POLYCYSTIC OVARIAN SYNDROME (PCOS) AND YOGIC INTERVENTION AS AN ALTERNATIVE TREATMENT PROTOCOL-A REVIEW

BACKGROUND: Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS) is a neuro-endocrinal disorder associated with stress, or sedentary lifestyle. The symptoms include weight gain, irregular or infrequent periods, immature ovarian eggs that do not ovulate, multiple cysts in the ovary. If left untreated, it may further induce heart diseases, diabetes, hypertension, infertility and even cancer. With comparison to conventional therapy, yogic intervention could be an alternative treatment procedure. AIM: The purpose of this review study is to explore the current scientific literatures concerning the effectiveness of yogic intervention in the management of PCOS. METHOD: A comprehensive search was conducted in electronic databases PubMed, Research Gate, Google Scholar and Cochrane following Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guideline. It includes research papers published between 2010 and 2025. Following PICOS (Population, Intervention, Comparison, Outcome, Study design) guidelines a total of 38 papers were thoroughly studied, out of which 15 were found relevant in this area. FINDINGS: This study included 3 systematic reviews and 1 meta-analysis, and 8 experimental studies, representing 418 participants with PCOS, out of which 2 randomized controlled trials (RCTs) were included for analysis. Several parameters such as blood lipid level, glucose metabolism, endocrine parameters, quality of life, resting heart rate, level of anxiety, depression and fertility rate were measured and treated with Yogic Intervention. CONCLUSION: Yogic Intervention is a better option to successfully treat polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) in comparison to conventional physical exercises and diet therapy alone. However, there is scope for strengthening the evidence with well-designed RCTs to confirm the efficacy of Yoga for PCOS.