Abstract
Objective: The aim of this study was to determine the feasibility of an 8-week restorative yoga intervention and to collect preliminary data on its effects on the fibromyalgia-related symptoms of chronic widespread pain, sleep disturbance, and fatigue, and health-related quality of life. In a mixed methods, single-arm, feasibility study, participants completed pre- and post-intervention semi-structured interviews and self-report assessments at baseline, weeks 4 and 8, and at a 1-month follow-up telephone interview. Results: In this group of participants (N = 12), recruitment, retention, and adherence rates were comparable to those of other fibromyalgia yoga studies: recruitment 57.14%; retention 75%; adherence to group class 87.5%; and home practice adherence 93.33%. A ratio of 1:2 yoga instructor to participants was required for the five-posture 90-minute class sequence as compared with a ratio of 1-2:10-25 yoga instructors to study participants reported in other fibromyalgia yoga studies. Statistically significant trends and minimal clinically important differences were found at week 8 when comparing participant baseline to week 8 self-report questionnaire scores for the Revised Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire total score (p = 0.01; 18.51%), the Pain Numeric Rating Scale for the subscales pain now (p = 0.04; 36.36%) and average pain over the past week (p = 0.04; 19.61%), the General Sleep Disturbance Scale total score (p = 0.04; 17.40%), and the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index total score (p = 0.02; 27.06%). Conclusion: Although the 8-week, five-posture, 90-minute restorative yoga group class was found not to be feasible as a symptom self-management strategy in this study, the findings support the need for further investigation of the home practice format. Future longitudinal, randomized, controlled trials of a restorative yoga home practice format to establish intervention efficacy and symptom-self management potential as well as those examining restorative yoga intervention resource utilization in persons with fibromyalgia are recommended
Highlights
Fibromyalgia (FM) occurs in an estimated 2.5% to 7.9% of the adults in the United States, but recent findings indicate this chronic disease may be underdiagnosed [1,2,3,4]
Chronic stress-induced dysregulation in hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis function may drive the neuroinflammation thought to be responsible for the chronic pain, pain amplification, and altered pain processing found in FM [15,16]
A 2014 study [29] found that the strongest predictor of new onset widespread pain in older adults was non-restorative sleep but that a return to a restorative sleep pattern resulted in resolution of the widespread pain
Summary
Fibromyalgia (FM) occurs in an estimated 2.5% to 7.9% of the adults in the United States, but recent findings indicate this chronic disease may be underdiagnosed [1,2,3,4]. Characterized by the hallmark symptom of chronic widespread pain and associated symptoms of sleep disturbance, fatigue, morning stiffness, anxiety, depressed mood, and impaired cognitive function, FM affects the individual’s ability to engage in normal daily activities, leading to an overall decrease in functional status and diminished health-related quality of life (HQoL) [7,8,9]. Disrupted sleep cycles, reported as one of the most bothersome FM-related symptoms [18,19,20,21], cause individuals to wake up feeling unrefreshed [22] and have been correlated with increases in perceived severity of FM-related pain, fatigue, and depressed mood [22,23,24,25,26,27,28]. The bidirectional relationship between sleep disturbance and pain fosters a continuation of the vicious cycle, resulting in a decreased HQoL for those persons diagnosed with FM
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
