Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Clinical Trial
. 2015 Dec 23;10(12):e0144505.
doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0144505. eCollection 2015.

Intraocular Pressure Rise in Subjects with and without Glaucoma during Four Common Yoga Positions

Jessica V Jasien  1 , Jost B Jonas  2 , C Gustavo de Moraes  3 , Robert Ritch  1
Affiliations
Free PMC article
Clinical Trial

Intraocular Pressure Rise in Subjects with and without Glaucoma during Four Common Yoga Positions

Jessica V Jasien et al. PLoS One. .
Free PMC article

Abstract

Purpose: To measure changes in intraocular pressure (IOP) in association with yoga exercises with a head-down position.

Methods: The single Center, prospective, observational study included 10 subjects with primary open-angle glaucoma and 10 normal individuals, who performed the yoga exercises of Adho Mukha Svanasana, Uttanasana, Halasana and Viparita Karani for two minutes each. IOP was measured by pneumatonometry at baseline and during and after the exercises.

Results: All yoga poses were associated with a significant (P < 0.01) rise in IOP within one minute after assuming the yoga position. The highest IOP increase (P < 0.01) was measured in the Adho Mukha Svanasana position (IOP increase from 17 ± 3.2 mmHg to 28 ± 3.8 mmHg in glaucoma patients; from 17 ± 2.8 mmHg to 29 ± 3.9 mmHg in normal individuals), followed by the Uttanasana position (17 ± 3.9 mmHg to 27 ± 3.4 mmHg (glaucoma patients) and from 18 ± 2.5 mmHg to 26 ± 3.6 mmHg normal individuals)), the Halasana position (18 ± 2.8 mmHg to 24 ± 3.5 mmHg (glaucoma patients); 18 ± 2.7 mmHg to 22 ± 3.4 mmHg (normal individuals)), and finally the Viparita Kirani position (17 ± 4 mmHg to 21 ± 3.6 mmHg (glaucoma patients); 17 ± 2.8 to 21 ± 2.4 mmHg (normal individuals)). IOP dropped back to baseline values within two minutes after returning to a sitting position. Overall, IOP rise was not significantly different between glaucoma and normal subjects (P = 0.813), all though glaucoma eyes tended to have measurements 2 mm Hg higher on average.

Conclusions: Yoga exercises with head-down positions were associated with a rapid rise in IOP in glaucoma and healthy eyes. IOP returned to baseline values within 2 minutes. Future studies are warranted addressing whether yoga exercise associated IOP changes are associated with similar changes in cerebrospinal fluid pressure and whether they increase the risk of glaucoma progression.

Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov #NCT01915680.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Figures

Fig 1
Fig 1. CONSORT Flow Diagram.
Fig 2
Fig 2. Scheme Illustrating the Various Yoga Positions.
Fig 3
Fig 3. Histogram and test for homoscedasticity of the mixed effects linear model.
Fig 4
Fig 4. Least squares means and mean values of the covariates of the changes in IOP in the Adho Mukha Svanasana position over time.
The X axis represents each time point an IOP measurement was taken (0 = Baseline seated; 1 = Immediate position; 2 = 2 minutes position; 3 = Post position seated; and 4 = 10 minutes post position seated). The Y axis represents the IOP in mmHg after adjusting for the covariates. Subjects with glaucoma diagnosis are depicted ‘Glaucoma = 1’; controls are ‘Glaucoma = 0’.
Fig 5
Fig 5. Least squares means and mean values of the covariates of the changes in IOP in the Uttanasana position over time.
The X axis represents each time point an IOP measurement was taken (0 = Baseline seated; 1 = Immediate position; 2 = 2 minutes position; 3 = Post position seated; and 4 = 10 minutes post position seated). The Y axis represents the IOP in mmHg after adjusting for the covariates. Subjects with glaucoma diagnosis are depicted ‘Glaucoma = 1’; controls are ‘Glaucoma = 0’.
Fig 6
Fig 6. Least squares means and mean values of the covariates of the changes in IOP in the Halasana position over time.
The X axis represents each time point an IOP measurement was taken (0 = Baseline seated; 1 = Immediate position; 2 = 2 minutes position; 3 = Post position seated; and 4 = 10 minutes post position seated). The Y axis represents the IOP in mmHg after adjusting for the covariates. Subjects with glaucoma diagnosis are depicted ‘Glaucoma = 1’; controls are ‘Glaucoma = 0’.
Fig 7
Fig 7. Least squares means and mean values of the covariates of the changes in IOP in the Viparita Karani position over time.
The X axis represents each time point an IOP measurement was taken (0 = Baseline seated; 1 = Immediate position; 2 = 2 minutes position; 3 = Post position seated; and 4 = 10 minutes post position seated). The Y axis represents the IOP in mmHg after adjusting for the covariates. Subjects with glaucoma diagnosis are depicted ‘Glaucoma = 1’; controls are ‘Glaucoma = 0’.
Fig 8
Fig 8. Predictive Margins of Diagnostic Groups versus Time with 95% Confidence Intervals.
Fig 9
Fig 9. Predictive Margins of Yoga Pose versus Time with 95% Confidence Intervals.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

Similar articles

See all similar articles

Cited by

See all "Cited by" articles

References

    1. Tarkkanen A, Leikola J. Postural variations of the intraocular pressure as measured with the Mackay-Marg tonometer. Acta ophthalmologica. 1967;45(4):569–75. - PubMed
    1. Klatz RM, Goldman RM, Pinchuk BG, Nelson KE, Tarr RS. The effects of gravity inversion procedures on systemic blood pressure, intraocular pressure, and central retinal arterial pressure. The Journal of the American Osteopathic Association. 1983;82(11):853–7. - PubMed
    1. LeMarr JD, Golding LA, Adler JG. Intraocular pressure response to inversion. American journal of optometry and physiological optics. 1984;61(11):679–82. - PubMed
    1. Buchanan RA, Williams TD. Intraocular pressure, ocular pulse pressure, and body position. American journal of optometry and physiological optics. 1985;62(1):59–62. - PubMed
    1. Hirooka K, Shiraga F. Relationship between postural change of the intraocular pressure and visual field loss in primary open-angle glaucoma. Journal of glaucoma. 2003;12(4):379–82. - PubMed

Associated data

Grants and funding

Supported by donations from Joseph M. Cohen to the New York Glaucoma Research Institute, New York, NY and New York Glaucoma Research Institute, New York, NY.