Effectiveness of Yoga on Menopausal Symptoms and Quality of life among Menopausal women: A Systematic Review

Abstract

Background: Yoga is considered one of the preferred non-pharmacological mind–body interventions to manage menopausal symptoms among menopausal women. Objective: The primary aim of this review is to summarize the findings on the effectiveness of yoga as an intervention for menopausal symptoms and quality of life among menopausal women. Methods: The researchers systematically searched the literature using electronic databases including PubMed central, The Cochrane Library, PubMed, Proquest, Science Direct, Scopus, and Google scholar for articles published in English. Direct searches of specific journal articles published were done between January 2011 and December 2022. Results: The systematic review results were reported using PRISMA guidelines. In total, 10 full-text published studies were found, and these were included for qualitative synthesis. All the 10 articles were randomized controlled trials. It included 1463 menopausal woman participants with the sample size ranging from 30 to 335. Conclusion: Research evidence, based on these 10 trials, prove yoga to be a safe and effective intervention for managing menopausal symptoms. The authors conclude that yoga is a safe alternative therapy, free from untoward effects, and a recommended choice for reducing menopausal symptoms and promoting quality of life. This recommendation is based on the evidence that consistent practice of yoga techniques will have a positive impact on most of the prevalent menopausal symptoms. Implications for practice: Yoga is an evidence-based intervention that alleviates the menopausal symptoms and promotes quality of life of menopausal women. Therefore, the healthcare providers shall encourage the menopausal women to perform yoga on a regular basis.