Yoga and Aerobic Dance for Pain Management in Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis

Summary

The primary objectives of the proposed pilot randomized controlled trial (RCT) will be to examine: (1) the feasibility of a full RCT to evaluate the effectiveness of two popular types of physical activity (PA), a yoga training program and an aerobic dance training program, in female adolescents (13 to 18 years old) with juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) compared to a wait list control group; and (2) the acceptability of these interventions. A three-arm prospective randomized open-label study with a parallel group design will be used. A total of 25 in a ratio of 2:2:1 female adolescents with JIA who have pain will be randomized to one of the three groups: 1) online yoga training program (Group A) (n=10), 2) online aerobic dance training program (Group B) (n=10) and 3) waiting list control group (Group C) (n=5). Participants in groups A and B will complete three individual 1-hour sessions per week using online exercise videos, as well as one 1-hour virtual group session per week using a video-conferencing platform (GoToMeeting) for 12 weeks. These participants will also take part in weekly e-consultations with a research coordinator and discussions on Facebook with other participants. Participants from all groups will be given access to an electronic educational pamphlet on PA for arthritis developed by The Arthritis Society to review via an online platform. Feasibility, acceptability and usability of Facebook and GoToMeeting will be assessed at the end of the program. Pain intensity (Primary outcome), participation in general physical activity, morning stiffness, functional status, fatigue, self-efficacy and patient global assessment will be assessed using self-administered electronic surveys at baseline, weekly until the end of the 12 weeks program.

Conditions

• Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis
• Pain

Interventions

BEHAVIORAL

Online yoga training (Group A)

The yoga training program is a structured low-intensity Vishwas-Raj (18). This yoga program consists of stretching, strengthening, meditation and deep breathing, and has been shown to be effective among adults with RA. Participants will be asked to complete three individual 1-hour sessions per week for 12 consecutive weeks by watching a previously filmed session led by a qualified yoga instructor and posted on Facebook. They will also take part in a 1-hour virtual group session per week using a video-conferencing platform. Participants will also participate in weekly e-consultations with a research coordinator and discussions on Facebook with other participants.

BEHAVIORAL

Online aerobic dance training (Group B)

The aerobic dance program is a low to moderate intensity level program and will also use a video. The video, adapted for youth with JIA, was developed with feedback from a JIA patient with experience in aerobic dance and a physiotherapist with experience in pediatric rheumatology. The aerobic dance program will have the same characteristics in terms of frequency, total number of sessions and total duration as the yoga program (i.e., three 1-hour individual sessions and one 1-hour virtual group session per week for 12 weeks). Participants will also participate in weekly e-consultations with a research coordinator and discussions on Facebook with other participants.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• The Hospital for Sick Children

  collaborator OTHER

• Université de Montréal

  collaborator OTHER

• University of Ottawa

  collaborator OTHER

• Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario

  lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

• Karine Toupin April · Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario

Study Design

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

TREATMENT

Masking

NONE

Model

PARALLEL

Eligibility

Min Age

13 Years

Max Age

18 Years

Sex

FEMALE

Healthy Volunteers

No

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2019-09-30

Primary Completion

2021-12-31

Completion

2022-04-30

Countries

• Canada

Study Locations