Study on chronic neck pain, respiratory rate, and flexibility: A yogic practice intervention

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of yogic practices on respiratory rate and flexibility levels among women with chronic neck pain. To achieve this aim, thirty middle-aged women professionals from the Pondicherry Region, aged between 35 to 40 years, were selected by the investigator. The participants were divided into two groups: An Experimental group and a Control Group. The Experimental group underwent yogic practices, consisting of one-hour sessions of Yogic Practices five days per week for a duration of eight weeks, whereas the Control group did not engage in any specific practices. Pre-tests and post-tests were conducted for both groups.Following the pre-test, the experimental group underwent training with yogasanas and Pranayama for one hour, five days per week, for a duration of eight weeks. Post-tests were conducted after the completion of the eight-week training program. Data collected were analyzed using Repeated Measures ANCOVA, and the F ratio was found to be significant. The results indicated a significant difference between the pre-test and post-test outcomes. After the experimental group, all the subjects were tested in abdominal muscle strength and flexibility levels. A 0.05 level of significance was fixed to test the hypothesis.Further analysis using analysis of variance (ANCOVA) revealed significant differences among the adjusted post-test means. The findings suggest that post-test results indicate an increase in respiratory rate and flexibility levels among the participants.