The effect of yoga on pelvic pain and quality of life in women with endometriosis

Objective: This study was conducted to evaluate the effects of yoga on pain experience and quality of life in women diagnosed with endometriosis who experience pelvic pain. Method: This randomized controlled, pre-test-post-test repeats prospective study included 60 women (30 experimental, 30 control) meeting the inclusion criteria at the Endometriosis Clinic of a private hospital in Istanbul between January 2024 and January 2025. The women in the experimental group received endometriosis education and face-to-face practical training on yoga practices, accompanied by written educational materials in the first session. They then underwent a 3-month yoga intervention program, with each session lasting 80 minutes, at least 3 days a week. This program consisted of 2 months of online yoga practice with the researcher and 1 month of individual yoga practice. Participants were monitored via telephone calls at weeks 4, 8, and 12. Additionally, participants received a video of the endometriosis-specific yoga program flow prepared by the researcher, and the yoga group was supported with reminder messages.The control group received only a face-to-face education session on endometriosis accompanied by written materials and was followed up over the same period. Data were collected using the Descriptive Information Form, the Endometriosis Health Profile-5 (EHP-5), the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS), the Short-Form McGill Pain Questionnaire (SF-MPQ), and the Psychological Well-Being Scale (PWBS). Results: The sociodemographic characteristics and baseline scores of VAS, EHP-5, SF-MPQ, and PWBS were similar between the intervention and control groups (p>0.05). Post-intervention assessments revealed statistically significant improvements in the VAS, EHP-5, SF-MPQ, and PWBS scores in the intervention group compared to the control group (p<0.05). Among women in the intervention group, VAS scores during menstruation showed a notable reduction over time, decreasing from a mean of 7.63 ± 1.88 at the first follow-up to 5.2 ± 1.3 at the final follow-up (p=0.004). Similarly, the total scores of the SF-MPQ decreased significantly in the intervention group over the course of the follow-up period (p<0.001). The EHP-5 scores indicated significant improvements in core, modular, and total domains of quality of life among participants in the intervention group (p<0.001). Additionally, a significant increase was observed in the mean PWBS scores of the intervention group (p<0.05). Conclusion: Yoga practices have been shown to reduce pain levels in women with endometriosis, support psychological well-being and consequently improve quality of life. Therefore, yoga can be recommended as a non-pharmacological supportive approach in the care and management of women with endometriosis.