Development and Feasibility of a Group-Based Therapeutic Yoga Program for Women with Chronic Pelvic Pain

Abstract

To develop a group-based therapeutic yoga program for women with chronic pelvic pain (CPP) and explore the effects of this program on pain severity, sexual function, and well-being.A yoga therapy program for CPP was developed by a multidisciplinary panel of clinicians, researchers, and yoga consultants. Women reporting moderate to severe pelvic pain for at least six months were recruited into a single-arm trial. Participants attended twice weekly group classes focusing on Iyengar-based yoga techniques and were instructed to practice yoga at home an hour a week for six weeks. Participants self-rated the severity of their pelvic pain using daily logs. The impact of participants' pain on everyday activities, emotional well-being, and sexual function was assessed using an Impact of Pelvic Pain (IPP) questionnaire. Sexual function was further assessed using the Sexual Health Outcomes in Women Questionnaire (SHOW-Q).Among the 16 participants (age range = 31-64 years), average ratings of the severity of pain "at its worst," "at its best," and "on average" decreased by 29%, 32%, and 34%, respectively, from start to six weeks (P?

View details for DOI 10.1093/pm/pnw306

View details for Web of Science ID 000412780300005

View details for PubMedID 28419385

View details for PubMedCentralID PMC6279262