Perspective - Journal of Physical Therapy and Sports Medicine (2023) Volume 7, Issue 3

According to a study: Yoga enhances MS quality of life better than physical treatment.

Department of Health, Exercise Science and Recreation Management, The University of Mississippi, Mississippi, USA

*Corresponding Author:

Katharine Harris
Department of Health
Exercise Science and Recreation Management
The University of Mississippi, Mississippi, USA
E-mail: katharine.harris@olemiss.edu

Received: 03-Mar-2023, Manuscript No. AAJPTSM-23-97276; Editor assigned: 06-Mar-2023, PreQC No. AAJPTSM-23-97276;(PQ); Reviewed: 20-Mar-2023, QC No AAJPTSM-23-97276; Revised: 22-Mar-2023, QC No AAJPTSM-23-97276; Published: 27-Mar-2023, DOI:10.35841/aajptsm-7.3.144

Citation: Harris K. According to a study: Yoga enhances ms quality of life better than physical treatment. J Phys Ther Sports Med. 2023;7(3):144

Introduction

The quality of life of MS patients was dramatically improved by a three-month yoga programme compared to physical treatment. Researchers discovered that patients' everyday activities, mental health, and physical and social functioning all had significant effects. Patients with Multiple Sclerosis (MS) and motor impairments may benefit from participating in regular yoga sessions under the instruction of trained instructors as a non-drug form of rehabilitation [1]. Muscle stiffness and weakness, difficulty walking, and fatigue are some of the most typical MS symptoms. Patients frequently require therapy to enhance their functional capacity and quality of life. Yoga has been proven to significantly reduce depression, pain, and fatigue as well as to enhance mobility and quality of life for people with MS, but physical therapy is frequently what people think of. Programmes might be used at the numerous yoga and fitness facilities found in big cities, making it potentially more accessible.

Researchers in Russia compared the effects of a yoga programme to physical exercise or no exercise on quality of life for many MS symptoms, such as walking issues, balance issues, and fatigue, to determine whether yoga is more helpful than physical treatment. The researchers got in touch with MS patients who were being monitored as outpatients in a Moscow hospital. 56 people in all were involved, and three groups were randomly selected: yoga (26 patients), physical therapy (16 patients), or no activity (14 patients) [2].

Yoga has a significant positive impact on one's quality of life

For 12 weeks, twice-weekly yoga and physical therapy sessions were held. The lessons, which lasted roughly 60 to 75 minutes, were led by seasoned instructors and held in a room with specialised equipment and supporting materials. 13 fundamental and alternative positions were used in yoga classes to assure participant safety while allowing them to advance and better their condition. Physical treatment included a 10-15 minute warm-up that included stretches and flexibility exercises, followed by 25–35 minutes of endurance training, aerobic activities, muscle strength, coordination, and balancing exercises, and finally 10-15 minutes of breathing and relaxation. After the three-month intervention, participants in the no-exercise group were put on a waiting list for yoga while continuing to live their usual lives without engaging in regular physical activity or yoga [3].

The trial was successfully completed by 12 patients (85.7%) in the no-exercise group, 15 patients (57.7%) in the yoga group, and nine (56.3%) in the physical therapy group. The most common cause for leaving the yoga and physical therapy groups was noncompliance with the protocol, showing a lack of motivation for physical rehabilitation, the researchers said. These researches are crucial because they may lead to the development of strategies that would boost MS patients' motivation and facilitate their recovery.

The patients in the yoga group had been living with MS for a shorter time than the other two groups (12.6 years vs. 18 years in the physical therapy and no-exercise groups), and had the lowest proportion of progressing MS. However, the average age was not substantially different across the groups [4].

Only 55.6% of patients in the physical therapy group were receiving disease-modifying therapies, compared to 100% in the yoga group and 66.7% in the no-exercise group. The effects of the programmes on symptoms were not different, according to the researchers. On the Berg balancing test, which evaluates balance and posture, on the six-minute walking test, which gauges walking ability, or in terms of tiredness ratings, all three groups had comparable results. According to the researchers, "a 12-week training programme might not be enough for statistically significant improvement," especially in light of the patients' severe neurological impairment and the disease's long course (about 13 years). After six-month yoga programmes, other studies have shown considerable improvements in balance, tiredness, and walking. Yoga had no effect on symptoms, but participants' quality of life scores-as determined by the SF-36, a 36-item short form health survey—significantly improved. After 12 weeks, yoga patients in particular performed better on tests of life activity, mental health, and physical and social functioning. In the physical treatment group, just two patients mentioned discomfort, including back pain. Yoga didn't have any negative consequences, either. In this randomised controlled experiment, we have shown that a carefully developed Iyengar yoga programme is more effective than a physical therapy programme in improving numerous aspects of MS patients' quality of life [5].

References

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