- Researchers say yoga can help people with epilepsy reduce the frequency of seizures.
- They add that yoga can also help people deal with the stigma sometimes associated with epilepsy.
- Experts say the study adds to a growing body of evidence that mind-body work has physical benefits as well as stress relief.
A ‘depressed dog’ might be man’s (and woman’s) best friend when it comes to managing epilepsy.
A new study report what to do yoga can help reduce seizure frequency, anxiety and feelings of stigma that often accompany epilepsy.
The research was published today in Neurologythe medical journal of American Academy of Neurology.
“People with epilepsy often face stigma that can make them feel different from others because of their own health condition and can have a significant impact on their quality of life,” said Dr Manjari Tripathi, study author and neurologist at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences in New Delhi, in a statement. “This stigma can affect a person’s life in many ways, including treatment, emergency room visits, and poor mental health. Our study showed that yoga practice can alleviate the burden of epilepsy and improve overall quality of life by reducing this perception of stigma.
Researchers studied people with epilepsy aged an average of 30 years in India.
They measured stigma based on participants’ responses to questions about discrimination, feeling different from others, and feeling like they are contributing to society.
The scientists then identified 160 people who met the stigma criteria. Participants had an average of one seizure per week and took an average of at least two anti-epileptic medications.
The team then randomly selected subjects to receive yoga therapy or simulated yoga therapy.
Yoga therapy included muscle relaxation exercises, breathing, meditation and positive affirmations.
Each group participated in seven supervised group sessions of 45 to 60 minutes over three months. They were also asked to do yoga at home at least five times a week for 30 minutes, while recording seizures and yoga sessions in a diary.
After three months of yoga therapy, the researchers followed the participants for an additional three months.
Researchers reported that people who practiced yoga were more likely to have reduced perceptions of stigma.
The team also found that people who practiced yoga were four times more likely to have their seizure frequency reduced by more than 50% after six months than people who practiced simulated yoga.
There was also a significant decrease in anxiety symptoms among those who practiced yoga compared to people who did not. Researchers said they saw improvements in measures of quality of life and mindfulness.
“The results of this study reinforce the need to consider alternative therapies and activities for people with epilepsy who face stigma,” Tripathi said in a statement. “Yoga can not only help reduce stigma, but also improve quality of life and mindfulness. Additionally, yoga can be easily pre-recorded and shared with patients online using minimal resources and costs.
The authors acknowledged that a limitation of the study was that participants self-reported the frequency of their seizures and may not have remembered all the information accurately.
Dr. Sandipan Pati, an associate professor of neurology at McGovern Medical School at UTHealth Houston who was not involved in the study, said Medical news today This stress plays a significant role in making a person’s epilepsy worse.
“If stress is managed well, disease outcomes can be better, including quality of life,” Pati said. “In epilepsy, stress plays a very important role in precipitating seizures and worsening sleep.”
Ryan Glatt, a senior brain health coach and director of the FitBrain program at the Pacific Neuroscience Institute in California, who was not involved in the study, said Medical news today The study adds to the existing body of evidence that mind-body exercise practices, such as yoga, can have beneficial effects on mental health.
“Future studies could incorporate different groups comparing yoga to meditation and standard treatments to better understand the specific benefits of yoga and other stress-reduction interventions,” Glatt said. “More research is needed to better understand how yoga might benefit people with epilepsy, but there could be effects on stress, brain activity and neurotransmitter function, according to this 2012 study.”
Dr. Juliann Paolicchidirector of the Pediatric Epilepsy Neurology Service at Staten Island University Hospital in New York, is a yoga practitioner who was not involved in the study.
She said that while the effects of yoga have been studied extensively, this study is new in that it focuses on the stigma of the disease. But there are still unanswered questions, she said.
“The “why” is an even more important aspect? Because they felt better overall? Because they felt less stress, anxiety and tension overall? Because they felt more in control of their epilepsy? These questions lead to an even more interesting exploration of this study,” Paolicchi said.
Paolicchi added that yoga doesn’t just affect the mental state of a person with epilepsy.
“Regulated breathing and guided meditation have been shown to stimulate the parasympathetic nervous system through the vagus nervePaolicchi said. “Interestingly, activating the vagus nerve using directed neuromodulation pacemakers reduces seizures over time and lessens their impact.”
“Stimulation of the vagus nerve also decreases the duration, severity of seizures and the post-ictal recovery phase. This is just speculation, but the connection between these modalities is intriguing,” she added.
Paolicchi said she can attest to the calming, grounding power of yoga.
“Regular use of breathing techniques can also lead to decreased anxiety and stress,” she said. “I regularly practice brief focused breathing sessions in my epilepsy, anxiety and migraine patient clinics to demonstrate the ease and accessibility of these techniques. And everyone prefers non-pharmacological therapies to their condition.
