Research Study Indicates a Statistically Significant Decrease in Stress and Sadness and an Improvement in Hopefulness in All Age Groups
Research conducted out of our practice, led by Dr. Spencer Richlin, a partner and Surgical Director, Robin Mangieri, CEO, and Lisa Rosenthal, a registered yoga teacher and patient advocate, shows that Fertile Yoga reduces stress and increases hopefulness in women undergoing fertility treatment. The results of the study were presented at the ASRM conference in October.
The study included 55 women of various ages who were undergoing different types of fertility treatments and at various stages. The women were asked to complete a questionnaire before and after taking the Fertile Yoga class for a maximum of 4 months. The questionnaire included questions regarding stress, sadness and levels of hopefulness on a zero to 10 scale, where zero indicated no evidence of stress, sadness or hope and a 10 meant the highest level of stress, sadness, and hope.
Dr. Richlin says, “Given that many patients stop infertility treatment prematurely due to stress and feelings of discouragement, the techniques used in our Fertile Yoga program could ultimately provide patients with the emotional energy and skills necessary to continue with fertility treatment.”
Fertile Yoga is open to the public and is a free program for patients going through various stages of infertility treatment. Fertile Yoga combines two techniques, which include a one-minute mantra: “I am strong, healthy, resilient, hopeful, capable and fertile,” and seven movements of the spine, which include forwarding flexion, backbend extension, lateral left bend, and lateral right bend, left rotation twist, right rotation twist, and axial extension.
The researchers did not use a clinical diagnosis to determine scales of sadness, stress and hope but instead highlighted purposefully outcomes by the way the women felt. Their findings indicated a statistically significant decrease in stress and sadness and an improvement in overall hopefulness after taking the yoga class, in all age groups. The students reported that they were likely to continue to use the mantra and spine movements during their infertility journey.