Abstract
This study investigated the perceived impact and experience of long-term involvement in a community-based group yoga class for people with chronic pain. Results indicate that long-term involvement in community-based group yoga may improve and sustain occupational health and well-being. Therefore, OTs may consider yoga as a tool to promote occupational health in people with chronic pain.
Primary Author and Speaker: Caroline Rose
Contributing Authors: Arlene Schmid, Alexandra Andrews, Karen Atler, Jennifer Portz
The aim of this study was to investigate the perceived impact and experience of long-term involvement in a community-based group yoga class for people with chronic pain. Chronic pain is considered a biopsychosocial condition that impacts approximately 10 percent of the world's population. Current treatment for chronic pain is based on a costly and ineffective biomedical model that predominantly treats the person's physical symptoms. Yoga is a low cost, holistic mind-body intervention that targets the person's physical, psychological, and social factors. Previous research has indicated that short-term yoga interventions positively impact the symptoms of chronic pain, including occupational therapy outcomes. However, little to no research has investigated the long-term impact of yoga occurring in the community for chronic pain or the experience of practicing yoga for chronic pain. This study employed a mixed methods design to investigate the perceived impact and experience of long-term involvement in a community-based group yoga class for people with chronic pain. Eleven participants, who previously completed an 8-week yoga intervention and continued attending yoga at a community pain clinic for 2 years, took part in the study. Two-year follow-ups of the Canadian Occupational Performance Measure (COPM) were collected and compared to baseline COPM scores to measure change in perceived occupational performance and satisfaction. Individual qualitative interviews were conducted to explore participants’ perceived impact and experience of long-term yoga involvement. COPM data were analyzed using Wilcoxon sign ranked non-parametric tests and qualitative interviews were analyzed using an inductive approach. COPM performance and satisfaction scores significantly improved between baseline and follow up after 2 years of yoga. Three main themes emerged from the qualitative interviews: 1) Occupational shift from “living” to “existing,” 2) The change process is “progressive,” and 3) Yoga is “a positive thing I do in my life.” In conclusion, long-term involvement in community-based group yoga may improve and sustain occupational health and well-being. Therefore, occupational therapists may consider yoga as a tool to promote occupation in people with chronic pain.
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