Yoga is a form of exercise that may be beneficial to those with Parkinson's disease (PD). There have been no randomized control research studies investigating the effect of yoga on those with PD. The objective was to determine if yoga can improve motor function in people with PD using a randomized controlled small group design. The PD participants were randomized into a yoga intervention group or a control group of no intervention. Assessment of physical function included motor examination scores from the Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale, posture, measures of extremity ROM, flexibility and strength, and biomechanical measures of balance and gait that occurred at 3 time points: prior to starting the intervention, at 6 weeks of intervention, and immediately following 12 weeks of intervention. Thirteen adults with PD met the inclusion and exclusion criteria. All participants were unfamiliar with yoga. An Iyengar Hatha yoga program was tailored to fit participants with PD and designed to improve strength, flexibility, body alignment, and overall well-being. A 60-minute session, including physical postures, breathing, and meditation was implemented twice a week for 12 weeks. A significant improvement was found in motor UPDRS scores (p = 0.004) and Berg Balance Scale scores (p = 0.04) in the yoga group. A general trend of positive outcomes in the yoga group for strength, ROM and flexibility were noted with significant differences at p = 0.05 in selected hip and ankle measurements. Qualitative improvements in posture were observed and there were significant improvements in the onset time of foot unloading and onset time of foot lift off. Findings suggest that yoga practice improves motor function which may be partially explained by improvements in balance, strength, posture and gait. Due to the progressive nature of PD yoga programs may offer a way to maintain wellness and perhaps quality of life.

Full text (sometimes free) may be available at these link(s):      help

• DOI
• PDF locator
• publisher