Yoga as an Ancillary Treatment for Neurological and Psychiatric Disorders: A Review

This literature review covers findings, by specific illness condition, on effects and outcome of yoga practice by patients with various degrees of severity and duration of illness; all but one study used randomized, controlled trials. The neurological-physiologic conditions investigated were multiple sclerosis, migraine, and epilepsy; psychiatric conditions were major depression, mood disorders, schizophrenia, posttraumatic stress disorder, and bipolar disorder. The authors propose various mechanisms by which yoga affects illness course. The meditative component is said to increase melatonin level, which improves efficiency of the immune system and acts as an antioxidant, and decrease cortisol levels, which are related to overall stress.

Yoga is gaining acceptance as an ancillary medical treatment, but there have been few studies evaluating its therapeutic benefits in neurological and major psychiatric conditions. The authors reviewed the literature in English on the efficacy of yoga for these disorders. Only randomized, controlled trials were included, with the exception of the only study of yoga for bipolar disorder, which was observational. Trials were excluded if yoga was not the central component of the intervention. Of seven randomized, controlled trials of yoga in patients with neurological disorders, six found significant, positive effects. Of 13 randomized, controlled trials of yoga in patients with psychiatric disorders, 10 found significant, positive effects. These results, although encouraging, indicate that additional randomized, controlled studies are needed to critically define the benefits of yoga for both neurological and psychiatric disorders.