P02.133 LB
Purpose: To investigate the feasibility and safety of a relaxation-focussed yoga intervention for rheumatoid arthritis (RA), developed in accordance with Delphi recommendations for the design and reporting of yoga interventions for musculoskeletal conditions.
Methods: Participants were recruited via a hospital database, and randomized to either an 8-week yoga programme (one 75-minute group practice and three 20-minute home practice sessions per week), or a usual care control. Feasibility outcomes included recruitment rates, retention, adherence, participant satisfaction, and adverse events. Additionally, secondary outcomes of RA-related pain, sleep quality, functional disability, disease activity, quality of life, mood, and fatigue were measured at baseline (week 0), week 9 (primary time point), and week 12 (follow-up).
Results: Of 103 patients identified from the database, 26 met eligibility criteria (25% recruitment; 96% female; mean age 54 years). Thirteen yoga participants (100%) and 12 usual care participants (92%) completed both the Week 9 and Week 12 assessments. Yoga participants completed a median of seven of the eight group classes and 14 of the 24 home practice sessions. Eleven yoga participants (85%) reported the study was not bothersome, although several depended on the use of specialized equipment to practice the yoga postures. No serious adverse events were attributed to the study. No group effects of yoga compared to usual care were reported; however individual clinical improvements in sleep and functional disability were at a higher rate among yoga than usual care participants.
Conclusion: The relaxation-focussed yoga programme was feasible, safe, and highly acceptable to study participants. Adverse events were predominantly mild, and may potentially be reduced through a more conservative introduction of yoga postures over the 8-week intervention. Based on these findings a fully powered trial of yoga for RA is recommended, preceded by focus groups to investigate methods to improve recruitment of males and adherence to home practice.
Contact: Lesley Ward, lesley.ward@otago.ac.nz
