• Abstracts will only be considered if submitted in English.
• The abstract should be prepared in a Microsoft Word (1997-2003/2007 Document) compatible format.
• Length of the abstract, excluding the title and the author(s), should not exceed 2500 characters, including spaces (please note: 2500 characters, not words).
• Font: Black Verdana, 10 point size.
• For Research Abstract, structure the abstract with the following headings: "Objective", "Methods", "Results", and “Conclusions." No headings are required for Case Reports. See the examples of  research and a case report below.
• The acceptable format for the abstract title, authors, institutions and key words for the abstract submission is shown in the following example:
  
  The benefit of extended savasana on feto-maternal bonding
  J.K. Smith, A.B. Lee and L.K. Brown
  Department of Psychology, University of Modern Sciences, Toledo, Ohio
  
  Keywords: Yoga, pregnancy

• The organizers do not edit abstracts and author corrections will not be accepted after final submission. Abstracts should be checked carefully for accuracy prior to submission as abstracts failing to meet all the abstract requirements may not be accepted.
• The title may be a maximum of 150 characters (including spaces), typed principally in lowercase letters, and using capitals only where essential (e.g., ‘Evaluation of new therapeutic applications of BKS Iyengar props’). Titles exceeding this limit will be automatically truncated. Please underline the presenting author.
• The abstract should be as informative as possible. Describe statistical methods and provide brief numerical and statistical results if available. Abstracts without data may be rejected. Only one table may be included but no photographs, figures or references. Statements such as ‘results will be discussed’ or ‘data will be presented’ will not be accepted; abstracts of research with no results or data at the time of abstract submission will not be accepted. Non-standard abbreviations should be described in full when first mentioned followed by the abbreviation in parentheses.
• All abstracts will be presented in poster sessions (there will not be any oral abstract sessions). Poster presenters should be at their poster during the specified times.

• Abstract submission deadline: June 15, 2010
• Acceptance notification: August 9, 2010

When you have completed your abstract(s), please save it as a word document in the following file name format:
firstauthorlastname abstracttitle.doc
(e.g. refer to the example of the research abstract below; the file name of the abstract should be:
Sherman Randomized trial of yoga and exercise classes for chronic low back pain.doc

Note: do not use any special characters in the file name i.e. hyphens, quotation marks, dollar sign etc.

• Please email the abstract(s) by June 15, 2010 to:
  abstracts@sytar.org

• Questions about abstracts should also be submitted to:
  abstracts@sytar.org

Example of a Research Abstract:

Randomized Trial of Yoga and Exercise Classes for Chronic Low Back Pain
K. Sherman(1), D. Cherkin1, J. Erro1, D. Miglioretti1, R. Deyo(2)
1 Center for Health Studies, Group Health Cooperative, Seattle, WA
2 Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA Keywords: Yoga, Chronic Back Pain
Objective: Yoga is an increasingly popular, but untested, complementary and alternative medical treatment that is used for relieving low back pain. This study was designed to obtain preliminary estimates of the effectiveness and safety of a series of yoga classes compared with two control groups, a therapeutic exercise program and a book about self-management of back pain.
Methods: Patients aged 20 to 64 years with back pain for at least 3 months were recruited from Group Health Cooperative and randomized to receive either 12 weeks of yoga classes (n=36), 12 weeks of exercise classes (n=35) or a self-care book (n=30). Class participants were asked to practice at home as well. The primary outcomes measures were dysfunction (modified Roland scale) and symptom bothersomeness (0 to 10 scale). Follow-up telephone interviews were conducted after 6, 12, and 26 weeks.
Results: We found that all of people assigned to yoga and 94% of those assigned to exercise attended at least one class (median attendance of 9 and 8 classes, respectively). Follow-up rates exceeded 90% at all time points. Compared to the book group, the yoga group had clinically and statistically significantly improved Roland scale scores at 6, 12, and 26 weeks in an analysis that controlled for baseline values. In a similar analysis, the yoga group had significantly reduced symptom bothersomeness at 6 and 26 weeks. No serious adverse events were reported. Only 6% of participants in each class reported taking medication or missing work because of their pain, but about one in five reported temporary discomfort or pain when performing some movements in class.
Conclusion: These data demonstrate that clinical trials comparing yoga classes to an active intervention and a self-care intervention are feasible, that both active interventions are relatively safe, and that yoga is a promising intervention for the treatment of back pain.
Presented as a poster at: FORUM VII: Primary Care Research on Low Back Pain, Edmonton, Alberta, October 7 – 9, 2004

Example of a case report abstract:

Pranayama: Breath of fire or cause of pneumothorax?

D.B. Johnson, M.J. Tierney, P.J. Sadighi Kapalabhati

Department of Surgery, Berkshire Medical Center, Pittsfield, MA 01201

Keywords: Breathing, Pranayama, Yoga, Pneumothorax

Spontaneous pneumothorax is the most common cause of pneumothorax. We report a case of a 29-year-old healthy woman who presented to the emergency department with a spontaneous pneumothorax caused by a yoga breathing technique called Kapalabhati pranayama, or breath of fire. Yoga breathing exercises are commonly practiced, and a limited number of studies have shown various physiologic benefits of yoga breathing. This is the only known report of spontaneous pneumothorax caused by pranayama, but some other rare causes are noted. This case should illustrate that adverse side effects can occur when one pushes the body to physiologic extremes.

Published at: Chest. 2004 May;125(5):1951-2.