Yoga, sexual dysfunction, and female concussions: a mind-body pilot intervention

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience and Rehabilitation
• Women's Health
• Integrative Medicine

Background:

• Sexual wellbeing is integral to overall health and recovery from concussion.
• The impact of interventions like yoga on sexual wellbeing in women with post-concussion symptoms remains under-explored.
• Existing research highlights yoga's potential benefits for concussion outcomes but lacks focus on sexual health.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the feasibility of a brain injury-tailored yoga program for women with post-concussion symptoms.
• To assess the program's impact on sexual function, depression, anxiety, and PTSD.
• To determine the intervention's sustainability, acceptability, and participant satisfaction.

Main Methods:

• A 6-week yoga program delivered via Zoom to women aged 18+ with concussion symptoms lasting at least one month.
• Comparison between a yoga group (n=12) and a wait-list control group (n=15).
• Utilized validated questionnaires including the Female Sexual Functioning Index-6 (FSFI-6), PHQ-9, GAD-7, and PCL-5 for outcome assessment.

Main Results:

• The yoga program demonstrated feasibility and high acceptability (satisfaction score 8.7/10).
• Significant improvements were observed in sexual functioning (large effect size) and mood symptoms (anxiety, PTSD, depression) one week post-intervention.
• Positive effects on sexual function were largely maintained at five-week follow-up, indicating potential sustainability.

Conclusions:

• A brain injury-tailored yoga program is a feasible and acceptable intervention for women experiencing post-concussion symptoms.
• Yoga shows promise as a non-pharmacological approach to enhance sexual wellbeing and alleviate mood disturbances in this population.
• Further investigation through larger randomized controlled trials is warranted to confirm these findings.