Yoga and Acupressure could play an important role in reducing blood pressure and heart rates in patients with irregular heartbeat a major medical heart conference in Glasgow has been told.
The European Society of Cardiology’s EuroHeart Care conference also heard that more than 50pc of patients attending a heart clinic were using some form of complementary or alternative therapy.
Group yoga can improve balance and motor function in stroke survivors.
A study of patients who had suffered a stroke more than six months earlier showed that those who attended yoga classes twice a week showed significant improvement in their balance after an eight week course.
Yogic meditation reduces inflammation and boosts the immune system of people caring for relatives with dementia.
The carers themselves are at high risk of inflammation, heart disease and depression because of the stress of their work.
Yoga has mental health benefits for teenage school-goers.
A pilot study at one school randomly assigned some of the pupils to yoga classes and the rest to ordinary PE classes.
Yoga is effective for treating depression, anxiety, high blood pressure and heart disease according to researchers at three top US medical schools.
Their findings could be used to develop specific mind-body programmes for the prevention and treatment of these conditions, they say, in conjunction with standard treatments.