Yogic versus conventional treatment in diarrhea-predominant irritable bowel syndrome: a randomized control study

This study was conducted to evaluate the comparative effect of yogic and conventional treatment in diarrhea-predominant irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) in a randomized control design. The patients were 22 males, aged 20-50 years, with confirmed diagnosis of diarrhea-predominant IBS. The conventional group (n = 12, 1 dropout) was given symptomatic treatment with loperamide 2-6 mg/day for 2 months, and the yogic intervention group (n = 9) consisted of a set of 12 asanas (yogic poses, i.e., Vajrasana, Shashankasana, Ushtrasana, Marjariasana, Padhastasana, Dhanurasana, Trikonasana in two variations, Pawanmuktasana, and Paschimottanasana) along with Surya Nadi pranayama (right-nostril breathing) two times a day for 2 months. All participants were tested at three regular intervals, at the start of study--0 month, 1 month, and 2 months of receiving the intervention--and were investigated for bowel symptoms, autonomic symptoms, autonomic reactivity (battery of five standard tests), surface electrogastrography, anxiety profile by Spielberger's Self Evaluation Questionnaire, which evaluated trait and state anxiety. Two months of both conventional and yogic intervention showed a significant decrease of bowel symptoms and state anxiety. This was accompanied by an increase in electrophysiologically recorded gastric activity in the conventional intervention group and enhanced parasympathetic reactivity, as measured by heart rate parameters, in yogic intervention group. The study indicates a beneficial effect of yogic intervention over conventional treatment in diarrhea-predominant IBS.