ABSTRACT
Lifestyle medicine commenced in Australia in response to the rise in chronic diseases following the epidemiological transition that began in the 1980s. Today, it is flourishing with an annual conference, a variety of multidisciplinary members, and a developed pedagogy for the "art-science."
ABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION: The therapeutic benefits of yoga and meditation are well documented, yet little is known about the practice of yoga in Australia or elsewhere, whether as a physical activity, a form of therapy, a spiritual path or a lifestyle. MATERIALS AND METHODS: To investigate the practice of yoga in Australia, a national survey of yoga practitioners was conducted utilizing a comprehensive web-based questionnaire. Respondents were self-selecting to participate. A total of 3,892 respondents completed the survey. Sixty overseas respondents and 1265 yoga teachers (to be reported separately) were excluded, leaving 2,567 yoga practitioner respondents. RESULTS: The typical yoga survey respondent was a 41-year-old, tertiary educated, employed, health-conscious female (85% women). Asana (postures) and vinyasa (sequences of postures) represented 61% of the time spent practicing, with the other 39% devoted to the gentler practices of relaxation, pranayama (breathing techniques), meditation and instruction. Respondents commonly started practicing yoga for health and fitness but often continued practicing for stress management. One in five respondents practiced yoga for a specific health or medical reason which was seen to be improved by yoga practice. Of these, more people used yoga for stress management and anxiety than back, neck or shoulder problems, suggesting that mental health may be the primary health-related motivation for practicing yoga. Healthy lifestyle choices were seen to be more prevalent in respondents with more years of practice. Yoga-related injuries occurring under supervision in the previous 12 months were low at 2.4% of respondents. CONCLUSIONS: Yoga practice was seen to assist in the management of specific health issues and medical conditions. Regular yoga practice may also exert a healthy lifestyle effect including vegetarianism, non-smoking, reduced alcohol consumption, increased exercise and reduced stress with resulting cost benefits to the community.
ABSTRACT
METHODS: Australian general practitioners' (GPs) attitudes toward and use of a range of complementary therapies (CTs) were determined through a self-administered postal survey sent to a random sample of 2000 Australian GPs. The survey canvassed GPs' opinions as to the harmfulness and effectiveness of CTs; current levels of training and interest in further training; personal use of, and use in practice of, CTs; referrals to CT; practitioners; appropriateness for GPs to practice and for government regulation; perceived patient demand and the need for undergraduate education. RESULTS: The response rate was 33.2%. Based on GPs' responses, complementary therapies could be classified into: nonmedicinal and nonmanipulative therapies, such as acupuncture, massage, meditation, yoga, and hypnosis, that were seen to be highly effective and safe; medicinal and manipulative therapies, including chiropractic, Chinese herbal medicine, osteopathy, herbal medicine, vitamin and mineral therapy, naturopathy, and homeopathy, which more GPs considered potentially harmful than potentially effective; and esoteric therapies, such as spiritual healing, aromatherapy, and reflexology, which were seen to be relatively safe yet also relatively ineffective. The risks of CTs were seen to mainly arise from incorrect, inadequate, or delayed diagnoses and interactions between complementary medications and pharmaceuticals, rather than the specific risks of the therapies themselves. CONCLUSIONS: Nonmedicinal therapies along with chiropractic are widely accepted in Australia and can be considered mainstream. GPs are open to training in complementary therapies, and better communication between patients and GPs about use of CTs is required to minimize the risk of adverse events. There is also a need to prioritize and provide funding for further research into the potential adverse events from these therapies and other therapies currently lacking an evidence base.
