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New research suggests that practicing yoga may help diminish the stigma associated with epilepsy, while also reducing the frequency of seizures and anxiety for individuals with the condition.
Conducted at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in New Delhi and published in the journal Neurology, the study involved a small group of 160 people with epilepsy, who experienced an average of one seizure per week and were taking at least two anti-seizure medications. These participants also faced stigma related to their condition.
Dr. Manjari Tripathi, from AIIMS, explained, “People with epilepsy often face a stigma that can cause them to feel different than others due to their own health condition and that can have a significant impact on their quality of life… Our study showed that doing yoga can alleviate the burden of epilepsy and improve the overall quality of life by reducing this perceived stigma.”
During the study, participants were randomly assigned to either receive yoga therapy or sham yoga therapy. Yoga therapy included exercises focused on loosening muscles, controlled breathing, meditation, and positive affirmations. Sham yoga involved exercises that mimicked the same yoga movements, but without specific guidance on breathing techniques, body awareness, and sensations during practice.
The results indicated that those who practiced yoga were over four times more likely to experience a reduction of more than 50% in their seizure frequency after six months compared to those who practiced sham yoga. Furthermore, individuals who practiced yoga were over seven times more likely to become seizure-free compared to those in the sham yoga group.
Participants who practiced yoga also reported a decrease in their perceived stigma associated with the disease, in contrast to those who practiced sham yoga. Additionally, there was a notable reduction in anxiety symptoms among those who practiced yoga compared to those who did not. The yoga group also showed improvements in measures of quality of life and mindfulness.
Dr. Tripathi emphasized, “These study findings highlight the importance of considering alternative therapies and activities for people with epilepsy facing stigma… Yoga may not only help reduce stigma, but also improve quality of life and mindfulness. Plus, yoga can be easily pre-recorded and shared with patients online using minimal resources and costs.”
However, the study’s authors acknowledged a limitation in that participants self-reported their seizure frequency, which may not have been entirely accurate.
