ORIGINAL PAPER
Ujjayi pranayama in systemic lupus women: randomized-controlled effect on cortisol, stress, depression, anxiety, and fatigue
 
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1
Department of Internal Medicine and Geriatrics, Faculty of Physical Therapy, Badr University in Cairo, Cairo, Egypt
 
2
Department of Physical Therapy for Woman’s Health, Faculty of Physical Therapy, Badr University in Cairo, Cairo, Egypt
 
3
Basic Science Department, Faculty of Physical Therapy, Cairo University, Giza, Egypt
 
4
Department of Physical Therapy for Surgery, Faculty of Physical Therapy, Cairo University, Giza, Egypt
 
 
Submission date: 2023-04-28
 
 
Acceptance date: 2023-08-11
 
 
Online publication date: 2024-08-14
 
 
Corresponding author
Ahmed Mohamed Abdelhalim Elfahl   

Department of Internal Medicine and Geriatrics, Faculty of Physical Therapy, Badr University in Cairo, Entertainment Area, Badr City, Cairo, Egypt
 
 
Physiother Quart. 2024;32(3):21-28
 
KEYWORDS
TOPICS
ABSTRACT
Introduction:
The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of ujjayi pranayama on non-lethal problems and cardiorespiratory functions in women with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE).

Methods:
This randomized controlled trial involved a home-based training of ujjayi pranayama for 6 weeks. Forty SLE women were randomly assigned to either the ujjayi-pranayama group (n = 20), who performed 30 min of ujjayi pranayama daily (15 min in the morning and evening), or the waitlist control group (n = 20). Various measures, including State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI), cortisol, Stress Vulnerability Scale (SVS), Beck Depression Inventory II (BDI-II), Fatigue Severity Scale (FSS), Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), pulse rate (Pul-r), respiratory rate (Res-r), systolic blood pressure (SBPr), and diastolic blood pressure (DBPr) were assessed.

Results:
Significant reductions were observed via paired tests in Pul-r (75.95 ± 3.63 vs 72.95 ± 3.17; p < 0.001), Res-r (16.70 ± 3.62 vs 14.80 ± 2.94; p < 0.001), SBPr (126.60 ± 4.75 vs 121.30 ± 4.30; p < 0.001), DBPr (82.15 ± 3.57 vs 78.05 ± 3.44; p < 0.001), PSQI (7.45 ± 1.27 vs 5.10 ± 1.20; p < 0.001), FSS (4.80 ± 1 vs 3.75 ± 1.11; p < 0.001), BDI-II (13.70 ± 2.77 vs 6.80 ± 1.50; p < 0.001), STAI (66.70 ± 4.72 vs 47.55 ± 6.15; p < 0.001), cortisol (8.51 ± 1.36 vs 6.34 ± 1.36; p < 0.001), and SVS (12.65 ± 1.78 vs 6.45 ± 1.57; p < 0.001) in the ujjayi pranayama group only.

Conclusions:
Ujjayi pranayama significantly improved non-lethal problems and cardiorespiratory functions in women with lupus.

 
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