30 Jan 2023 • The impact of Pranayama, a traditional yoga breathing technique, on the body and mind has been studied by clinicians and pain specialists. It has been demonstrated that pranayama eases anxiety in a similar group of patients both before and after surgery. Patients were less likely to need intravenous fentanyl during surgery if they had engaged in short-term (5 days) pranayama (yoga training) before having on-pump CABG/valvular surgery. The participants were adults (ages 20-60) scheduled for on-pump CABG or valvular procedures. Patients in the study group received yoga instruction from a certified instructor. The need of intraoperative fentanyl was decreased as a result of short-term yoga practise. Yoga has an impact on the neurotransmitters in the brain, leading to higher concentrations of dopamine in the ventral striatum and the inhibitory neurotransmitter gamma amino butyric acid in the thalamus. The mesolimbic dopamine circuit has been shown to affect responsiveness to opioids, and the antinociceptive effects of dopamine are mechanistically mediated through D2 receptors. The current research indicated that the yoga group had considerably shorter postoperative mechanical breathing times and average ICU stays due to reduced intraoperative fentanyl intake. The practice of yoga has a strong history in India. Implementing such strategies in the preoperative stage has been associated with reduced usage of opioids, shorter stays in the critical care unit, and shorter times of mechanical breathing.

Source: Medical Dialogues | Read full story