A Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial of the Effects of Chair Yoga on Pain and Physical Function Among Community-Dwelling Older Adults With Lower Extremity Osteoarthritis.


Author: Park J1, McCaffrey R2, Newman D3, Liehr P3, Ouslander JG4

Affiliation: <sup>1</sup>School of Social Work, Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton, Florida.

<sup>2</sup>Georgia Baptist College of Nursing, Mercer University, Atlanta, Georgia.

<sup>3</sup>Christine E. Lynn College of Nursing, Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton, Florida.

<sup>4</sup>Charles E. Schmidt College of Medicine, Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton, Florida.
Conference/Journal: J Am Geriatr Soc.
Date published: 2016 Dec 23
Other:
  Special Notes: doi: 10.1111/jgs.14717. [Epub ahead of print]   ,  Word Count: 270  
    OBJECTIVES: To determine effects of Sit 'N' Fit Chair Yoga, compared to a Health Education program (HEP), on pain and physical function in older adults with lower extremity osteoarthritis (OA) who could not participate in standing exercise.



DESIGN: Two-arm randomized controlled trial.



SETTING: One HUD senior housing facility and one day senior center in south Florida.



PARTICIPANTS: Community-dwelling older adults (N = 131) were randomly assigned to chair yoga (n = 66) or HEP (n = 65). Thirteen dropped after assignment but prior to the intervention; six dropped during the intervention; 106 of 112 completed at least 12 of 16 sessions (95% retention rate).



INTERVENTIONS: Participants attended either chair yoga or HEP. Both interventions consisted of twice-weekly 45-minute sessions for 8 weeks.



MEASUREMENTS: Primary: pain, pain interference; secondary: balance, gait speed, fatigue, functional ability measured at baseline, after 4 weeks of intervention, at the end of the 8-week intervention, and post-intervention (1 and 3 months).



RESULTS: The chair yoga group showed greater reduction in pain interference during the intervention (P = .01), sustained through 3 months (P = .022). WOMAC pain (P = .048), gait speed (P = .024), and fatigue (P = .037) were improved in the yoga group during the intervention (P = .048) but improvements were not sustained post intervention. Chair yoga had no effect on balance.



CONCLUSION: An 8-week chair yoga program was associated with reduction in pain, pain interference, and fatigue, and improvement in gait speed, but only the effects on pain interference were sustained 3 months post intervention. Chair yoga should be further explored as a nonpharmacologic intervention for older people with OA in the lower extremities.



TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT02113410.



© 2016, Copyright the Authors Journal compilation © 2016, The American Geriatrics Society.



KEYWORDS: chair yoga; osteoarthritis; pain management; randomized controlled trial



PMID: 28008603  DOI: 10.1111/jgs.14717