Positive Health Online

Abstract

GONÇALVES and COLLEAGUES, 1. 1 Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Campinas Medical School , Campinas, Brazil;  2 Department of Collective Health, University of Campinas Medical School , Campinas, Brazil conducted a randomized controlled trial to compare chronic pelvic pain, menstrual patterns, and quality of life (QoL) in two groups of women with endometriosis – who either participated or didn’t participate in a 8-week yoga intervention.

Background

The aim of this study was to compare chronic pelvic pain, menstrual patterns, and quality of life (QoL) in two groups of women with endometriosis: those who did and those who did not participate in a specific 8-week yoga

Methodology

This was a randomized controlled trial. It was conducted at the University of Campinas Medical School, Campinas, SP, Brazil. Forty women were randomly divided into two groups: an intervention group of women who practised yoga (n = 28), and a control group of women who did not practise yoga (n = 12). Participants attended 90-min scheduled yoga sessions twice a week for 8 weeks. Additionally, an Endometriosis Health Profile (EHP)-30 questionnaire was applied to evaluate women's QoL at admission and 2 months later upon completion of the yoga program. Menstrual and daily pain patterns were evaluated through a daily calendar (visual analog scale).

Results

The degree of daily pain was significantly lower among the women who practised yoga compared with the non-yoga group (p = 0.0007). There was an improvement of QoL in both groups between baseline and the end of the study evaluation. In relation to EHP-30 domains, pain (p = 0.0046), impotence (p = 0.0006), well-being (p = 0.0009), and image (p = 0.0087) from the central questionnaire, and work (p = 0.0027) and treatment (p = 0.0245) from the modular questionnaire were significantly different between the study groups over time. There was no significant difference between the two groups regarding the diary of menstrual patterns (p = 0.96).

Conclusion

Yoga practice was associated with a reduction in levels of chronic pelvic pain and an improvement in QoL in women with endometriosis.

References

Gonçalves AV1, Barros NF2, Bahamondes L1. The Practice of Hatha Yoga for the Treatment of Pain Associated with Endometriosis. J Altern Complement Med. 23(1):45-52. Jan 2017. doi: 10.1089/acm.2015.0343. Epub 2016 Nov 21.

Comment

The above research demonstrated that woman suffering from endometriosis who participated in yoga experienced a reduction in chronic pelvic pain and improvement in Quality of Life (QOL).