Advertisement!
Author Information Pack
Editorial Board
Submit article
Special Issue
Editor's selection process
Join as Reviewer/Editor
List of Reviewer
Indexing Information
Most popular articles
Purchase Single Articles
Archive
Free Online Access
Current Issue
Recommend this journal to your library
Advertiser
Accepted Articles
Search Articles
Email Alerts
FAQ
Contact Us
Journal of Nurse Midwifery and Maternal Health

Volume  1, Issue 2, July - December 2015, Pages 53-60
 

Original Article

Yoga as an Alternative Therapy for Women with Menopausal Symptoms

B. Jayabharathi

Associate Professor, Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology Nursing, SRM College of Nursing, SRM University, Chennai, India.

Choose an option to locate / access this Article:
90 days Access
Check if you have access through your login credentials.        PDF      |
|

Open Access: View PDF

DOI:

Abstract

 Background: Menopause is a part of every woman’s life. It is the stage when the menstrual period permanently stops. This stage usually occurs between 40 and 60 years associated with hormonal, physical and psychological changes. These changes can occur gradually or abruptly and can start as early as 30 years and last until as late as 60 years. It can also occur when the ovaries are removed or stopped functioning. Aim: This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of yoga as an alternative therapy for women with menopausal symptoms. Methods: A prospective randomized interventional study was conducted in selected villages at Kattankulathur Block, Chennai,Tamil Nadu, India. Simple random sampling technique was used to select study participants. Of 260 menopausal women, 130 were randomly allotted to the study group and 130 to the control group. The study group received yoga training program which consists of yogasanas, pranayama (Breathing exercise) and meditation. The study group underwent yoga training for 5 consecutive days and menopausal women practiced yoga daily for 35-40mins /day along with group yoga practice 2 days in a week for 12 weeks under the supervision of Investigator. Assessments were made by five point rating scale ( to assess the physical and psychological symptoms ) based on Standardized Menopause Rating Scale. Result: After 12 weeks of yoga practice, the physical symptoms of menopausal women were reduced to greater extent in study group than in control group at p= 0.001 level of significance. There was significantly  better improvement in the psychological symptoms of menopausal women in study group (p=0.001) than in control group. Conclusion: The present study concluded that yoga is an effective intervention in reducing the physical and psychological symptoms of menopausal women. Yoga’s approach to holistic health ispowerful tool for helping the women experience the passage into menopause as a positive event, both physically and spiritually.  


Corresponding Author : B. Jayabharathi