Abstract

STUDY OF YOGASANA, NADISHODHANA, BHRAMARI PRANAYAMA, OMKAR CHANTING AND MEDITATION (YOGA) ON CARDIORESPIRATORY PARAMETERS IN HYPER REACTORS TO COLD PRESSOR TEST IN YOUNG HEALTHY PRECLINICAL MEDICAL STUDENTS

*Rajak Chanda, Rampalliwar Sanjeev, Verma Rahul, Singh Prabhaker and Shiralkar Milind

ABSTRACT

Background: Stress may be defined as psychophysiological process usually experienced as a negative emotional state. It is a common condition, a response to a physical threat or psychological distress that generates a host of chemical and hormonal reactions in the body. The health effects of stress involve mainly autonomic, cardiovascular, and immune systems. Objective: The aim of present study was to investigate whether regular practice of Yoga for three months can reduce cardiovascular and respiratory reactivity induced by cold pressor test. Material and method: The present study included 60 male medical students of first M.B.B.S. of 18 to 22 years of age. After recording the basal blood pressure and pulse rate, and rate of respiration the cardiovascular and respiratory reactivity of all the 60 students was measured by application of cold pressor test devised by Hines & Brown (1936). 35 were found to be hyper reactor to this test. These hyper reactors underwent Yogasana, Nadishodhana, Bhramari Pranayama, Omkar Chanting and meditation for the duration of 12 weeks. After the yogic training period the mean blood pressure and mean pulse rate/ min and rate of respiration / min was again measured which was found to be significantly reduced. Statistically by using student„t‟ test. Result: Regular practice of yoga for 3 months significantly reduced the cardiorespiratory reactivity to cold pressor test, basal blood pressure, pulse rate and rate of respiration. Conclusion: We concluded that regular practice of yoga for three months reduced the cardiorespiratory parameters possibly by inducing parasympathetic predominance and cortico-hypothalamo-medullary inhibition.

Keywords: Stress, Yoga, Cold pressor test.