Feasibility and Preliminary Efficacy of Hatha Yoga in Head and Neck Cancer Survivors

Summary

Treatment for head and neck cancer can result in marked musculo-skeletal impairment (MSI). This study will examine the effects of Hatha Yoga as a therapeutic modality to address MSI.

Conditions

• Head Neck Cancer

Interventions

OTHER

Baseline Study Measures

Participants will undergo baseline objective and self-report study measures including: 1) ROM in the jaw, neck, and shoulders; 2) posture assessment; 3) pain, and 4) psychological distress. The study measures will take 30-45 minutes to administer.

BEHAVIORAL

Yoga Evaluation

The evaluation includes an assessment of nine traditional Yoga components: energy, symptoms, emotions, posture, breathing patterns, gait, muscle/tissue quality, joint flexibility, and muscle strength. Emphasis will be placed on the assessment of jaw/neck/shoulder MSI requiring Yoga practice modification of those poses that are unsafe or not feasible for a patient to perform. Information from the evaluation will be used to establish the tailored Yoga program

BEHAVIORAL

Yoga Program

The Yoga program has 5 components: 1) Awareness Practice to enhance self-awareness, 2)Poses - 16 core poses will be modified for each patient's specific needs, 3)Breath Work - breath awareness and proper breathing for maximum benefit, 4)Relaxation - alternating between methods of relaxation, 5)Mediation - awareness and practice of inner silence

BEHAVIORAL

Yoga Practice Plan

To enhance fidelity, a standardized Yoga intervention was chosen that includes postures, meditation, relaxation, and breath work. To ensure safety, the practice plan for each patient will be reviewed prior to initiation. All MSI limitations will be discussed, and appropriate adaptive techniques will be formulated. Qualitative techniques will be used to describe and categorize the types of impairment and modifications. By developing a catalog of impairments and suitable modifications, a safe and uniform Yoga program can be further tested and widely disseminated.

OTHER

Study Assessments

Data collection methods used to assess efficacy include physical measurement/examination, jaw range of motion (device) - scales to measure opening, cervical range of motion(Device), Shoulder Range of Motion - Goniometer, Posture - Wall Zone Grid, self-reported surveys for physical symptoms, pain, psychological symptoms, anxiety, depression and quality of life

Sponsors & Collaborators

• National Institutes of Health (NIH)

  collaborator NIH

• National Cancer Institute (NCI)

  collaborator NIH

• Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center

  lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

• Sheila H Ridner, PhD, RN · Vanderbilt University School of Nursing

• Barbara Murphy, MD · Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center

Study Design

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

SUPPORTIVE_CARE

Masking

NONE

Model

PARALLEL

Eligibility

Min Age

18 Years

Sex

ALL

Healthy Volunteers

No

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2013-08-31

Primary Completion

2015-10-31

Completion

2015-10-31

Countries

• United States

Study Locations