga, said Dr. Martha Nance, Medical Director of Park Nicollet-Struthers Parkinson's Center in Minneapolis.

If yoga is not available where patients live, "it is always worthwhile to exercise 150 minutes a week and other forms of attention / meditation are also likely to contribute to emotional health (health), "Nance, who did not participate in the study. , said by email.

SOURCE: bit.ly/2G5GUDN JAMA Neurology, online April 8, 2019.