Effects of a short-term wheelchair yoga intervention on balance in elderly women with neurodegenerative diseases: A preliminary study

Study aim: This study examined effects of practicing of the wheelchair yoga intervention for 4 weeks on static and dynamic balance and physical, mental and social health in elderly female wheelchair users with neurodegenerative diseases.

Material and methods: Elderly females (n = 22, mean age 75.1 ± 5.8 years), users of a wheelchair participated in the 4-week wheelchair yoga intervention program. Medical anamnesis, bioimpedance body composition assessment, Tinetti balance assessment tool, and the RAND 36 Short Form Health Survey (SF-36) were used in the pre – and post-measurements.

Results: Multivariate regression – orthogonal projections to latent structures (OPLS) and non-parametric comparisons revealed significant increase in the dynamic balance, total muscle mass, and the social score after the yoga program. Changes in the Tri-ponderal mass index and several indicators of mental health were the best mediators for the effect of the yoga program on dynamic balance.

Conclusions: Wheelchair yoga intervention program could be a beneficial rehabilitation method for stimulation of neuromotor functions associated with balance control in elderly females – users of a wheelchair due to neurodegenerative diseases.