Evidence for your Practice: Effects of Chair Yoga on Pain and Physical Function

Image credit: vincentgallegos via Foter.com / CC BY-NC

Article for Review: 
Park, J., McCaffrey, R., Newman, D., Liehr, P., & Ouslander, J. G. (2016). 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. Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, doi:10.1111/jgs.14717

This randomized control trial evaluated the effects of Sit 'N' Fit Chair Yoga on pain and physical function in older adults with lower extremity osteoarthritis (OA) who where unable to participate in standing exercise. One hundred and thirty-one community-dwelling adults were randomly assigned to either chair yoga or a Health Education program, which both consisted of twice-weekly 45-minute sessions for 8 weeks.

Conclusion: The chair yoga program was associated with reduction in pain, pain interference, and fatigue, and improvement in gait speed. However, 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.

Access the abstract here