Yoga can serve as relaxation, intra-dialysis exercise for patients on maintenance dialysis
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Intra-dialysis multicomponent yoga is a feasible and safe form of relaxation and exercise among patients on maintenance dialysis, according to data published in Kidney International Reports.
“The safety an intradialytic yoga program has previously been shown. However, to our knowledge, no studies have been done evaluating the effects of yoga performed during maintenance hemodialysis,” Ann Herron, MD, from the division of nephrology and hypertension at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, and colleagues wrote. “The aim of this study was to evaluate the feasibility of conducting a randomized clinical pilot study to measure the effects of an intradialytic yoga program (IDY) on the quality of life, self-efficacy and physical performance among maintenance hemodialysis patients.”
In the trial, researchers randomized 69 patients on maintenance hemodialysis (the median age was 58 years; half of the patients were women; 88% were African American) to either the IDY group or the education group for 12 weeks. In the IDY group, patients completed multicomponent yoga that included movement, breathing and medication modified for intra-dialysis practice.
Patients answered questionnaires at 6 weeks and 12 weeks. Additionally, patients completed the 6-minute walking test at 12 weeks. Researchers considered results of the Kidney Disease Quality of Life (KDQoL) physical function and KDQoL mental function tests primary outcomes. One patient from each group dropped out during follow-up.
Overall, patients in the IDY group attended an average of 32 out of 35 hemodialysis treatments during the study, and a total of five adverse events occurred that required patients to stop practicing yoga. However, the events were not related to yoga, and no patients in the education group experienced adverse events.
While there were no significant changes in KDQoL physical function or KDQoL mental function from baseline to Week 12 in either arm, the IDY group showed a nonsignificant improvement in mental health function at Week 12 (from 51.6 to 53.5) compared with the education group (from 53.5 to 50.2).
Researchers noted that these findings may be limited to a healthier population because those deemed high risk were excluded.
“In conclusion, this pilot study demonstrates the feasibility and importantly supports the safety of conducting a parallel group randomized trial of intra-dialysis multicomponent yoga as a form of relaxation and exercise in maintenance dialysis patients,” Herron and colleagues wrote. “Future, larger clinical trials with adequate sample size may be performed to examine potential health benefits for quality of life including symptom management and mental health.”
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