The effects of yoga on sleep quality, fatigue and physical activity level of multiple sclerosis patients: A randomized controlled study

Although multiple sclerosis patients have frequent sleep and fatigue problems, their physical activity levels are much lower than healthy people. Yoga has many benefits, such as providing symptom control, improving sleep quality, reducing fatigue and improving physical activity level. This study was conducted to examine the effects of yoga on sleep, fatigue and physical activity levels in multiple sclerosis patients. The research was conducted as a randomized experimental study with a pretest-posttest control group. The data of this study were collected from 60 patients with multiple sclerosis who were admitted to the Neurology outpatient clinic of Fırat University Training and Research Hospital between November 2023 and July 2024, and who met the research criteria and gave informed consent. The 30 patients in the intervention group practiced a total of 12 sessions of yoga for 6 weeks, 2 times a week, 1 session online and 1 session at home. No intervention was performed on the 30 patients in the control group. In collecting data; Patient Information Form, Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), Fatigue Severity Scale (FSS), International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ) were used. In analyzing the data; frequency and percentage analysis, chi square analysis, standard deviation, t test in dependent groups, and t test analysis in independent groups were performed. In the study, it was found that the patients in the intervention group had a significant decrease in the mean total and sub-dimension scores of the PDQI and the ACSQ (p<0.05) and a significant increase in the mean total and sub-dimensions of the IPAQ (p<0.05) compared to the patients in the control group. As a conclusion, it was determined that yoga improved sleep quality, reduced fatigue and increased physical activity level in multiple sclerosis patients. In line with these results, it is recommended to expand the use of yoga in the care and treatment of multiple sclerosis patients, in addition to basic nursing care practices. Keywords: Nursing, multiple sclerosis, sleep quality, yoga, fatigue