New study shows that MediYoga is effective for patients with stress-related symptoms.

GOTHENBURG, Sweden - A recent randomised controlled trial conducted by Madeleine Bellfjord, Anna Grimby-Ekman and Maria E. H. Larsson has compared the effects of MediYoga for patients with stress-related symptoms in primary care rehabilitation. The study, published in a reputable medical journal, compared the effects of MediYoga with traditional physiotherapy.

Study design and participants

The study included 46 patients aged 26-70 years (mean age 47), including 44 women and two men, all suffering from stress-related symptoms. The participants were divided into two groups: a group that performed MediYoga for one hour per week over an eight-week period, and a control group that received regular physiotherapy treatment.

Main results and measurements

The primary outcome was measured with the Swedish version of the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), and secondary outcomes included the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), EuroQol-5D (EQ-5D) and EuroQol-Visual Analogue Scale (EQ-VAS). A physical measurement of thoracic expansion was also performed.

For the primary outcome measure PSS, the results showed a close to statistically significant improvement for MediYoga compared to physiotherapy (P = 0.06). For the secondary outcome measures, MediYoga showed a statistically significant improvement in HADS anxiety (P = 0.01) and EQ-VAS (P = 0.03). There was also a trend towards improvement in HADS depression (P = 0.08) for the MediYoga group.

Conclusion and recommendations

Despite a large drop-out rate in both groups, MediYoga can be recommended as a treatment method for people suffering from stress-related symptoms. This study shows that MediYoga can not only reduce anxiety and improve quality of life, but also potentially alleviate depression symptoms.

Researcher's comment

Madeleine Bellfjord, lead researcher of the study, comments on the results: "This study presents an important advance in our understanding of how MediYoga can be used as an effective treatment for stress-related symptoms. Our results contribute to strengthened evidence for MediYoga as a treatment method in primary care."

Pär Krutzén, CEO of SIMY (Swedish Institute Medical Yoga), adds: "We are very pleased with the research team's work on this primary care study on stress-related symptoms. It is an extra feather in our cap that the publication is in such a highly ranked medical journal as PlosOne. Every published study that demonstrates the positive effects of MediYoga contributes strongly to the development of evidence and is an important step forward. We continue to work with academia and the medical community to develop and implement high-quality, evidence-based yoga in healthcare."

For more information, please contact:

Madeleine Bellfjord (MSc Physiotherapist, Department of Rehabilitation, Närhälsan Clinic in Primary Care, Gibraltarg, Gothenburg, Sweden)
E-mail: madeleine.bellfjord@vgregion.se
Telephone: 031-7478761

Mr Pär Krutzén, (Executive Director, SIMY)
E-mail: par@simy.se
Telephone: 0768-954258