Category Archives: Mind-Body Research Update

(Dr. Kevin W Chen and others) Research Updates

Tai chi exercise for patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

To determine the feasibility of a randomized controlled trial of the effect of a tai chi program on quality of life and exercise capacity in patients with COPD. METHODS: We randomized 10 patients with… Continue reading

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Role of naturopathy and yoga treatment in the management of hypertension

he primary aim was to study the effect of naturopathy and yoga interventions in treatment of mild to moderate hypertension. DESIGN: The variables of interest were measured at the beginning and end of the intervention using a pre-post design. SETTING: The study was conducted by INYS medical research society in Jindal Nature Cure Institute, Bangalore. SUBJECTS: A total of 104 subjects… Continue reading

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Green tea polyphenols supplementation and Tai Chi exercise for postmenopausal osteopenic women

Evidence suggests that both green tea polyphenols (GTP) and Tai Chi (TC) exercise may benefit bone health in osteopenic women. However, their safety in this population has never been systematically investigated. In particular, there have been hepatotoxicity concerns related to green tea extract. This study was to evaluate… Continue reading

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Treating fibromyalgia with mindfulness-based stress reduction

Mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) is a structured 8-week group program teaching mindfulness meditation and mindful yoga exercises. MBSR aims to help participants develop… Continue reading

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Does mindfulness training improve cognitive abilities?

Mindfulness meditation practices (MMPs) are a subgroup of meditation practices which are receiving growing attention. The present paper reviews current evidence about the effects of MMPs on objective measures of cognitive functions. Five databases were searched. Twenty three studies providing measures of attention, memory, executive functions and further miscellaneous measures of cognition were included. Fifteen were controlled or randomized controlled studies and 8 were case-control studies. Overall, reviewed studies suggested that early phases of mindfulness training, which are more concerned with the development of focused attention, could be associated with significant improvements in selective and executive attention whereas the following phases, which are characterized by an open monitoring of internal and external stimuli, could be mainly associated with improved unfocused… Continue reading

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The role of breathing training in asthma management

There is considerable public interest in the use of breathing modification techniques in the treatment of asthma. Surveys suggest many people with asthma use them, often without the knowledge of their medical attendants. Extravagant claims have been made about the effectiveness of some techniques, resulting in scepticism from orthodox clinicians. The evidence supporting breathing training for asthma was previously weak, and limited by the small size and methodological limitations Continue reading

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Research Update (2/11)

The purpose of the present study is to investigate the effects of yoga on balance and gait properties in women with musculoskeletal problems. DESIGN: Twenty-seven women (30-45 years old) with musculoskeletal problems, such as osteoarthritis and low-back pain, were included in the present study. Continue reading

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Mind-Body Research Update

Qigong versus Exercise versus no Therapy for Patients with Chronic Neck Pain – a Randomized Controlled Trial Spine. 2010 Dec 20; by Rendant D, Pach D, Lüdtke R, Reisshauer A, Willich S, Witt CM. from Institute of Social Medicine, Epidemiology, … Continue reading

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