Impact of yoga on balance, balance confidence and occupational performance for adults with diabetic peripheral neuropathy: A pilot study

Introduction: The purpose of this study was to examine the preliminary efficacy of yoga on balance, balance confidence, occupational performance, and satisfaction with performance in adults with diabetic peripheral neuropathy. Method: Fifteen adults with diabetic peripheral neuropathy attended eight weeks of yoga, including positive affirmations, breathing, postures and relaxation. Balance was measured using the Berg balance scale; balance confidence, using the activities-specific balance confidence scale; and occupational performance and satisfaction, using the Canadian occupational performance measure. We used a non-controlled pretest-posttest design. Findings: Significant improvements were found for all measures. Improvements remained significant after the Bonferroni correction (alpha = 0.05/4-0.0125) and effect sizes were large for occupational performance and satisfaction (d(Cohen) = 1.13, 1.07, respectively). Conclusion: Yoga may significantly improve balance, balance confidence, occupational performance, and satisfaction for adults with diabetic peripheral neuropathy. Further research utilizing a control group, a larger sample size, and randomization is required.