An online yoga program appears to be effective, feasible, and safe for patients with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), according to a new report.
Participants reported a decrease in IBS-related symptoms and improvements in quality of life, fatigue, and perceived stress.
“IBS affects upwards of 15%-20% of the North American population, and despite our advances in the area, we have very limited options to offer our patients,” Maitreyi Raman, MD, an associate professor of medicine at the University of Calgary, Canada, told Medscape Medical News.
Dr Maitreyi Raman
“Often, we are focused on treating symptoms but not addressing the underlying cause,” said Raman, who is director of Alberta’s Collaboration of Excellence for Nutrition in Digestive Diseases. “With advances around the gut microbiome and the evolving science on the brain-gut axis, mind-body interventions could offer a therapeutic option that patients can use to improve the overall course of their disease.”
The study was published online in the American Journal of Gastroenterology.
Online Yoga Program vs IBS Advice Only
IBS often involves alterations of the gut-brain axis and can be affected by psychological or physiological stress, the study authors write. Previous studies have found that in-person yoga programs can manage IBS symptoms and improve physiological, psychological, and emotional health.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, yoga programs had to switch to a virtual format — a delivery method that could remain relevant due to limited healthcare resources. However, the efficacy, feasibility, and safety of virtual yoga for people with IBS were unknown.
Raman and colleagues conducted a randomized, two-group, controlled clinical trial at the University of Calgary between March 2021 and December 2022. The 79 participants weren’t blinded to the trial arms — an online yoga program or an advice-only control group.
The eligible participants had a diagnosis of IBS, scored at least 75 out of 500 points on the IBS Symptoms Severity Scale (IBS-SSS) for mild IBS, and were on stable doses of medications for IBS. They were instructed to continue with their current therapies during the study but didn’t start new medications or make major changes to their diet or physical patterns.
The yoga program was based on Upa Yoga, a subtype of Hatha Yoga developed by the Isha Foundation of Inner Sciences. The program was delivered by a certified yoga facilitator from the Isha Foundation and included directional movements, neck rotations, breathing practices, breath watching, and mantra meditation with aum/om chanting.
The online classes of three to seven participants were delivered in 60-minute sessions for 8 weeks. The participants were also asked to practice at home daily with the support of yoga videos.
The advice-only control group included a 10-minute video with general education on IBS, the mind-gut connection in IBS, and the role of mind-body therapies in managing IBS. The participants received a list of IBS-related resources from the Canadian Digestive Health Foundation, a link to an IBS patient support group, and information about physical activity guidelines from the World Health Organization.
The research team looked for a primary endpoint of at least a 50-point reduction on the IBS-SSS, which is considered clinically meaningful.
They also measured for secondary outcomes, such as quality of life, anxiety, depression, perceived stress, COVID-19-related stress, fatigue, somatic symptoms, self-compassion, and intention to practice yoga.
Among the 79 participants, 38 were randomized to the yoga program and 41 were randomized to the advice-only control group. The average age was 45 years. Most (92%) were women, and 81% were White. The average IBS duration since diagnosis was 11.5 years.
The overall average IBS-SSS was moderate, at 245.3, at the beginning of the program, and dropped to 207.9 at week 8. The score decreased from 255.2 to 200.5 in the yoga group and from 236.1 to 213.5 in the control group. The difference between the groups was 32 points, which wasn’t statistically significant, though symptom improvement began after 4 weeks in the yoga group.
In the yoga group, 14 participants (37%) met the target decrease of 50 points or more compared with eight participants (20%) in the control group. These 22 “responders” reported improvements in IBS symptoms, quality of life, perceived stress, and COVID-19-related stress.
Specifically, among the 14 responders in the yoga group, there were significant improvements in IBS symptoms, quality of life, fatigue, somatic symptoms, self-compassion, and COVID-19-related stress. In the control group, there were significant improvements in IBS symptoms and COVID-19-related stress.
Using an intent-to-treat analysis, the research team found that the yoga group had improved quality of life, fatigue, and perceived stress. In the control group, improvements were seen only in COVID-19-related stress.
No significant improvements were found in anxiety or depression between the groups, although the changes in depression scores were in favor of the yoga group. The intention to practice yoga dropped in both groups during the study period, but it wasn’t associated with the actual yoga practice minutes or change in IBS-SSS scores.
“We saw a surprising improvement in quality of life,” Raman said. “Although we talk about quality of life as an important endpoint, it can be hard to show in studies, so that was a nice finding to demonstrate in this study.”
The yoga intervention was feasible in terms of adherence (79%), attrition rate (20%), and high program satisfaction, the researchers write. Safety was demonstrated by the absence of any adverse events.
Future Program Considerations
Raman and colleagues are interested in understanding the mechanisms that underlie the efficacy of mind-body interventions. They also plan to test the virtual yoga program in a mobile app, called LyfeMD, which is intended to support patients with digestive diseases through evidence-based dietary programs and mind-body interventions, such as guided meditation, breathing exercises, and cognitive behavioral therapy.
“We know that patients are looking for all possible resources,” Raman said. “Our next goal is to better understand how an app-based intervention can be effective, even without a live instructor.”
Future studies should also consider clinicians’ perspectives, she noted. In previous studies, Raman and colleagues have found that physicians are open to recommending yoga as a therapeutic option for patients, but some are unsure how to prescribe a recommended dose, frequency, or type of yoga.
Dr Elyse Thakur
“When treating patients with IBS, it is important to think broadly and creatively about all our treatment options,” said Elyse Thakur, PhD, a clinical health psychologist at Atrium Health Gastroenterology and Hepatology in Charlotte, North Carolina.
Thakur, who wasn’t involved with this study, specializes in gastrointestinal health psychology. She and colleagues use numerous complementary and alternative medicine options with patients.
“We have to remember that people may respond differently to available treatment options,” she said. “It is imperative to understand the evidence so we can have productive conversations with our patients about the pros and cons and the potential benefits and limitations.”
Am J Gastroenterol. Published online November 25, 2022. doi:10.14309/ajg.0000000000002052. Abstract
The study did not receive a specific grant from a funding agency. The authors and Thakur declared no relevant financial relationships.
Carolyn Crist is a health and medical journalist who reports on the latest studies for Medscape, MDedge, and WebMD.
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