Preliminary evidence on the effect of Yoga on the reduction of edema in women with premenstrual syndrome

IntroductionThe study aimed to explore the effect of yoga on edema reduction, the relief of symptoms of premenstrual syndrome (PMS), and confirm the sensitivity of the bioelectrical impedance as an analytical method for measuring edema.MethodsTo confirm sensitivity of the analytical method, nine women without PMS (non-PMS group) and eleven with PMS (PMS group) were tested during their follicular and luteal phase to observe whether increased edema could be detected using this method. The degree of edema during the luteal phase was compared in the follicular phase of the PMS group, and the non-PMS group. To verify the effect of yoga, a one-group intervention pretest-posttest design had PMS group subjects attend 12 weeks of yoga classes. Short-term and long-term yoga effects on premenstrual symptoms were assessed by the edema score and Moos menstrual distress questionnaire (MDQ).ResultsA significant change in edema score was observed between follicular and luteal phases in the PMS group (p < 0.01), but no changes were observed in the non-PMS group, verifying the ability of the analytical method to detect minor changes in the body's water. After yoga training, immediate (p < 0.01) and persistent effects (p < 0.01) of yoga on edema reduction and on the MDQ water retention score (p = 0.03) in women with PMS was observed.ConclusionsThis preliminary study suggests that women with PMS could benefit from yoga in the luteal phase to quickly reduce water retention. Long-term yoga training may further improve quality of life.