Immediate Effects of Yoga on Anxiety, Depression, and Sleep in Women with Chronic Pain in a Rural Community Setting: A Pilot Feasibility Study

Alexandro Andrade^1*Anderson D'Oliveira¹Carina Jorge Da Silveira Moreira¹Stefania Mancone²Pierluigi Diotaiuti²Micheline Henrique Araujo¹

• ¹Santa Catarina State University, Florianopolis, Brazil
• ²Universita degli Studi di Cassino e del Lazio Meridionale, Cassino, Italy

Objective: This randomized pilot study assessed the feasibility and acceptability of a remote yoga intervention and examined potential effects on pain, sleep and the psychological variables anxiety and depression. Method: The intervention for the experimental group consisted of Hatha Yoga sessions, guided by video, lasting 60 minutes, divided into three moments: stillness and awareness of breathing, practice of postures (asanas), and meditation. Participants randomized to the intervention group participated in guided group video practice sessions for two weeks in the community church hall. Participants randomized to the control group were instructed to maintain their normal daily routine. The feasibility measures evaluated were: acceptance rates, ability to complete the intervention, external interference from other physical activities, and adverse effects. Outcome measures (self-reported pain, anxiety, depression, and sleep quality) were assessed at baseline and post-intervention. The Wilcoxon test was used to analyze the differences between groups, and the Mann-Whitney U test to compare the control group and the different moments of the intervention group. The effect size was assessed using Cohen's d. Results: In the comparisons between the groups, there were no significant differences in any of the outcomes. The group that performed the intervention presented a significant reduction in anxiety. In addition, improvements were observed in the intervention group in pain, depression, and sleep quality according to the mean values, with a small to moderate effect size. Regarding the feasibility measures, the study had excellent acceptance rates; all participants completed the intervention. There was no external interference from other physical activities of the groups, and no serious adverse effects were reported. Conclusion: The asynchronous Hatha Yoga intervention was feasible, well accepted, and safe to be applied remotely in a group of women with chronic pain, living in a rural community. Despite the short duration of the Hatha Yoga intervention, the data presented suggest that improvements in anxiety, pain, depression, and sleep quality were observed in women with chronic pain. Large-scale randomized controlled trials are suggested to evaluate the effects of this modality on pain-related and psychological outcomes.