Effect of add on yoga therapy to physiotherapy in the management of spinal cord injury patients

Abstract

BACKGROUND newlineTraumatic Spinal Cord Injury (SCI) is a leading cause of disability. Varying injury level and newlineseverity generate a spectrum of neurological dysfunction and a reduction in long-term Quality newlineof Life (QOL) with a decrease in mobility. newlineAIMS AND OBJECTIVES newlineThis study was aimed to evaluate the add-on effect of a Yoga program along with newlinephysiotherapy on individuals with paraplegia. newlineMETHODS newlineParticipants: A total of 124 spinal cord injury (SCI)patients of both genders with age range newline18 60 years, having incomplete SCI (AIS)-C and (AIS)-D,and admitted to the rehabilitation newlinecenter, India, were randomly allocated into two groups, i.e., (i) experimental group -Integrated newlineYoga and Physiotherapy (IYP) (n=62; age means and SD: 33.97±10.0 years), and (ii) control newlinegroup - Physiotherapy (PT) (n=62; age mean and SD:32.84 ± 9.5 years). newlineDesign: Two groups pre-post randomized controlled clinical trial. newlineAssessments: The outcome assessments consisted of primary outcomes: (i) American Spinal newlineInjury Association Impairment (ASIA) scale, (ii) c-Reactive Protein (CRP), (iii)Spinal Cord newlineInjury Independence Measure (SCIM), and(iv) Medically Based Emotional Distress Scale newline(MEDS). The secondary outcome measures were: (i) Body Mass Index (BMI), and (ii) newlineQuality of Life Index Spinal Cord Injury - Version III were measured in both groups at the newlinebeginning and end of one month. newlineIntervention: The experimental group underwent one-month combined practice of newlinephysiotherapy and yoga therapy, in a schedule of 75-min/day (6-days/week), whereas the newlinecontrol group underwent physiotherapy treatment alone. newlineRESULTS: The IYP group showed a significant reduction in scores of CRP (pand#706;0.001), SCIM newline(pand#706;0.001), MEDS (pand#706;0.001), and improvement in the quality of life (SCI-QoL Index) newline(pand#706;0.001) compared to control group. newlineCONCLUSION: One-month comprehensive Integrated Yoga and Physiotherapy program is newlinemore effective than physiotherapy intervention alone, in the management of paraplegia newlinepatients.