Yoga for Chronic Neck Pain: A 12‐Month Follow‐Up. Issue 4 (6th February 2013)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Cramer, Holger; Lauche, Romy; Hohmann, Claudia; Langhorst, Jost; Dobos, Gustav
• Is Part Of: Pain medicine. Volume 14:Issue 4(2013)
• Page Start: 541
• Page End: 548
• Publication Date: 2013-02-06
• Subjects: Pain -- Periodicals; Pain -- Treatment -- Periodicals; Analgesics -- Periodicals; Pain -- Periodicals; Pain Management -- Periodicals; Douleur -- Périodiques; Douleur -- Traitement -- Périodiques; Analgésiques -- Périodiques; Analgésique; Soulagement de la douleur; Périodique électronique (Descripteur de forme); Ressource Internet (Descripteur de forme); 616.047205
• DOI: 10.1111/pme.12053
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1526-2375

Abstract

<abstract abstract-type="main"> <title>Abstract</title> <sec id="pme12053-sec-0001" sec-type="section"> <title>Objectives</title> <p>To assess the effects of a 9‐week yoga intervention on chronic nonspecific neck pain 12 months after completion.</p> </sec> <sec id="pme12053-sec-0002" sec-type="section"> <title>Design</title> <p>Twelve‐month follow‐up of the pooled data of both arms of a randomized, controlled trial.</p> </sec> <sec id="pme12053-sec-0003" sec-type="section"> <title>Setting</title> <p>Department of Internal and Integrative Medicine at an academic teaching hospital.</p> </sec> <sec id="pme12053-sec-0004" sec-type="section"> <title>Subjects</title> <p>Fifty‐one patients with chronic nonspecific neck pain (mean age 47.8 years; 82.4% female).</p> </sec> <sec id="pme12053-sec-0005" sec-type="section"> <title>Interventions</title> <p>A 9‐week yoga group intervention.</p> </sec> <sec id="pme12053-sec-0006" sec-type="section"> <title>Outcome Measures</title> <p>Neck pain intensity (100‐mm visual analog scale), functional disability (neck disability index), health‐related quality of life (short‐form 36 questionnaire, SF‐36), generic disability (days with restricted activities), and global improvement.</p> </sec> <sec id="pme12053-sec-0007" sec-type="section"> <title>Results</title> <p>From baseline to 12‐month follow‐up, pain intensity improved from 48.81 ± 17.71 to 32.31 ± 20.68 (<italic>P</italic> < 0.001), neck‐related disability decreased from 25.26 ± 9.02 to 19.49 ± 11.52 (<italic>P</italic> = 0.001), and bodily pain in the SF‐36 improved from 49.37 ± 12.40 to 59.26 ± 17.57 (<italic>P</italic> = 0.005). Improvements in pain intensity were predicted by weekly minutes of yoga practice during the past 4 weeks (<italic>r</italic><sup>2</sup> = 0.12, <italic>P</italic> = 0.028); improved neck‐related disability (<italic>r</italic><sup>2</sup> = 0.24, <italic>P</italic> = 0.001) and bodily pain (<italic>r</italic><sup>2</sup> = 0.26, <italic>P</italic> = 0.006) were predicted by regular yoga practice during the past 12 months. Generic disability did not decrease significantly. Twenty‐four patients (68.6%) rated their health as at least somewhat improved.</p> </sec> <sec id="pme12053-sec-0008" sec-type="section"> <title>Conclusions</title> <p>A 9‐week yoga intervention improved pain and neck‐related disability for at least 12 months after completion. Sustained yoga practice seems to be the most important predictor of long‐term effectiveness.</p> </sec> </abstract>