Effectiveness of Yoga as a Complementary Therapy for Anorexia Nervosa: A Systematic Review.

Summary

Yoga shows promise as a complementary treatment for anorexia nervosa, potentially easing emotional dysregulation symptoms. Out of 233 initially identified articles, only five met the criteria for effectiveness evaluation. While most studies faced methodological challenges, yoga's asana and pranayama practices may benefit patients by addressing emotional issues linked to AN. Future trials should focus on larger sample sizes and compare yoga's effectiveness against traditional therapies, while also tailoring practices to meet the unique needs of individuals with this condition.

Abstract

Anorexia nervosa (AN) is a severe psychiatric condition associated with high disability and mortality. The purpose of the present manuscript is to critically summarize evidence about the effectiveness of yoga for this condition. A bibliographic search was conducted in the main database sources (PubMed, Embase, and Scopus). Articles in English about the effectiveness of yoga in AN were included. Two hundred thirty-three articles were initially identified and 5 articles were included in the present review. With the exception of one study, all had several methodological limitations such as the presence of confounding factors (e.g., psychiatric comorbidity) or a too limited sample of patients. However, globally yoga seems to ameliorate AN symptoms, especially those regarding emotional dysregulation. Yoga is a candidate complementary treatment for the management of AN, but more randomized controlled studies with larger samples and limited bias are necessary to draw robust conclusions. It would be also interesting to verify in comparative trials the effectiveness of yoga with respect to other treatments such as psychotherapy or the administration of pharmacological compounds. Finally, the practice should be modified adapting to the specific needs of this type of patient.

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