The primary aims of this study were 1) to evaluate the post-treatment effects of Yoga of Awareness among participants originally assigned to the wait-list group in an earlier fibromyalgia trial, and 2) to test the program’s effects at 3 month follow-up in the earlier trial’s immediate treatment group. Unpaired t-tests were used to compare data from a per protocol sample of 18 women in the wait-list group who had completed treatment, and 21 women in the immediate treatment group. Within-group paired t-tests were performed to compare post-treatment data to 3 month follow-up data in the immediate treatment group. The primary outcome measure was the Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire Revised (FIQR). Multilevel random effects models were also used to examine associations between yoga practice rates and outcomes. Findings showed that post-treatment results in the wait-list group largely mirrored results seen at post-treatment in the immediate treatment group, with the FIQR Total Score improving 31.9% across the two groups. Follow-up results showed that patients sustained most of their post-treatment gains, with the FIQR Total Score remaining 21.9% improved at 3 months. Yoga practice rates were good, and more practice was associated with more benefit for a variety of outcomes. These results indicate that the benefits of Yoga of Awareness in fibromyalgia are replicable and can be maintained.
This study was published in Clinical Journal of Pain, 2012.
