Evaluation of a Specialized Yoga Program for Persons Admitted to a Complex Continuing Care Hospital: A Pilot Study

Abstract

Introduction. The purpose of this study was to evaluate a specialized yoga intervention for inpatients in a rehabilitation and complex continuing care hospital. Design. Single-cohort repeated measures design. Methods. Participants (N = 10) admitted to a rehabilitation and complex continuing care hospital were recruited to participate in a 50–60 min Hatha Yoga class (modified for wheelchair users/seated position) once a week for eight weeks, with assigned homework practice. Questionnaires on pain (pain, pain interference, and pain catastrophizing), psychological variables (depression, anxiety, and experiences with injustice), mindfulness, self-compassion, and spiritual well-being were collected at three intervals: pre-, mid-, and post-intervention. Results. Repeated measures ANOVAs revealed a significant main effect of time indicating improvements over the course of the yoga program on the (1) anxiety subscale of the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, F(2,18) = 4.74, p < .05, and η p 2 = .35, (2) Self-Compassion Scale-Short Form, F(2,18) = 3.71, p < .05, and η p 2 = .29, and (3) Magnification subscale of the Pain Catastrophizing Scale, F(2,18) = 3. 66, p < .05, and η p 2 = .29. Discussion. The results suggest that an 8-week Hatha Yoga program improves pain-related factors and psychological experiences in individuals admitted to a rehabilitation and complex continuing care hospital.

Evaluation of a specialized yoga program for persons with a spinal cord injury: a pilot randomized controlled trial

“…Individuals living with an implantable cardioverter defibrillator who were randomized to a once weekly 8-week yoga intervention demonstrated increased self-compassion at the end of the yoga program compared to a treatment-as-usual group 57. Improvements in self-compassion were also observed from preintervention to postintervention in a pilot research trial evaluating an 8-week yoga intervention for individuals with chronic complex disease and disability 52. Notably, self-compassion was found to mediate changes in anxiety from preintervention to postintervention, speaking to the mechanisms of yoga practice and philosophy didactics on psychological experience.…”

“… 57 Improvements in self-compassion were also observed from preintervention to postintervention in a pilot research trial evaluating an 8-week yoga intervention for individuals with chronic complex disease and disability. 52 Notably, self-compassion was found to mediate changes in anxiety from preintervention to postintervention, speaking to the mechanisms of yoga practice and philosophy didactics on psychological experience. The authors concluded that self-compassion may enable individuals to contact distressing inner experience without ascribing evaluative or judgmental meaning, to bypass ruminative tendencies, and to select healthful and agential actions to create positive change.…”

“…Also, both teachers had 1) 22–26 years of teaching yoga, 2) advanced training in therapeutics of IY, 3) knowledge of yoga philosophy35 and mindfulness-based practices, and 4) experience teaching yoga to limited-mobility populations. The class structure and content was based upon a book written by one of the teachers on a major yoga-philosophy text35 and a manual previously used in a research trial evaluating yoga for individuals receiving complex care in a hospital setting 52. An LC recreation therapist was available for consultation during all the classes.…”

“…The class structure and content was based upon a book written by one of the teachers on a major yoga-philosophy text 35 and a manual previously used in a research trial evaluating yoga for individuals receiving complex care in a hospital setting. 52 An LC recreation therapist was available for consultation during all the classes.…”

“… 43 , 44 RCTs have also demonstrated that yoga practice results in improvements in mental health (depression, anxiety, self-efficacy, psychological flexibility in relation to posttraumatic stress disorder, and sleep), 45 – 47 and fatigue- and mood-related impacts in multiple sclerosis. 48 – 50 Results from several pilot studies have shown that yoga also positively impacts other facets of psychological experiences, such as pain catastrophizing, 51 self-compassion, 52 and mindfulness 51 in clinical and nonclinical populations. 45 , 46 , 47 , 51 – 57 There is qualitative evidence for the positive impact of yoga on belongingness, sense of connectedness, self-transformation, sense of purpose, and acceptance of changes to one’s body in individuals who have sustained a stroke, 58 which may be relevant to individuals with SCI who must face new limits in the context of their injury.…”