Effect of Mind-Body Therapy on Intraocular Pressure in OpenAngel Glaucoma Patients: A Systematic Review

Abstract

Open-angle glaucoma is one type of glaucoma that can damage the eye's optic nerve, causing blindness. Intraocular pressure (IOP) is the leading risk factor for open-angle glaucoma. So, controlling IOP is the goal of glaucoma management. One of the complementary therapies that glaucoma patients can choose is a mind-body therapy. The study aims to determine the effectiveness of mind-body therapy on IOP in glaucoma patients. A systematic literature review followed the PRISMA Flowchart guidelines in five databases (PubMed, ProQuest, ScienceDirect, Scopus, and Google Scholar). Inclusion criteria were articles published in the last ten years, English, and experimental studies about mind-body therapy's effect on glaucoma patients' intraocular pressure. The quality of articles was assessed using the JBI appraisal tools and analyzed using Meta-synthesis. We found two types of mind-body interventions that affect IOP: mindfulness meditation and yoga. Twelve articles showed that mind-body intervention had decreased IOP by 2 - 6 mmHg (5.7 - 16%). Only one article showed an increase in IOP (6 mmHg), namely yoga with a head down position (the head position lower than the heart position Mind-body therapy, particularly meditation and yoga, can significantly lower IOP. Special attention in yoga therapy is not to do the head down position because it can increase IOP. Mind-body therapy intervention as a complementary therapy can be applied to glaucoma patients to decrease IOP and prevent blindness.