The Effects of Yoga Training in Ankylosing Spondylitis Patients

The Effects of Yoga Training in Ankylosing Spondylitis Patients

The aim of the study is to investigate the effect of yoga training on functional level, disease activity, spinal mobility, balance, sleep quality, depression and quality of life in AS patients.

Yoga is an ancient Indian practice, dating back several thousand years, with objective of uniting mind, body, and spirit. In Western cultures, Hatha yoga is most commonly practiced, and generally includes a set of physical poses(asanas), breathing techniques(pranayama) and deep relaxation(savasana).Yoga has been shown to increase mobility, reduce pain, and improve quality of life in many diseases. However, there is no study examining the effects of yoga training in AS patients.Therefore, the aim of this study is to investigate the effects of yoga training in AS patients.

60 AS patients aged 20-60 years will be randomly assigned to yoga or control group. Home exercises will be taught to both groups, and a brochure with home exercises will be given. The yoga group will participate in a yoga class 3 days a week, during 8 weeks. The control group will not participate in a yoga class, only will do home exercises. Assessments will be done at baseline and after 8 weeks.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Ankylosing spondylitis(AS) patients diagnosed according to modified New York criteria
• To be volunteer

Exclusion Criteria:

• the presence of peripheral enthesitis, orthopedic disorders, cardiovascular disorders, neurological disorders, visual and auditory deficits,
• history of surgery for spine or lower limb,
• failure to complete the test