Status of lung functions in buffing polishing workers and the impact of yogic regimen on their pulmonary health

Background: The metal buffers & polishers in automobile industry are exposed to inhalation of air borne metal dust. Deposition of this metal dust in respiratory tract, in due course of time, can cause obstructive, restrictive or combined respiratory disease. Aims and Objectives: Yoga and pranayama may play an impressive role in improving the pulmonary functions and facilitating gas diffusion at the alveolo-capillary membrane. This study was aimed to record the pulmonary function tests (PFTs) in buffing polishing workers of an automobile industry before and after 12 weeks of yoga regimen. Materials and Methods: 35 male subjects of the age group of 25-40 years working on buffing polishing machine for 4-6 hours/day, 6 days in a week for more than 2 years were selected as subjects from an automobile industry. PFTs were carried out on all the subjects at the onset of the study and after12 weeks of subjecting them to a standardized yogic regimen. PFT parameters were analysed between group and with controls by ANOVA followed by Tukey’s Test. Results: Significant improvement was seen in slow vital capacity, forced vital capacity, peak expiratory flow rate, maximum voluntary ventilation, and DLCO after following yogic regimen. FEV1, and FEV1% also showed a trend towards improvement in buffing polishing workers. Conclusions: Yoga and pranayama breathing exercises can improve the lung functions of the industrial workers. These can be encouraged as a part of their routine schedule as it can reduce absenteeism by improving their health

Effect of yogic intervention on urinary melondialdehyde levels, autonomic functions and quality of life among buffing polishing workers of an automobile industry

Background: Oxidative stress at industry setting poses a threat to autonomic functions and quality of life deterioration of the workers in automobile industry. Yogic intervention may improve the stress levels and autonomic functions thereby improves their quality of life. Aims and Objectives: This study was aimed to see the effect of 12 weeks of yogic regimen on urinary melondialdehyde levels (MDA), autonomic functions and quality of life in workers exposed to buffing polishing work in an automobile industry. Materials and Methods: 35 male subjects of age group 25-40 years working on buffing polishing machine for 4-6 hours/day, 6 days in a week for the last 2 years were selected as subjects from an automobile industry. Same number of age and sex matched controls not involved in buffing polishing work were also selected from the same socioeconomic background. Urinary MDA levels, autonomic functions and health related quality of life parameters were recorded before and after 12 weeks of practicing yogic regimen. All the parameters were analyzed intergroup as well as intra-group by 2 way ANOVA followed by the Tukey’s Test. Results: Significant improvement was found in MDA levels, weight, BMI, E:I ratio & cold pressor test of autonomic function tests and all the physical and psychological domains of quality of life after practicing 12 weeks of yoga regimen. Conclusions: Integrated yogic regimen in buffing polishing workers can improve stress markers thereby improving their autonomic functions and health related quality of life. Thus yoga and pranayama can be encouraged and incorporated as a part of their routine schedule

Effect of stress and yogic relaxation techniques (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal">Anulomvilom</i> & <i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal">Shavasana) </i>on cold induced pain perception in medical undergraduate students

530-534The current knowledge of stress and relaxation on the phenomenon of pain perception is extremely limited. The present study was undertaken to investigate the effect of mental stress, physical stress and the effect of yogic relaxation techniques like Anulomvilom and <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">Shavasana on the perception of pain, measured by the cold pressor test, in medical undergraduate students. The results for pain threshold showed that its value in basal condition and during mental stress was significantly less compared to pain threshold in physical stress and after yogic relaxation techniques. The results for pain tolerance showed that its value in basal condition was significantly less as compared to pain tolerance in physical stress while the mean value of pain tolerance in condition of mental stress was significantly less compared to pain tolerance in physical stress and after yogic relaxation techniques. This study suggests that both stress and yogic relaxation techniques have an effect on pain perception. It however raises several questions for which the definitive answers are yet to be determined and therefore serves to emphasize the importance of the same for future research on pain or in clinical practice

Effects of yogic intervention on pain scores and quality of life in females with chronic pelvic pain

Context: Chronic pelvic pain (CPP) is a common condition of women of the reproductive age group. It has a negative impact on a woman′s personal health and quality of life (QOL). Practicing yoga has shown numerous benefits in various chronic painful conditions. Aim: To study the effects of yogic intervention on pain scores and quality of life in females of reproductive age group with CPP, on conventional therapy. Settings and Design: It is a follow-up, randomized case-control study done in a tertiary care hospital. Subjects and Methods: Sixty female patients of CPP in the age group of 18-45 years were randomly divided into Group I (n = 30) and Group II (n = 30). Group I received only conventional therapy in the form of NSAIDS and Group II received yoga therapy in the form of asanas, pranayama, and relaxation along with the conventional therapy for 8 weeks. They were assessed twice (pre- and post-treatment) for pain scores through visual analog scale (VAS) score and QOL by the World Health Organization quality of life-BREF (WHOQOL-BREF) questionnaire. Statistical Analysis Used: Repeated measure ANOVA followed by Tukey′s test. P < 0.05 was considered significant. Results: After 8 weeks of yogic intervention, Group II patients showed a significant decrease in intensity of pain seen by a decrease in VAS score (P < 0.001) and improvement in the quality of life with a significant increase (P < 0.001) in physical, psychological, social, and environmental domain scores of WHOQOL-BREF. Conclusions: The practice of yoga causes a reduction in the pain intensity and improves the quality of life in patients with chronic pelvic pain

Combating the COVID-19 pandemic in a resource-constrained setting: insights from initial response in India

The low-and-middle-income country (LMIC) context is volatile, uncertain and resource-constrained. India, an LMIC, has put up a complex response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Using an analytic approach, we have described India’s response to combat the pandemic during the initial months (from 17 January to 20 April 2020). India issued travel advisories and implemented graded international border controls between January and March 2020. By early March, cases started to surge. States scaled up movement restrictions. On 25 March, India went into a nationwide lockdown to ramp up preparedness. The lockdown uncovered contextual vulnerabilities and stimulated countermeasures. India leveraged existing legal frameworks, institutional mechanisms and administrative provisions to respond to the pandemic. Nevertheless, the cross-sectoral impact of the initial combat was intense and is potentially long-lasting. The country could have further benefited from evidence-based policy and planning attuned to local needs and vulnerabilities. Experience from India offers insights to nations, especially LMICs, on the need to have contextualised pandemic response plans