Journal of Exercise & Organ Cross Talk
Journal of Eexercise & Organ Cross Talk

Effects of 8-week yoga therapy on vision and quality of life in COVID-19 vaccine-associated optic neuritis: A case series study

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

Elmira Ahmadi 1, 2
Shahnaz Shahrbanian 2

1 School of Human Kinetics and Recreation, Memorial University in Newfoundland and Labrador (Canada).

2 Department of Sport Sciences, Faculty of Humanities, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran.

https://doi.org/10.22122/jeoct.2025.499951.1137
Abstract
While COVID-19 vaccines have reduced the prevalence of new viral strains, they are associated with side effects, including optic neuritis (ON). Developing effective management strategies, particularly non-pharmacological interventions, may improve outcomes for affected patients. This case study evaluated the effects of 8 weeks of yoga therapy in two male patients, aged 58 and 43, who developed ON two weeks post-vaccination. Assessments included visual field and color perception tests, the Balance Error Scoring System (BESS), the National Eye Institute Visual Function Questionnaire (NEI VFQ-25), and the Beck Depression Inventory II (BDI-II). Results from the yoga therapy patient were compared to a control case. The yoga therapy patient showed marked improvements: visual field enhancements of 48% (left eye) and 42% (right eye), a 53% increase in color perception, and a 31-turn improvement in the 6-Minute Walk Test. BESS errors reduced, heart rate recovery improved by 22 beats per minute, NEI VFQ-25 scores rose, and BDI-II scores declined. The control patient experienced no changes. Yoga therapy may complement pharmacological treatments for ON, offering benefits through anti-inflammatory effects, HPA axis modulation, and neuroprotective mechanisms that support remyelination. The integration of exercise and medication, termed "MedXercise," shows potential for managing vaccine-related side effects. Further research should explore varied exercise regimens to confirm these findings.

What is already known on this subject?

COVID-19 vaccination has been associated with rare side effects, including optic neuritis (ON), typically managed through pharmacological interventions. While yoga therapy has demonstrated benefits in various health conditions, its role in the management of ON, particularly post-vaccination, remains underexplored.

 

What does this study add?

This study provides evidence that 8 weeks of yoga therapy led to significant improvements in visual function, physical performance, and quality of life in patients with COVID-19 vaccine-associated optic neuritis. The findings suggest that yoga therapy may serve as a complementary non-pharmacological approach to enhance recovery and support pharmacological treatments in managing vaccine-related optic neuritis.

Keywords

Yoga therapy
COVID-19
Optic neuritis
Vaccination
Visual field
Sports medicine

Subjects

Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank and appreciate the patients and medical staff members for their contributions to this study.

Funding

This research received no specific grant from any funding agency in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors.

Compliance with ethical standards

Conflict of interest The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest upon submitting this article.

Ethical approval The ethics code for this project, IR.MODARES.REC.1400.353, was approved by the Research Institute of Physical Education and Sports Sciences (Research Ethics Committee).

Informed consent Informed consent was obtained from all subjects involved in the study.

Author contributions

Conceptualization: E.A., S.Sh.; Methodology: E.A., S.Sh.; Software: E.A., S.Sh.; Validation: E.A., S.Sh., Formal analysis: E.A., S.Sh.; Investigation: E.A., S.Sh.; Resources: E.A., S.Sh.; Data curation: E.A., S.Sh.; Writing - original draft: E.A., S.Sh.; Writing – review & editing: E.A., S.Sh.; Visualization: E.A., S.Sh.; Supervision: S.Sh. Project administration: E.A., S.Sh.; Funding acquisition: S.Sh.

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Journal of Exercise & Organ Cross Talk
Volume 4, Issue 3
Summer 2024
Pages 194-206

  • Receive Date 14 July 2024
  • Revise Date 17 September 2024
  • Accept Date 22 September 2024

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