Tele- Yoga therapy for Patients with Chronic Pain during Covid-19 Lockdown: A Prospective Nonrandomized Single Arm Clinical Trial

BackgroundPain management services and support programs have been closed during pandemic. Self-management options, particularly for chronic pain, is required which can be undertaken at ones own convenience and without leaving home. ObjectivesTo evaluate the impact of tele-yoga therapy on patients suffering with chronic pain reducing pain intensity, disability, anxiety and depression. Material and methodsIn total 18 patients with different chronic pain diagnosis were recruited to individual yoga Therapy sessions twice a week at home (tele-yoga) using a videoconference app. Each participant followed set of practices every day at home. Main outcome measures included pain intensity, pain disability, anxiety and depression scores. Data were collected at baseline and after 6-weeks of intervention. ResultsThere were significant improvement in pain intensity from Baseline to 6-weeks (P<0.001); also pain disability (P<0,001). Both scores of anxiety and depression reduced at the end of intervention period (P<0,001; P<0,001). ConclusionsPilot results suggest that tele-yoga therapy may be an effective tool to self-manage chronic pain and related functional and psychological impacts. Further larger studies, randomized, controlled trials are needed to confirm the preliminary outcome. Trial RegistrationClinicalTrials.gov NCT04457388; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04457388