Yoga and Chronic Pain Management—Telling Our Story

Abstract

Purpose: To examine the effects of an 18-month period of Yoga therapy on a single student suffering from chronic pain, specifically fibromyalgia, and to determine what measures are needed to report improvements. Improvements documented over a specific time period in a controlled setting can further the case for using Yoga as a primary means for managing fibromyalgia and chronic pain and also provide a background to establish a working dialogue with practitioners of Western medicine. Study Design: Using case-study research methods, an 18-month period of gentle Iyengar-based Yoga was implemented 1–2x/week in a woman suffering from fibromyalgia and chronic pain. Findings: The findings showed that the student steadily improved in many measures, including pain, body awareness, medications dose/type, body weight, cholesterol, hypertension, bone density, and subjective quality of life measures(increased confidence, improved body image). Conclusions:The information collected during this study provides positive evidence that can assist in the future development of chronic pain management with Yoga therapy. As Yoga therapists, we have a professional obligation to document the changes and improvements our Yoga students are experiencing in a controlled Yoga studio environment. Collecting this information is vital to establishing an open dialogue between practitioners of Western and Eastern medicine. Future case studies and research should include more diverse populations of chronic pain sufferers as well as the use of tools that quantify a student's intangible concerns and complaints(i.e., pain level, quality of life, psychological health,emotional health, ease of daily activity completion, etc.).