Mind-Body Intervention for Diabetic Neuropathy: A Pilot Study on Yoga’s Effects on Muscle Strength, Proprioception, Fear of Falling, Pain, and Quality of Life

Objective The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of an 8-week yoga intervention on muscle strength, proprioception, pain, concerns about falling, and quality of life in individuals diagnosed with diabetic neuropathy. Methods A quasi-experimental design incorporating a pretest-posttest methodology and a control group was implemented in the present study. A total of 30 patients who were diagnosed with type 2 diabetes and neuropathy were recruited and randomly assigned to intervention ( n = 15) or non-exercise control ( n = 15). Yoga sessions were conducted for a duration of 60 min on three occasions per week, with participants requested to practice at home on other days. Results The results showed significant main effects of time on the muscle strength (both flexor and extensor muscles, p < .001, ηp 2 = 0.652 and p < .001, ηp 2 = 0.539, respectively), proprioception error ( p < .001, ηp 2 = 0.807), pain intensity ( p < .001, ηp 2 = 0.538), concerns about falling ( p < .001, ηp 2 = 0.700), and overall score of quality of life ( p < .001, ηp 2 = 0.475). Moreover, there were significant group-by-time interactions for all variables ( p < .001 for all). Conclusion The study reveals that yoga intervention can be an effective alternative therapeutic approach to medication for individuals with diabetic neuropathy. Yet, future studies are needed on a larger sample size to strengthen the present understanding of the advantageous impact of yoga intervention in this population.