COMBINED EFFECT OF YOGA AND NATUROPATHY ON PERCEIVED STRESS AND QUALITY OF LIFE IN UNCOMPLICATED VARICOSE VEINS - A PROSPECTIVE RANDOMIZED CONTROL STUDY

Abstract

Background- Despite of high prevalence, India reported very low incidence of varicose veins due to negligence, no reporting or late reporting. Among the treatment options, Yoga and Naturopathy can be one of the effective tool in managing varicose veins. Objective- The presenting study evaluates the effectiveness of Yoga and Naturopathy intervention on perceived stress and quality of life in uncomplicated varicose veins (UVV). Materials and methods- 50 UVV participants were randomized into two groups i.e. Experimental and control. Experimental group had undergone Yoga and Naturopathy interventions, whereas control group performed Passive exercises and Stretching. Data was recorded for EQ-5D-5L, PSS and SF-36 questionnaires at 30, 60 and 120 days of intervention. Results- PSS- Perceived stress significantly reduced (p<0.001) on Day 30, 60 and 120 in experimental group, whereas the control group showed significant reduction (p<0.001) on Day 60 and 120. EQ-5D-5L- In experimental group, all the domains of descriptive EQ-5D-5L reduced significantly ( p<0.001), except “Usual activities” (p<0.01). EQ-VAS shows significant increase (p<0.001) at all time points. Control group shows no significant changes for any of the domain at day-30. On Day 60, only “pain/discomfort” reduced significantly (p<0.01) whereas on Day 120, significant reduction was observed in all the domains. EQ-VAS significantly improved at Day 60 and 120. SF-36-In experimental group, all the components increased significantly (p<0.001) at all points of time. In control group, no significant changes were observed for any domain at day-30. At Day-60, significant increase was observed in all the components. At Day-120, significant improvement in mean was observed for all the domains (p<0.001). Conclusion- The results indicates that Yoga and Naturopathy intervention as well as passive exercise with stretching, both are effective in improving perceived stress and quality of life, but Yoga and Naturopathy have shown its efficacy in shorter duration of practice.