title: A pilot study of yoga for chronic headaches in youth: promise amidst challenges.
abstract: The primary aim of the current study was to provide preliminary data on the feasibility, acceptability, and safety of alignment-based yoga for youths with chronic headaches. A secondary aim was to provide preliminary estimates of yoga's ability to improve headache pain, daily functioning, quality of life, and anxiety level in this population. The yoga intervention consisted of 8 weekly, 75-minute classes. Participant flow data revealed challenges to feasibility primarily due to recruitment and retention. Scores on most outcome measures changed in the predicted direction with medium effect sizes found for the functional outcomes. Pain measures did not change significantly. This pilot suggests that yoga for pediatric headaches may be acceptable, as indicated by positive parent and participant ratings of the yoga experience. These preliminary findings suggest that yoga trials for pediatric headaches include both challenges and promise. Recommendations for overcoming challenges include designs that optimize family convenience.
authors: Department of Anesthesiology, Medical College of Wisconsin/Children's Hospital of Wisconsin, Jane B. Pettit Pain and Palliative Care Center, Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Electronic address: khainsworth@chw.org.
authors: Keri R
authors: KR
authors: Hainsworth
authors: Department of Psychology, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
authors: Katherine S
authors: KS
authors: Salamon
authors: Department of Anesthesiology, Medical College of Wisconsin/Children's Hospital of Wisconsin, Jane B. Pettit Pain and Palliative Care Center, Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
authors: Kim Anderson
authors: KA
authors: Khan
authors: Santosh Yoga, LLC, Wauwatosa, Wisconsin.
authors: Bryant
authors: B
authors: Mascarenhas
authors: Department of Psychology, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
authors: W Hobart
authors: WH
authors: Davies
authors: Department of Anesthesiology, Medical College of Wisconsin/Children's Hospital of Wisconsin, Jane B. Pettit Pain and Palliative Care Center, Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
authors: Steven J
authors: SJ
authors: Weisman
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001007:Anxiety / Q000523:psychology; D002648:Child; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D005260:Female; D020773:Headache Disorders / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008881:Migraine Disorders / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*; D059408:Pain Management / Q000379:methods* / Q000523:psychology; D010865:Pilot Projects; D000297:Psychology, Adolescent; D002666:Psychology, Child; D011788:Quality of Life / Q000523:psychology; D012008:Recurrence; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D015013:Yoga / Q000523:psychology*