Yoga for Chronic Brain Injury

This was a pilot non-randomized crossover trial designed to evaluate the benefits of a yoga intervention in a pilot sample of adults with chronic brain injury. Participants served as their own controls and data were collected 3 times: 1) Baseline, 2) Pre-Yoga (after an 8-week no-contact period, and 3) Post-Yoga (after the 8-week yoga intervention). The yoga intervention was 8-weeks of group yoga. Yoga sessions lasted 1 hour and occurred twice a week; sessions were led by a yoga instructor who is also an occupational therapist. There were no significant differences in any outcome measure between Baseline and Pre-Yoga, all p values >. 05. Significant differences were observed Post-Yoga in balance, p = .05, mobility, p = .03, and self-reported occupational performance, p = .04. No significant differences were observed Post-Yoga in self-reported balance confidence, self-reported pain, or self-reported occupational satisfaction, all p values > .05. These findings suggest that yoga may be a beneficial intervention for adults with chronic brain injury. Replication studies with larger sample sizes should continue to examine the benefit of yoga in chronic neurological conditions, including brain injury.