Dovetailing into my previous writings about networks and celebrities helping to dissolve the stigma surrounding depression, and about the use of medications as well as alternative therapies for its treatment, on Friday, March 9th, ABC's “The View,” presented an episode on women and depression. During this episode Rosie O'Donnell shared her battle with the disease over the last ten years and the treatments that have been most successful for her.
She cites medication as “saving her life,” and then relates that she also practices yoga in conjunction with inversion therapy to help alleviate her depressive symptoms. Inversion therapy involves hanging upside down from a yoga swing for a period of time each day. Rosie states that she does it for approximately 15-30 min/day, and that it is supposed to help the release of serotonin from the brain.
Serotonin is a neurotransmitter that is produced naturally in most people. Low levels of serotonin have been associated with clinical depression, as well as other mental illnesses such as obsessive-compulsive disorder and anxiety disorders. Many anti-depressant medications achieve their benefits by increasing the levels of serotonin in the affected person's brain.
Since I had never heard of inversion therapy before as a treatment for depression, I decided to see if current research supported Rosie's claims. For over two hours I searched the Internet and extended library systems in an attempt to find research articles about this therapy and depression without any success. If there is well supported research directly linked to this particular therapy, I have been unable to find it.
What I did discover, however, is that there are many substantiated research articles and books in reference to yoga being an excellent therapy for depression. Additionally a bibliographic list compiled by Trisha Lamb of the International Association of Yoga Therapists, leads to many articles on the subject. What is a common denominator throughout the literature that I reviewed is that yoga practice does indeed create positive anti-depressant responses in the body.
Depending on the study or article these responses can be attributed to yoga-induced changes in the sympathetic nervous system(the area where neurotransmitters transmit their messages), the release of endorphins and the increase of aerobic fitness due to the physical exercise of yoga, as well as the increase in social interaction and distraction of attending yoga classes. One study in particular, looked at the use of the Iyengar method of yoga to treat Vietnam War Veterans suffering from depression and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.
Dr. Janis Carter and Professor Gerard Byrne write of this method, “The efficacy of the Iyengar method for depression is undoubted, but avoiding back injury...needs also to be incorporated in the programme.” As reported in the article, this treatment was very successful and well tolerated by the participants with the exception of those with back pain/problems. When I proceeded to further research the Iyengar method of yoga, I saw a photo of a person in the exact same position as Rosie on her swing!
My conclusion is that there does seem to be some merit to the connection between the improvement of depressive symptoms and hanging upside down. Many traditional yoga postures are inverted and the connection between yoga practice and alleviation of depression has been scientifically made. I do practice yoga, to help me with my depression, though not as frequently as I should and I don't hang upside down on a swing. But if you are interested in yoga or inversion therapy, as with any physical exercise, please check with your doctor before you begin!
Other interesting links:
http://www.msi.com.pl/pub/vol_11/no_12/8330.pdf
http://www.therapywithyoga.com/Vivekananda.pdf
http://www.holisticonline.com/Yoga/hol_yoga_pos_headstand.htm
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