Yoga Training Has Positive Effects on Postural Balance and Its Influence on Activities of Daily Living in People with Multiple Sclerosis: A Pilot Study

• Published in: Explore (New York, N.Y.) Vol. 12; no. 5; pp. 325 - 332
• Main Authors: de Oliveira, Gerson, Tavares, Maria da Consolação Cunha Gomes Fernandes, de Faria Oliveira, Jane Domingues, Rodrigues, Marcos Rojo, Santaella, Danilo Forghieri
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Elsevier Inc 01-09-2016
• Subjects: Activities of Daily Living; Adult; Female; hatha yoga; Humans; Male; Meditation; Middle Aged; multiple sclerosis; Multiple Sclerosis - complications; Multiple Sclerosis - therapy; Pilot Projects; Postural Balance; pranayama; Sensation Disorders - therapy; Yoga; postural balance; pranayama; hatha yoga; multiple sclerosis; meditation
• ISSN: 1550-8307; 1878-7541
• DOI: 10.1016/j.explore.2016.06.005

There is a little evidence about the influence of yoga as a complementary therapy for postural balance and its influence on activities of daily living in multiple sclerosis (MS) patients.
To evaluate the influence of a six-month yoga program on postural balance and subjective impact of postural balance impairment on activities of daily living in people with MS.
Randomized controlled pilot study.
Protocol developed at the Adaptive Physical Activity Study Department, College of Physical Education, State University of Campinas, Brazil.
A total of 12 (11 women) yoga naive people with MS randomly divided into two groups as follows: Control (C—waiting list, n = 6) and Yoga (Y—Yoga training, n = 6).
Yoga group practiced postures, breathing exercises, meditation, and relaxation on weekly 60-min classes for a six-month period.
The following evaluations were performed at study entry (baseline), and after six months (six months): Berg Balance Scale (BBS), Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS), and self-reported postural balance quality and influence of postural balance on activities of daily living.
There was a significant improvement in BBS score from baseline to six months only in the Yoga group, especially in subjects with higher EDSS score, with increased quality of self-reported postural balance, and decreased influence of postural balance impairment on activities of daily living. In conclusion, a six-month yoga training is beneficial for people with MS, since it improves postural balance and decreases the influence of postural balance impairment on activities of daily living. A greater sample size is necessary to increase generalization, but it seems that yoga could be included as a feasible complementary therapy for people with MS.