Yoga versus Structured Physical Exercise for Pain and Quality of Life in Women with Endometriosis: A Randomized Controlled Trial
Description
Objective: To compare the effects of yoga and structured physical exercise on pain symptoms and quality of life in women with endometriosis. Design: Prospective randomized clinical trial in two tertiary referral centers in São Paulo, Brazil. Patients: Fifty-two women aged 18-45 years with endometriosis confirmed by imaging or laparoscopy with histologic confirmation. Interventions: Participants were randomized 1:1 to yoga or structured physical exercise. Both groups underwent eight weekly online sessions. Post-randomization losses resulted in an unequal final analytical sample. Measurements and Main Results: Clinical and demographic data were collected, and validated patient-reported outcome measures were administered before and after the intervention, including the Short Form-36 (SF-36) and the Endometriosis Health Profile-30 (EHP-30). Analyses included Wilcoxon rank-sum tests, Fisher’s exact tests, and mixed-effects linear regression models. Fifty-two women were included in the final analysis (yoga n=37; exercise n=15). Conclusion: Both yoga and structured physical exercise were associated with short-term improvements in pain symptoms and quality of life in women with endometriosis. These findings support both interventions as feasible complementary strategies in the multidisciplinary management of endometriosis.
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Institutions
- Universidade de São PauloSão Paulo, São Paulo