02A. Design, Methods, and Outcomes for Recent Clinical Trials Utilizing Ayurvedic Medicine, Yoga, and Meditation

Jennifer Rioux,corresponding author(1) Robert Saper,(2) Sivarama Vinjamury,(3) and Charles Elder(4)

Jennifer Rioux

(1)University of New Mexico, Department of Internal Medicine, Albuquerque, United States

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Robert Saper

(2)Boston University School of Medicine, Massachusetts, United States

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Sivarama Vinjamury

(3)Southern California University of Health Sciences, Whittier, United States

Charles Elder

(4)Kaiser Permanente Northwest, Department of Internal Medicine, Portland, Oregon, United States

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(1)University of New Mexico, Department of Internal Medicine, Albuquerque, United States
(2)Boston University School of Medicine, Massachusetts, United States
(3)Southern California University of Health Sciences, Whittier, United States
(4)Kaiser Permanente Northwest, Department of Internal Medicine, Portland, Oregon, United States
corresponding authorCorresponding author.
Contact: Jennifer Rioux, [email protected]
Scientific abstracts presented at the International Congress for Clinicians in Complementary & Integrative Medicine 2013
This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial- No Derivative 3.0 License, which permits rights to copy, distribute and transmit the work for noncommercial purposes only, provided the original work is properly cited.

Abstract

Focus Area: Integrative Approaches to Care

The panel discussants will present on the outcomes of four recent pragmatic trials covering the spectrum of Ayurvedic medicine, yoga, and meditation as therapeutic approaches for both acute and chronic conditions. The presenters will discuss: (1) a pilot

study of a whole-systems Ayurveda and Yoga Therapy intervention for obesity; (2) a comparative effectiveness randomized controlled trial of hatha yoga, physical therapy, and education for non-specific chronic low back pain in low-income minority populations; (3) an investigation of the therapeutic usefulness of Shirodhara (Ayurvedic oil dripping therapy) as a treatment for insomnia; and (4) a discussion of the evidence base supporting implementation of meditation interventions in schools and workplace settings. Discussants will present information on study designs, research methodology, and outcome measure selection to highlight special considerations in conducting research on whole medical systems that use multi-target therapies and focus on patient-centered outcomes. Ayurvedic medicine and yoga are characterized by low-cost, noninvasive interventions that can be usefully offered as part of an integrative medicine therapeutic approach.
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