Muscle stretching with deep and slow breathing patterns: a pilot study for therapeutic development

Impact of Yoga on anxiety, stress and sleep quality among health care professionals during public health crisis

BACKGROUND

Health Care Professionals (HCPs) working on the frontlines of health care emergencies/pandemics often experience elevated anxiety, stress and reduced quality of sleep. Yoga is a mind-body practice that has been proven to effective in improving physical and mental health.

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the effectiveness of integrated Yoga intervention on mental health measures and sleep quality among HCPs working during the COVID-19 pandemic.

METHODS

It was a quasi-experimental study on 110 HCPs, including Doctors and nursing staff, with an age range of 20 to 65 years who were recruited through a convenience sampling method and assigned to a Yoga group (n = 55) or a control group (n = 55).The Yoga group received a weekly one-hour Yoga session followed by a 30-minute self-practice three times a week at home for one month. The control group followed routine activity. Heart rate (HR), Blood Pressure, stress measures (Perceived Stress and visual analogue Scale for Stress), COVID-related anxiety, Sleep Quality, Quality of life and Preservative Thinking were assessed before and after the intervention.

RESULTS

A significant decrease in stress measures, COVID-19-related anxiety and fear, and perseverative thinking was noticed in the Yoga group. Sleep quality and quality of life also improved significantly. The control group showed no significant change. At one month, the Yoga group showed significantly greater improvement in stress measures, COVID-19-related anxiety and fear, perseverative thinking, sleep quality and quality of life compared to the control group.

CONCLUSION

Yoga practice during the public health crisis would help reduce anxiety and stress and improve sleep among HCPs. Further, RCT studies are warranted.

The Impact of Stretching Intensities on Neural and Autonomic Responses: Implications for Relaxation

Stretching is an effective exercise for increasing body flexibility and pain relief. This study investigates the relationship between stretching intensity and relaxation effects, focusing on brainwaves and autonomic nervous system (ANS) activity. We used a crossover design with low- and high-intensity conditions to elucidate the impact of varying stretching intensities on neural activity associated with relaxation in 19 healthy young adults. Participants completed mood questionnaires. Electroencephalography (EEG) and plethysmography measurements were also obtained before, during, and after stretching sessions. The hamstring muscle was targeted for stretching, with intensity conditions based on the Point of Discomfort. Data analysis included wavelet analysis for EEG, plethysmography data, and repeated-measures ANOVA to differentiate mood, ANS activity, and brain activity related to stretching intensity. Results demonstrated no significant differences between ANS and brain activity based on stretching intensity. However, sympathetic nervous activity showed higher activity during the rest phases than in the stretch phases. Regarding brain activity, alpha and beta waves showed higher activity during the rest phases than in the stretch phases. A negative correlation between alpha waves and sympathetic nervous activities was observed in high-intensity conditions. However, a positive correlation between beta waves and parasympathetic nervous activities was found in low-intensity conditions. Our findings suggest that stretching can induce interactions between the ANS and brain activity.

Impact of Indoor Air Quality and Breathing on Back and Neck Pain: A Systematic Review

Back pain and neck pain are important public health concerns and are among the most common and disabling conditions globally. However, the relationships among indoor air quality (IAQ), breathing parameters (pulmonary function, respiratory disorders), and back pain and neck pain have not been adequately assessed. The purpose of this study was to systematically review the literature about the impact of IAQ and breathing parameters on back pain and neck pain (PROSPERO ID: CRD42022380515). CINAHL, EMBASE, PEDRo, and PubMed databases were searched through January 19, 2023. Inclusion criteria for study eligibility were observational studies (except case reports) or randomized controlled trials (RCTs), published in peer-reviewed journals in the English language, human research, original research, examined the relationships between IAQ, or breathing parameters with back pain or neck pain. Review procedures were conducted and reported according to PRISMA recommendations. Empirical evidence statements were developed for observational studies, and grades of evidence statements were developed for RCTs. Sixty-seven eligible studies were found (54 observational studies and 13 RCTs) that enrolled 345,832 participants. None of the studies assessed the combined impact of IAQ and breathing parameters on back pain or neck pain. No level 1 studies were found, which precludes making strong statements about causality and strong recommendations about the efficacy of IAQ and breathing exercise interventions for reducing pain and disability related to back pain and neck pain. Evidence indicates that poor IAQ and respiratory disorders are related to an increased risk of back pain and neck pain. Conflicting evidence exists about the association between pulmonary function with back pain and neck pain. Evidence for breathing exercise interventions was mixed with numerous limitations. This review provides preliminary evidence on the relationships of IAQ and breathing parameters with back pain and neck pain, which can be used to guide future research and clinical implementation efforts. Assuming positive findings in subsequent research, a wide range of stakeholders involved with this complex human-building-environment interface can be equipped to address IAQ and breathing parameters, along with other established risk factors to help those suffering from back pain and neck pain.

Immediate Effects and Acceptability of an Application-Based Stretching Exercise Incorporating Deep Slow Breathing for Neck Pain Self-management

Objectives

This study evaluated the immediate effects and acceptability of a smartphone application named NeckProtector to promote neck pain self-management through stretching incorporating deep slow breathing, among smartphone users with neck pain.

Methods

One-hundred participants were recruited in the study. Participants were divided into two groups by block randomized allocation. The researchers gave the NeckProtector application to all participants for acceptability testing by navigation of the application for 20–30 minutes. Next, the treatment group (n = 50) conducted the exercise program via smartphone application for 15–20 minutes, while the control group (n = 50) rested for 20 minutes. Evaluations were performed at baseline and after intervention for pain intensity, muscle tension, pressure pain threshold (PPT), and cervical range of motion (CROM). Quantitative and qualitative feedback was then obtained by an acceptability survey and open-ended questionnaires.

Results

The immediate effects showed statistically significant improvements in pain intensity, muscle tension, PPT, and CROM in the treatment group in comparison to the control group. Participants reported a high level of acceptability through ratings on a Likert scale. The qualitative questionnaires received positive responses that the application was easy to use and the exercise program was useful to cope with neck pain.

Conclusions

NeckProtector can be an alternative treatment for neck pain self-management via smartphone application among smartphone users with neck pain. Further studies should examine the long-term effectiveness (Clinical trials registry: TCTR20160523001).