Efficacy of Yoga as an Add-on to Physiotherapy in the Management of Patients with Paraplegia: Randomised Controlled Trial

Abstract

Introduction: Traumatic Spinal Cord Injury (SCI) is a leading cause of disability. Varying injury level and severity generate a spectrum of neurological dysfunction and a reduction in longterm Quality of Life (QoL) with a decrease in mobility. Aim: To evaluate the add-on effect of a Yoga program along with physiotherapy on individuals with paraplegia. Materials and Methods: A total of 124 SCI patients of both genders with age range 18-60 years, having incomplete SCI (AIS)-C and (AIS)-D, and admitted to the rehabilitation centre, India, were randomly allocated into two groups i.e.,: (i) Study group-Integrated Yoga and Physiotherapy (IYP) (n=62; age means and SD: 33.97±10.0 years); and (ii) control groupPhysiotherapy (PT) (n=62; age mean and SD:32.84±9.5 years). These participants were assessed on primary outcome measures: (i) American Spinal Injury Association (ASIA) Impairment scale; (ii) c-Reactive Protein (CRP); (iii) Spinal Cord Injury Independence Measure (SCIM); and (iv) Medically Based Emotional Distress Scale (MEDS). The secondary outcome measures were: (i) Body Mass Index (BMI); and (ii) Quality of Life Index Spinal Cord Injury - Version III (SCI-QOL index), were measured before and after one-month interventions. Results: The IYP group showed a significant reduction in scores of CRP (p<0.001), SCIM (p<0.001), MEDS (p<0.001), and improvement in SCI-QoL Index (p<0.001) compared to the control group. There was no significant change observed in the ASIA impairment scale between the two groups. Conclusion: One-month Integrated Yoga and Physiotherapy program is more effective than physiotherapy intervention alone, in the management of paraplegia patients.

Keywords

• c-reactive protein
• neurotrophins
• quality of life
• spinal cord injury
• spinal cord injury independence measure