Yoga as Self-Care for Arthritis in Minority Communities
Rheumatoid Arthritis, Arthritis
About this trial
This is an interventional other trial for Rheumatoid Arthritis focused on measuring Yoga, Arthritis
Eligibility Criteria
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INCLUSION CRITERIA:
- Adult patients enrolled in the NIAMS Natural History of
Rheumatic Disease in Minority Communities
- Diagnosis of osteoarthritis (OA) or rheumatoid arthritis (RA)
- Willingness and ability to provide informed consent
- Age greater than or equal to 18 years
EXCLUSION CRITERIA:
- Recent (less than 6 months) or planned joint surgery
- Use of assistive ambulatory devices
- Other significant medical or psychiatric conditions, including other inflammatory conditions
- Hyper-mobility or unstable disease that could compromise participation in the study.
Sites / Locations
- National Institutes of Health Clinical Center, 9000 Rockville Pike
Arms of the Study
Arm 1
Experimental
Yoga
This study used Hatha yoga (influenced by Integral, Iyengar, and Kripalu yoga) which includes postures (asanas), breathing techniques (pranayama) and meditation [9]. Biweekly, 60-minute, bilingual yoga classes were offered for 8 weeks at a yoga studio in Washington, DC. Classes were kept small (3-10 participants) to allow for pose modifications as needed for each participant. Participants were given instructions, bilingual manuals, and yoga equipment to encourage home practice. Participants were asked to keep journals to document the frequency and duration of home practice and their experience while on the study. After the last class, a yoga DVD and a list of local yoga studios were given to encourage continued practice.