Impact of workplace yoga on pain measures, mental health, sleep quality, and quality of life in female teachers with chronic musculoskeletal pain: A randomized controlled study

BACKGROUND: Chronic pain conditions such as low back pain, knee pain and cervical pain are highly prevalent among female teachers. Chronic pain significantly affects the mental health, sleep and quality of life among teachers. OBJECTIVE: This study is intended to investigate the impact of a workplace yoga intervention on musculoskeletal pain, anxiety, depression, sleep, and quality of life (QoL) among female teachers who had chronic musculoskeletal pain. METHOD: Fifty female teachers aged between 25-55 years with chronic musculoskeletal pain were randomized to either the yoga group (n = 25) or the control group (n = 25). The yoga group received a 60-minute structured Integrated Yoga intervention (IY) four days a week for six consecutive weeks at school. The control group received no intervention. Outcome measures: Pain intensity, anxiety, depression, stress, fatigue, self-compassion, sleep quality, and quality of life were assessed at the baseline and six weeks. RESULTS: A significant (p < 0.05) reduction in pain intensity and pain disability in the yoga group was observed after 6-week compared to baseline. Anxiety, depression, stress, sleep scores and fatigues also improved in the yoga group after six weeks. The control group showed no change. Post score comparison showed a significant difference between the groups for all the measures. CONCLUSION: Workplace yoga intervention is found to be effective in improving pain, pain disability, mental health, sleep quality among female teachers with chronic musculoskeletal pain. This study strongly recommends yoga for the prevention of work-related health issues and for the promotion of wellbeing among teachers.