Feasibility of At-Home Telehealth Yoga for Treating Chronic Pain

This feasibility study will evaluate yoga as a treatment for chronic musculoskeletal pain. The experimental treatment is yoga delivered via a tablet computer to participants at home ("teleyoga"). First, the investigators will develop a suitable protocol for teleyoga. Second, the investigators will demonstrate the feasibility of conducting a randomized controlled trial involving randomization to teleyoga or in-person yoga groups.

The first phase of the study is not randomized. In this phase, the first group of participants (n=10) will all participate in a tele-yoga class using an iPad loaned to them by the study. They will attend this treatment session from the comfort of their home or a location of their choice. Yoga treatment will last 12 weeks. At the end of treatment, veterans will provide feedback by completing a satisfaction questionnaire to rate various aspects of the teleyoga (e.g. technical challenges, ability to perform yoga through the video-conferencing platform, problems that occurred, and recommendations to improve the class, etc). The teleyoga protocol will be modified on the basis of this feedback and will be tested on a second group of participants (n=10). The second phase of the study will involve randomization of a further group of participants (n=30) to either the teleyoga developed in phase one, or in-person yoga.

A participant satisfaction measure [score range: 0 to 4]. The higher the value, the greater the treatment satisfaction

Inclusion Criteria: Veteran Medical clearance for participation by VA primary care provider Diagnosis of musculoskeletal pain > 6 months Minimum pain intensity of 4 at screening on 0-10 scale Any psychotropic treatments stable for at least 4 weeks before study English literacy Wireless Internet connection at home Exclusion Criteria: Current participation in another clinical trial Back surgery within the last 12 months Back pain related to a specific underlying cause, disease, or condition Baseline pain <4 or >9 on 0-10 scale Unstable, serious coexisting medical illness Unstable, serious coexisting mental illness Attended or practiced yoga ≥1 time in the past 12 months Active current suicidal plan or intent