Development and Validation of Wheelchair-Based Yoga Module for Individuals with Paraplegia

Author: Akash Pathak1, Garima Wadhwa2, Parmod Kumar3, Shefali Walia4, Jaskirat Kaur5, Stuti Khanna1
Affiliation: <sup>1</sup> Postgraduate Student, Indian Spinal Injuries Center-Institute of Rehabilitation Sciences (ISIC-IRS), New Delhi, India. <sup>2</sup> Assistant Professor, Indian Spinal Injuries Center-Institute of Rehabilitation Sciences (ISIC-IRS), New Delhi, India. <sup>3</sup> PhD Candidate and Yoga Therapist, Indian Spinal Injuries Center-Institute of Rehabilitation Sciences (ISIC-IRS), New Delhi, India. <sup>4</sup> PhD Candidate and Associate Professor, Indian Spinal Injuries Center-Institute of Rehabilitation Sciences (ISIC-IRS), New Delhi, India. <sup>5</sup> Assistant Professor, Indian Spinal Injuries Center-Institute of Rehabilitation Sciences (ISIC-IRS), New Delhi, India; and PhD Candidate and Physiotherapy Resident, Arvan Rehab Group, Canada.
Conference/Journal: Int J Yoga Therap
Date published: 2023 Dec 1
Other: Volume ID: 33 , Issue ID: 2023 , Pages: Article 17 , Special Notes: doi: 10.17761/2023-D-22-00052. , Word Count: 237


Spinal cord injury causes temporary or permanent loss of motor, sensory, or autonomic functions, leading to long-term impairments that are not only confined to physical attributes but also restrict individuals' participation in major domains of life. Around 60%-80% of individuals with spinal cord injuries depend on a wheelchair for mobility. Numerous studies have reported yoga's beneficial role in alleviating spinal cord injury symptoms; however, a validated wheelchair-based yoga module was unavailable. Thus, the present study aimed to develop and validate a wheelchair-based yoga module that comprises a printed protocol for individuals with paraplegia. The study was conducted in four phases: The first three phases were the steps for the formulation of a wheelchair-based yoga module, and in the last phase the content validity of the designed module was determined by a panel of 10 experts, who were asked to rate the preliminary module for its necessity and relevance using a Likert scale. A total of 17 yoga practices with high content validity were included in the final wheelchair-based yoga module, and 10 practices with lower content validity were excluded from the designed module. Data analysis revealed the mean content validation index of the designed module to be 0.81. This study concludes that the formulated wheelchair-based yoga module is valid for individuals with paraplegia. However, future studies need to be conducted to determine the protocol's feasibility and effectiveness.

Keywords: neurological disorders; paraplegia; spinal cord injury; validation; yoga therapy.

PMID: 38155604 DOI: 10.17761/2023-D-22-00052